• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.21-39
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• 2018

Today, Mobile Instant Message (MIM) has become a communication means which is commonly used by many people as the technology on smart phones has been enhanced. Among the services, KakaoGame creates much profits continuously by using its representative Kakao platform. However, even though the number of users of KakaoGame increases and the characteristics of the users are more diversified, there are few researches on the relationship between the characteristics of the SNG users and the continuous use of the game. Since the social capital that is formed by the SNG users with the acquaintances create the sense of belonging, its role is being emphasized under the environment of social network. In addition, game user's concerns about the information privacy may decrease the trust on a game APP, and it also caused to threaten about the game system. Therefore, this study was designed to examine the structural relationships among SNG users' social capital, concerns about the information privacy, flow, SNG reuse intention and recommendation intention. The results from this study are as follow. First of all, the participants' bridging social capital had a positive effect on the flow of an SNG, but the bonding social capital had a negative effect on the flow of an SNG. In addition, awareness of information privacy concern had a negative effects on the flow of an SNG, but control of information privacy concern had a positive effect on the flow of an SNG. Lastly, the flow of an SNG had a positive effect on the reuse intention and recommendation intention of an SNG. Also, reuse intention of an SNG had a positive effect on the recommendation intention. Based on the results from this study, academic and practical implications can be drawn. First, This study focused on KakaoTalk which has both of the closed and open characteristics of an SNS and it was found that the SNG user's social capital might be a factor influencing each user's behaviors through the user's flow experiences in SNG. Second, this study extends the scope of prior researches by empirically analysing the relationship between the concerns about the SNG user's information privacy and flow of an SNG. Finally, the results of this research can provide practical guidelines to develop effective marketing strategies considering them for SNG companies.

• Journal of Korea Game Society
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.171-184
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• 2015

Looking at the existing game-related research, innumerable researches such as game acceptance, user satisfaction, continuance intention, wold-of-mouse intention have been carried out. However, there was no cases that applying the concept of service recovery in game researches. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact on the characteristic of the mobile social network game that based on domestic mobile social network game platform which focusing on KakaoTalk games on the service recovery. In addition, the study analyzed the characteristic factors of mobile social network game on the basis of Organizational Equity Theory and Innovation Diffusion Theory to identified the causal relationship between those factors and service recovery. As a result, except the independent variable-compatibility, all of the characteristics factors of mobile social network game showed direct or indirect effects on service recovery. The results of this study are expected as a reference for presenting a new business model, reducing risk factors and enriching the related research of the gaming industry.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information Security & Cryptology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.93-107
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• 2016

Game bot playing is one of the main risks in Massively Multi-Online Role Playing Games(MMORPG) because it damages overall game playing environment, especially the balance of the in-game economy. There have been many studies to detect game bot. However, the previous detection models require continuous maintenance efforts to train and learn the game bots' patterns whenever the game contents change. In this work, we have proposed a machine learning technique using the self-similarity property that is an intrinsic attribute in game bots and automated maintenance system. We have tested our method and implemented a system to major three commercial games in South Korea. As a result, our proposed system can detect and classify game bots with high accuracy.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.427-432
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• 2015

Recently, Mobile Social Network Game market has grown rapidly because Smart devices has been spreading to many people and improving performance. Push notification, which is a success factor of the mobile social network game brought about stress to the user. However, there is no study on push notifications in the mobile social network game; it was difficult to understand for the use of push notifications. The Games of Kakao talk platform has various push notification system and provides detailed descriptions. On the other hand, the game linked to Facebook has minimal push notification system. In the future, if game companies develop push notification system by the characteristics of user, mobile social network games be able to derive the user's use continuously.

• Journal of Korea Game Society
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.7-16
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• 2016

This research aims to suggest a gamified smart learning design for Korean EFL young learners' speaking proficiency. Gamification is the use of game-thinking and game mechanics in non-game contexts to engage users in solving problems. Thus, the gamified smart learning as gamification in education is designed not only to elicit students' participation but also to enhance speaking skills. Especially, this research based on the results of a pilot study is focused on easing the burden of homework as well as engaging the speaking English game for the primary students with a relatively short attention span. The game elements utilized in this study are competition, rewards, customized characterization and so on. Kakao Talk is selected for this gamified smart learning research because of its ease of accessibility, and multiple applicable functions for language learning such as voice recording, text messaging and sharing videos or photos. Gamification in smart learning can be a means of productive approach to contemporary EFL teaching and learning.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.293-303
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• 2014

The mobile game market is fast growing after the Kakao game launched. Especially, the market is placed at the second highest by occupying 33.1% of the market. However, the rate of the total sales amount is only 6%, showing quite an imbalance between the market occupancy and the sales amount. This means that the profit-making models are not stabilized yet in the mobile game market. The absence of profit-making models can be ascertained by the relationship of DAU and sales ranking. There are several games which are ranked at DAU Top10 among Google free games, but not ranked at top 10 among sales amounts. On the other hand, there are several games which are low in DAU ranking but high in sales amount ranking. This result shows that there is no direct interrelation between the product attractiveness which users feel and the profit-making models in the market. This study compared the Google play free games which are ranked at top 10 in terms of DAU ranking and sales amount ranking to find out the factor which causes the imbalance between the DAU ranking and sales amount ranking. Based on this outcome, this study presents the reference point for the design of profit-making models on behalf of the manufacturers who wish to launch into the mobile game market in the future.

• Design Convergence Study
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.17-35
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• 2016

Along with popularization of smart phone and routinization of social network service, enterprises are using several social network services as a marketing channel to raise brand awareness and conduct PR. Enterprises have been utilizing an element of 'Gamification' representing a functional aspect and emotional pleasure of a game in order to attract users' attention and increase their voluntary participation since the early social network service marketing. However, social network service system contains functional roles of Gamification components rather than they function separately. Hence, this research intends to examine Gamification elements of social network service and characteristics occurred when enterprise uses several social network services as a marketing channel. Besides, it aims at suggesting a marketing guideline for Gamification based on social network that may induce users' interest and increase an immersion effect. Firstly, this study examined concepts and characteristics of social network service and Gamification centered on literature research. Secondly, it summarized a game mechanics, dynamics and a fun type of Gamification components. Thirdly, based on theoretical research, it collected Gamification marketing cases of 5 enterprises including 'Coca Cola Korea', 'Lotte Mart', 'Canon Korea', "Kolon Sports' and 'Uniqlo Korea' that utilize more than 3 of 4 social network services including 'Kakao Story', 'Band', 'Facebook' and 'Instagram' used the most in our nation, analyzing characteristics of Gamification marketing and deriving a suggestion. Finally, it suggested a guideline for Gamification and social network service to build a foundation for a Gamification marketing plan through social network service.