John Kwag

MMO Industry Veteran, Free To Play Consultant

Korea

Current
  • Engagement Guy at IN Consulting
Past
  • Investor Relations Team Leader/Global Service Project Manager at Freechal Inc.
  • Consultant (Freelance), Global Business Development at YSK Media
  • Manager, Global Team/International Marketing Team at Joymax Co., Ltd.
  • Ibyeong (E-2) at ROK Army, 3rd Army, 103rd Infantry Brigade
  • Co-Founder, Program Coordinator at English Experience Ltd.
  • Archivst at Space Group
Education
  • Sogang University
  • Bates College
  • Seoul International School
Connections
286 connections
Industry
Computer Games
Websites

John Kwag’s Summary

EXPERIENCED ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA PROFESSIONAL
Very experienced in starting up and developing globally focused services, teams, and enterprises from nothing all the way to profit.
Background includes extensive international and cross-cultural exposure in personal background, education, and career.

Responsibilities have included:

- Entreperenurial capital strategy (incubation, VC, etc.)
- Project financing agent
- Business Development for online games services
- New game sourcing for publishers/operators
- Operational setup and management for online games
- Serial Localization of services
- B2C, B2B Marketing and PR
- Consumer Financial backend system setup and management
- MMORPG operations and community management
- Online Media Platform Design
- Global project management
- Online entertainment & media market research
- Military/Civil Service training and squad management

I can be contacted by e-mail at: johnnyprozac@gmail.com

John Kwag’s Specialties:

International project management, international business development, Online media development, MMORPG operations, Game Marketing, System Integration, Internet Platform design, Online Media & Communities, Entreprenurial capital strategy, Online service localization, inter-departmental project coordination, Serially Local product/service planning. Venture Capital funding strategy, Online market research


John Kwag’s Experience

  • Engagement Guy

    IN Consulting

    (Computer Games industry)

    2009Present (less than a year)

    IN Consulting helps game companies who rely on the F2P/ microtransaction/virtual item business model to better monetize, increase engagement, and find partners.

    IN Consulting customize our services to fit your needs in social gaming, online casual games, and MMO's

  • Project Manager

    OGPlanet

    (Privately Held; Computer Games industry)

    May 2009August 2009 (4 months)

    - Responsible for overall coordination of schedule, operational, technical, marketing, and business development aspects of a game service. Coordination of internal technical, marketing, and operational teams as well as external development studio and publisher partners
    - Sourcing Manager for future game software for OGPlanet USA and Europe. Handling contact and initial term sheet discussions with potential development studio partners.
    - License Agreement and Term Sheet authorship and analysis. Ensuring that the Agreements are legal, comprehensive, and contain the necessary elements to ensure a successful partnership

  • Associate Publishing (External) Producer

    Webzen Inc.

    (Public Company; Computer Games industry)

    April 2008May 2009 (1 year 2 months)

    In addition to my previous responsibilites as a international marketing manager, I also worked as part of the Publishing Producer team responsible for many of Webzen's externally developed projects. We evangelize, monitor, integrate, and liason on many different aspects of the publisher-developer relationship both internally and externally. I was tasked with many of the operational planning and business development aspects of service of our global games as well.

    My PPD duties are currently focused on Red 5's upcoming game.

  • Global Brand Team, Launch Group, Manager

    Webzen Inc.

    (Public Company; Computer Games industry)

    December 2007April 2008 (5 months)

    - Responsible for overall launch marketing campaigns for Webzen’s games with Real Time Worlds and Red 5 Studios. Also handled benchmarking, sourcing, RFPs, vendor relations, and launch event planning
    - Collaborated on formulation of appropriately localized business models, necessary service infrastructure, and public relations strategies.
    - Main contact point for business partners such as Massive (in-game advertising) and Nvidia (graphics hardware).

  • Investor Relations Team Leader/Global Service Project Manager

    Freechal Inc.

    (Public Company; Internet industry)

    January 2007December 2007 (1 year )

    I was responsible for strategy, implementation, and oversight in regards to Freechal Inc's current venture funding drive. I was also responsible for compliance, information dispersal and strategy if and when Freechal Inc.decided to go public.

    I also pushed for and developed from the conceptual stage a global version of the online personal media platform that Freechal offers domestically. I oversaw the planning, marketing, operational backend and deployment of Freechal's global platform in addition to my IR duties.

