Dated: 2024.03.12
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Supercent’s Game "Burger Please" 83.81 Million Cumulative Downloads… Ranked #1 Among Games Lowering Barriers with the Hyper-Casual Genre “300 Games Developed in Just 4 Years Since Founding” “AI Ushers in the Era of Solo Game Development”
<On December 12, at Supercent’s office in Sincheon-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, CEO Gong Jun-sik outlined the company’s business strategy>
Last year, the most popular mobile apps globally were Meta’s Threads and OpenAI’s ChatGPT—both exceeding 100 million downloads. However, few people realize that the third most downloaded app came from a Korean startup.
Supercent, a domestic game startup, developed the game app Burger Please, which ranked third in global downloads among apps launched last year. This success stems from betting on the hyper-casual genre, a game category accessible to everyone. Industry experts believe that hyper-casual games, which contrast with the high barriers of MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games), could become the next big thing in the gaming sector.
According to AppMagic, a mobile app market research firm, 'Burger Please!' has achieved a total of 83.81 million downloads as of December 12. This places it third among apps launched last year, following Threads (253.39 million downloads) and ChatGPT (163.05 million downloads). Among games genre, it ranks first. 'Burger Please!' is a management simulation game where players run a burger restaurant. The game belongs to the hyper-casual genre, known for its accessibility and simplicity, allowing players of all ages to grasp the rules and enjoy the game within just a minute.
<Cumulative Download Rankings of Apps Released Last Year, Compiled by Mobile App Analytics Firm AppMagic. / Courtesy of AppMagic>
In the gaming industry, the formula for success has traditionally revolved around creating large-scale games with stunning graphics. Companies like Krafton, which gained industry recognition with the game TERA before releasing the shooting survival game PUBG, and ShiftUp, which is pursuing an IPO with the action-adventure console game Stellar Blade, have followed this approach. Supercent, however, has taken a completely different route. Since its founding in 2021, the company has developed over 300 games, approximately 150 of which have been released to the market. Among these, five ranked in the top 100 most downloaded game apps last year.
Supercent's aggressive strategy is reflected in the numbers. Last year, the company's apps accumulated over 210 million downloads, making it Korea's largest app provider, surpassing Naver's subsidiary Snow, Samsung Electronics, and Naver Webtoon. The company's revenue model is centered on advertising. By creating games with low entry barriers and distributing them to as many users as possible, Supercent transforms its games into marketing channels. Unlike traditional development processes driven by developers, Supercent adopts a market-driven approach, similar to a marketing consultancy. They analyze market demand and select game themes based on that analysis.