BTS World

BTS World
Developer(s)Takeone Company Corp
Publisher(s)Netmarble
Platform(s)iOS, Android
ReleaseJune 26, 2019
Genre(s)Visual novel
Chat fiction
Mode(s)single-player

BTS World (stylized in all caps) is a mobile video game developed by South Korean studio Takeone Company Corp and published by Netmarble. Players take the role of BTS' manager, going through various journeys with each of the seven members from 2012, before their debut, to 2019.

Release

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The game was released to iOS and Android systems in over 175 countries on June 26, 2019.[1]

Gameplay

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BTS World is a visual novel styled video game, where most of the story relies on clicking through interactions between the user and game characters.[2] The game is based on conversations and choices that impact the later chapters. The player can also style the characters and play a card game to achieve a specific score.

The game uses real photos and voice recordings of the BTS members.[3] Its official website has galleries of photos and videos of the members as the game characters.

Another mode, called "Another Story", has similar gameplay but different stories, as each focuses on the player and only one member of BTS as if they were not together back then.

Characters

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Based on the descriptions on the game's official website,[4] there are seven different characters in "Another Story".

Name Occupation
Kim Namjoon (RM) Creative writing & literature student caught up in a real case
Kim Seokjin (Jin) Hotel intern who tries taking care of a special guest
Min Yoongi (Suga) Piano student working hard to win a competition
Jeong Hoseok (J-Hope) Veterinary medicine student who starts taking care of an animal sanctuary
Park Jimin (Jimin) High school student trying to take care of his grandmother's rice cake shop
Kim Taehyung (V) High school student trying out farming
Jeon Jeongguk (Jungkook) High school student trying to revive a Taekwondo club

Developer

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It was reported that BTS World was developing for two years.[5] Netmarble claimed that the group's strong fanbase "leads to a good potential market for creating a brand-new game."[6] The game is based on the members' true personalities.[7]

Soundtrack

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The game features original music from the group. An accompanying soundtrack album, BTS World: Original Soundtrack, was released worldwide on June 28, 2019.[8]

The soundtrack was supported by three collaboration singles: "Dream Glow" by Jin, Jimin, and Jungkook featuring British singer Charli XCX (June 7),[9] "A Brand New Day" by J-Hope and V featuring Swedish singer Zara Larsson (June 14),[9] and "All Night" by RM and Suga featuring American rapper Juice Wrld (June 21).[9] On June 26, the game's official theme song and the soundtrack's lead single, "Heartbeat", was revealed in-game after its release.[10]

Reception

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Media coverage

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Before being released, the game received significant media coverage. CNBC said the game "will offer opportunities for microtransactions."[8] MTV reports for people who are not familiar with the band, "the game could become a powerful learning tool for anyone just getting into their music."[11]

Awards and nominations

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Year Organization Award Result Ref.
2019 Golden Joystick Awards Mobile Game of the Year Won [12]
Google Play Korea Users' Choice Awards Users' Choice Game Nominated [13]
Korea Game Awards Good Game Award Won [14]

References

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  1. ^ Guy, Jack (June 25, 2019). "K-pop stars BTS launch mobile game 'BTS World'". CNN. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  2. ^ Haasch, Palmer (June 27, 2019). "BTS World is straight up self-insert fanfiction". Polygon. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  3. ^ Tassi, Paul. "'BTS World' Is Live On iPhone And Android, Lets You Manage And Befriend The Band". Forbes. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  4. ^ "BTS World - Netmarble". Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  5. ^ "Expected hit games, BTS World lift Netmarble shares". www.theinvestor.co.kr. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  6. ^ "The Fate of BTS is in ARMY's Hands in 'BTS World' Mobile Game: Watch the Trailer". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  7. ^ Aubrey, Elizabeth (June 24, 2019). "BTS' new mobile game, 'BTS World' will be released this week". NME. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  8. ^ a b Whitten, Sarah (June 6, 2019). "Fans can manage K-pop's hottest boy band in the mobile game 'BTS World' due out on June 26". CNBC. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  9. ^ a b c "BTS WORLD - Netmarble". btsw.netmarble.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  10. ^ Tinubu, Aramide (June 27, 2019). "There's 1 Quintessential Meaning At The Core Of BTS' 'Heartbeat'". StyleCaster. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  11. ^ Vincent, Brittany. "Everything You Need To Know About BTS World Before It Takes Over Your Life". MTV News. Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  12. ^ Senior, Tom (November 15, 2019). "See the Golden Joystick Awards 2019 winners". PC Gamer. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  13. ^ "구글플레이 '2019 올해를 빛낸 인기 앱·게임·영화·도서'에 직접 투표하세요!". Google 한국 블로그 (in Korean). Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  14. ^ "로스트아크, 2019년 대한민국 게임대상 대상의 영예.. "6관왕 달성"". www.donga.com (in Korean). November 13, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
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