[THE INVESTOR] Korean game publisherPearl Abyss will likely roll out a specially tailored version of its hit MMORPG “Black Desert,” for Samsung Electronics’ upcoming foldable smartphone, according to sources on Jan. 18.

The release schedule of the game has not been confirmed yet, but it could coincide with the launch of the long-awaited foldable phone in February. According to a source quoted by Korean news outlet Asia Today, half of the screen can be used when playing the mobile game, while the other half can be utilized as a controller.

“It is true that Pearl Abyss is in talks with Samsung for a future collaboration with the foldable smartphone, but nothing has been decided yet,” an official from the Korean game company told The Investor.

“Black Desert,” is one of Pearl Abyss’ biggest hits, with its downloads surpassing 10 million worldwide. The firm collaborated with Samsung to demonstrate the game on the Galaxy S9 during its launch event in February 2018.

Juding by the kudos given to the prototype so far, Samsung’s first foldable smartphone will surely become one of the best mobile devices for playing games and watching videos thanks to the spacious screen real estate. 

Telecom firm SK Telecom CEO Park Jung-ho and mobile carrier LG Uplus CEO Ha Hyun-hui, who have seen the prototype in person in an exclusive event during the CES trade show earlier this month, have praised the phone’s features optimal for consuming multimedia contents and playing games.

The foldable smartphone, rumored to be named Galaxy F, is reportedly fitted with a four-inch screen on the outside, and the main 7.4-inch screen inside.

Although Pearl Abyss is moving fast to release a game title for the phone with the transformable screen, other game companies, including Nexon and NCSoft, are seemingly trying to test the waters.

“The foldable phone certainly has the potential to change how games are played on mobile devices,” said an official from Tokyo-headquartered Nexon, “But we have to wait until the phone is actually out in the market to check the market response.”

Both Nexon and NCSoft said they are not currently conducting any joint projects with Samsung to develop games designed for the upcoming phone.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)