On the 13th, I met Mr. Kwak (28) at the 'Paradise of Passion and Apathy' special exhibition of Cookie Run: Kingdom held at the Subjective Café in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. Upon entering, a large exterior decorated with 'Frontline: Hollyberry Cookie' and 'Eternal Sugar Cookie', the new characters in Cookie Run: Kingdom, caught my eye. The interior, adorned with various floral decorations in white tones, created a dreamlike atmosphere.
The 'Paradise of Passion and Apathy' special exhibition is the fourth exhibition opened by Devsisters to promote the Cookie Run intellectual property (IP). Since last year, Devsisters has showcased traditional crafts and introduced experiential programs so that users can uniquely experience the world of Cookie Run. This 'Paradise of Passion and Apathy' special exhibition will run until the 22nd. Previously, the 'Game of Truth and Lies' special exhibition held at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) attracted over 110,000 visitors in about a month.
This exhibition expressed the passion and apathy symbolized by two cookies in collaboration with master artisans Lee Jae-man of the floral craft and Choi Jeong-in of the embroidery craft. Master Lee Jae-man portrayed the solid will of 'Frontline: Hollyberry Cookie,' who aims to protect the precious kingdom and its people, through the flower-shaped treasure box historically used for keeping valuables, represented with brilliant colors and patterns. Master Choi Jeong-in expressed the paradise of sweet rest that 'Eternal Sugar Cookie' aspires to through bright floral and animal embroideries on bedding using traditional embroidery techniques.
Devsisters' collaboration with traditional craft artisans aims to promote traditional intangible heritage to both domestic and international users. As of October last year, the integrated global cumulative revenue of the Cookie Run IP exceeded 1 trillion won, and the total number of users surpassed 200 million. The service area spans over 200 countries. According to a Devsisters official, half of the visitors to the special exhibition on the opening day were foreigners. The special exhibition also offers one-day classes to experience traditional crafts with the two artisans, which is expected to further enhance the promotional effect.
Not only Devsisters, but also recent gaming companies are expanding their interactions with fans through offline art events using popular game IPs. Smilegate plans to hold a solo media art exhibition titled 'Journey of Light' following the launch of the MMORPG 'Road Nine.' The exhibition will allow viewers to appreciate the vast world and in-depth narrative that Lost Ark has built over seven years of live service through a combination of video and music in media art. The exhibition will be held from the 23rd of this month to the 6th of next month at the immersive art exhibition space 'Theater of Light' at Walkerhill Hotel in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul.
This movement serves the purpose of gaming companies wanting to increase offline touchpoints between game IPs and users through exhibitions. Operating exhibitions is effective for changing the image of games. There is a strong perception that games, which are typically enjoyed alone on PCs or smartphones, are confined online, and they aim to position themselves as cultural content that friends or families can enjoy together through art.
An official from the gaming industry noted, "Recently, gaming companies are trying to capture two rabbits by increasing offline touchpoints like exhibitions and pop-up stores for user management and enhancing IP. As opportunities to become familiar with games increase, it could lead to revenue growth, so such attempts are likely to increase in the future."