Apple's mobile game market kicks off in S. Korea

Apple Inc. opened its mobile game category in South Korea on Wednesday following the government's move to ease rating rules for mobile games.The new category called "game" has appeared on Apple's App Store, allowing local users of iPhones and iPads to download globally popular mobile games such as "Angry Birds."The move comes after the South Korean government agreed to exempt mobile game applications from the government rating process in a bid to stimulate the local game market.Previously, Apple and Google Inc. have disabled the game category in their application markets in South Korea, instead of having their mobile games censored by the Game Rating Board.Under the revised rules, mobile game developers and application market operators can classify game applications without having them rated by the Game Rating Board. They are, however, advised to discuss the criteria of classifications with the board, which is a government agency.The launch of the mobile game market for Apple product users is expected to serve as a boon to local game developers who have been trying to develop products for South Korea's 20 million smartphone users.It will also give local smartphone users a quick channel to access worldwide games, industry officials said.South Korea's smartphone users hit 20 million at the end of October, out of around 50 million mobile phone users in the country. Google, which has been in talks with the government regarding listing its game applications on its Android market, is expected to launch the game category in early November, South Korea's culture minister told the National Assembly on Tuesday.