‘Game Madang,’ a game development graphic resource-sharing platform, is expanding its services.
Game Madang, supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Korea Creative Content Agency and operated by the Korea Game Developers Association, is a sharing platform that supports downloading and using graphic resource packages from unreleased or terminated developers for free.
In order to utilize game assets in various ways, the method in which sellers share resources and users download and utilize them is already widely used in the game development industry. Overseas open markets such as Unity and Unreal are representative examples.
Those who dream of developing games use a resource-sharing platform to download and use content that matches the development plan, purpose, or style/concept. However, the game yard is similar but different. This is because it is a service that transfers copyrighted property rights of resources with government funds and shares them with users free of charge.
Game Madang attracts attention because it provides an opportunity for a virtuous cycle in which the domestic game industry can grow together. In particular, from the developer’s point of view, idle resources can be preserved, and the burden of raising funds can be relieved to focus on the next development project, and from the user’s point of view, the cost and effort required to create new resources can be saved, improving development efficiency.
Currently, Game Madang is operated based on sharing 2D graphic resources and plans to expand the scope of support to 3D graphic resources in the future. When you access the game yard and complete the membership registration process, ‘characters and monsters’ of various concepts and styles, ‘animation in Aseprite or Spine format,’ ‘various terrains or backgrounds,’ ‘props,’ ‘icons,’ ‘GUI,’ You can download ‘VFX’ for free.
The transfer of copyright property, which is the foundation and core of the game yard operation business, follows the process of receiving a paid transfer of graphic resources that have become idle resources in package units following the suspension or termination of the project. Meanwhile, in this regard, the copyright/resource/platform subcommittee and operation advisory committee, composed of experts in various fields such as resource, platform, and copyright, gather to discuss, establish standards, and proceed with necessary procedures at each stage.
Game Madang, which was launched in 2020 and has been providing asset open services since 2021, has so far recruited members through an approval process centered on companies and public educational institutions, but it has simplified membership registration so that members can sign up and use it without an approval process.
However, there are some things to be aware of before using it.
First, uploading or redistributing game yard resources downloaded free of charge to other open markets is strictly prohibited. Second, it is possible to pursue profit creation through game development using game yard resources, but profit pursuit through simple upload or redistribution is prohibited. Third, it is impossible to export overseas. Since Game Madang is a project operated with support from the Korean budget, the beneficiaries are limited to Korean citizens, so that we will deal particularly strictly with the overseas export part.
Jeong Seok-hee, the Korea Game Developers Association chairman, said, “Game Madang has made platform improvements such as pilot service, advancement, and system stabilization and verified the possibility of future development through user feedback. Game Madang will preserve development costs for many developers in Korea in the future. We hope to help improve performance and efficiency and contribute to establishing a virtuous cycle in the game industry.”
The game yard asset open service can be used immediately after registering as a member on the homepage.