  • Consultant (Freelance), Global Business Development

    YSK Media

    (Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Media Production industry)

    October 2006May 2007 (8 months)

    I was a freelance Business development point for YSK Media which is currently a Master Content Provider for Samsung Electronics mobile phones. YSK is also involved with various other media related services such as Entertainment Marketing services, media investments, embedded content producer, joint venture broker and digital media production.

  • Manager, Global Team/International Marketing Team

    Joymax Co., Ltd.

    (Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Computer Games industry)

    December 2005January 2007 (1 year 2 months)

    Was responsible for all aspects of the global operations of Joymax's MMO , Silkroad Online. From operations, to B2B licenses and contacts, to backend infrastructure and support services, to marketing, and finally localization efforts.

  • Ibyeong (E-2)

    ROK Army, 3rd Army, 103rd Infantry Brigade

    (Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; Military industry)

    February 2003April 2005 (2 years 3 months)

    I was responsible for a platoon of 10+ subordinates in regards to work/leave scheduling, disciplinary action/rewards, maintenance of facilities and supplies, and training.

  • Co-Founder, Program Coordinator

    English Experience Ltd.

    (Partnership; 1-10 employees; E-Learning industry)

    August 1998September 1999 (1 year 2 months)

    This was a startup, began in association with Arirang TV's business development arm, which I and six others began on the premise that the best way to learn the language would be through experiential methods which would place students in weekend "situation camps" offline which would utilize the material taught online.

    The belief was that English would be learned faster and easier if it was not the main point of every lesson but rather a tool to achieve another goal.The target market demographic was college students and professionals.

    I was responsible for the overall concept and program structure. I also sourced locations and online deployment methods in addition to these duties. I also was responsible for business plan preparation, contacting, meeting and presenting to interested sources of funding.

  • Archivst

    Space Group

    (Partnership; 1001-5000 employees; Architecture & Planning industry)

    June 1998September 1998 (4 months)

    I helped develop archival procedures, systems, and databases for which all relevant material involved with resources for the projects current and past could be stored and retrieved easily.


John Kwag’s Education

  • Sogang University

    BA , English Literature , 19992005

    Transferred from Bates College in 1999 after having done start-up in 1998.

    Was drafted into the ROK military from 2003 to 2005, and thus was on leave from Sogang University from the end of 2002 to 2005.

    Activities and Societies:
    President/Director: Sogang English Drama,
    Sogang Univ. Student Representative: ACUCA/ASEACCU Conferences
  • Bates College

    Transferred , International Relations, Cultural Studies, Theater , 19951998

    Activities and Societies:
    President, Sangai Asia (Asian Students Association),
    Northeast Chairman, Korean American Information Network (KIN),
    Treasurer, International Club,
    DJ, WRBC Bates College Radio
  • Seoul International School

    19891995


Additional Information

John Kwag’s Websites:

John Kwag’s Interests:

Venture Capital, Free2Play, Social Games, Microtransactions, Project Management, MMO, Social Networks, Online casual games, Media Studies (Memetic, Cross cultural), Wireless Technology, PC construction and modification, Violin.

John Kwag’s Groups:

F2P Forum, IGDA, KGDA, Association of Virtual Worlds, Korean American Information Network (KIN), Sogang Alumni, SIS Alumni,

  •    International Game Developers Association
  •    Korean American Society of Entrepreneurs
  •    Gaming People - The Gaming People Expert Network (+9.500)
  •    iGaming Business
  •    GamesProducers
  •    Association of Virtual Worlds
  •    Bates College Alumni and Friends
  •    FREE ONLINE MMORPG & MMO GAMES | MMO hub.org
  •    Animation, Media & Entertainment
  •    Game Industry PR and Marketing
  •    F2P Forum
  •    Game Developers
  •    World Gaming Executives
  •    Asia NetWork
  •    David Perry's Game Industry Map Group.
  •    Video Game Professionals
  •    Game Creator's Network
  •    Electronic Entertainment Industry Network
  •    Free to play MMO
  •    Video Game Marketing Group
  •    International Online Developers Association for Games
  •    Gaming: Passion and Profession
  •    Video Gaming Industry Executives
  •    VideoGame Professionals
  •    Business Korea
  •    Korea Network
  •    GAME HR
  •    Video Game Financing (500+)
  •    Future Social Media
  •    VirtualWorlds
  •    The Online Games Portals Group
  •    Expat and Korean Professionals in Korea
  •    Game Payments
  •    VIDEOGAME BIZ DEV
  •    Gamesrecruit

John Kwag’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

  • career opportunities
  • consulting offers
  • new ventures
  • job inquiries
  • expertise requests
  • business deals
  • reference requests
  • getting back in touch

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