[Tokyo (Japan) = E-Daily Reporter An Yu-ri ] Typhoon No. 25 “Dujuan” cast a dark cloud over the Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2026 venue. Cloudy weather persisted throughout the event, and although it had been expanded to a record five-day schedule to mark its 30th anniversary, organizers decided to cancel all activities on the 21st—the final day—due to the typhoon’s impact.

Although the weather was overcast, the competition and excitement inside the exhibition hall were intense. Trailers for new titles played nonstop on large screens, and game companies drew in visitors with merchandise and events. The Korean gaming industry was closely watching the head-to-head showdown between NEXON Games’ “Paraydolia” and NC (NCsoftCorporation(036570)) and Dynamis One’s “Astrae Oratio,” which were situated across from each other. Developers who had once worked together on games were now awaiting users’ choices with their respective new titles.

Game developers we met at the event spoke of another “storm” on the horizon. They were Shorts and Reels. Short-form content, which sweeps up users’ time with brief yet intense stimulation, has emerged as a new competitor in the gaming industry. Park Young-jae, CEO of Ian Games, said, “Many users who used to play mobile games are now switching to Shorts or Reels, and now artificial intelligence (AI) has entered the picture as well,” adding, “We are considering strategies to bring these users back.”

Haruki Murakami, Director and Executive Producer at NHN PlayArt, told Korean media, “Users already have games they enjoy, and entertaining videos are constantly being released,” adding, “We need a compelling reason to get them to choose a new game.”

Kim Sang-ho, Head of NHN’s Game Business Division, also expressed concern, noting, “Content that delivers a quick dopamine rush is on the rise, and the ‘learning cost’—the effort users are willing to invest when learning a new game—is becoming increasingly minimal.”

The reason the domestic gaming industry is turning to overseas game shows, including the Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2026, is to target the global market amid gradually declining domestic game usage rates. Interestingly, Japanese game companies are also targeting overseas markets. According to the Computer Entertainment Suppliers Association (CESA), a significant number of Japanese game companies—including Nintendo (77%), Bandai Namco (99%), and Capcom (67%)—had a high proportion of overseas revenue as of last year. Competition in the global game market is also becoming increasingly fierce.

Ultimately, their shared concern centered on the fun of the games themselves. While the specific solutions proposed by the development teams varied, all emphasized creating “fun games.” Kim Hyung-tae, CEO of #SHIFT UP, said, “I strongly feel that we must adapt to the changing times. It seems the gaming industry is facing some challenges, such as layoffs at North American companies,” adding, “Since the formulas that used to guarantee success no longer work, I believe we must take on new challenges to present completely new games.”

Users don’t have more hours in a day. The time games are vying for is also being targeted by videos, webtoons, and social media. We need to take a step beyond simply creating a flashier display than the booth next door. The question the Korean gaming industry must ask itself is: Why should a user launch this game instead of skipping through one more short video?