BUSAN -- Korea’s annual game exhibition G-Star 2019 kicked off Thursday with a record number of participants at Bexco in Busan.

The event had 3,208 booths representing 691 companies from 36 countries, the biggest so far for the 15-year-old industry showcase and an 8.2 percent growth from a year earlier, the organizers said. 

G-Star runs through Sunday, at two halls respectively holding business-to-consumer and business-to-business booths.

On the sidelines of the exhibit are G-Con game conference where Korean and global experts will share their insider know-how; investment market where startup game companies pitch projects to potential partners; recruitment arena where job seekers and game companies meet; business networking party and costume play awards.

The B2C hall exuded strong presence of global companies. 

Flanking the entrance were Chinese company miHoYo’s booth along with Honkai Impact and Singaporean company I Got Games’ Lords Mobile. The booths drew attention with costume players.

Finnish company Supercell’s Brawl Stars booth grabbed attention with its massive booth space stretching at the back of the exhibition hall.

Korean firm Netmarble opened its booth right next to Supercell’s, showcasing its games A3: Still Alive, Magic: Manastrike, Seven Knights Revolution and Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds. 

Pearl Abyss livestreamed the details of its new games Plan 8, DokeV, Crimson Desert and Shadow Arena at its booth, next to Epic Games’ Unreal Engine booth. 

Epic Games is the US maker of Fortnite game and the provider of game developing engine Unreal.

Afreeca TV had esports players are competing live at its booth, with large screens to broadcast the games.

PUBG’s Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds booth showcased fan art, and the history and the background of its game development.

Next to the conventional game companies were internet technology and electronics juggernauts.

Google Play, YouTube Gaming and LG Electronics took over the entire right-hand corner of the exhibition hall. LG put its dual-screen phone at the forefront of the booth, pitching it as an ideal phone for mobile game playing. LG Uplus opened a booth as the only telecommunications firm to do so at G-Star 2019, to promote its role in the mobile gaming industry.

By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)