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Massively's interview with Atlus Online


Recently, we had the opportunity to sit down with Jeffrey Hong, marketing coordinator for Atlus Online and Neo Steam. It's been awhile since we were able to talk one-on-one with the steampunk MMO developer, so we decided to ask a few questions about the game's current progression, the often-overlooked deep lore and the recent addition of 100 new games to Atlus Online's portal.

So if you're a Neo Steam fan, or just curious about the game, keep reading after the jump for our complete interview with Atlus Online.


Massively: Traditional steampunk is a genre that many MMO gamers have been anticipating for a long time. Do you find that Neo Steam's more fantasy version of steampunk is well-received by players?


Jeffrey Hong: The players are definitely receptive to the idea of having steampunk elements incorporated into gameplay, while at the same time retaining fantasy elements so as not to alienate players who may not be into the steampunk genre. We like to think that the steampunk elements give the game a unique flair or flavor rather than acting as the dominating force in the game.


Neo Steam's Realm vs Realm combat is set to a certain schedule, both in the RvR dungeons and the castle RvR. What was the reasoning behind the scheduling?

In Realm vs. Realm, combat players fight for control of three fortresses. Depending on the number they control after the fight is over, their respective nation gains certain buffs such as increased experience, gold, etc., so we like to have players be able to enjoy these benefits for a good period of time. In addition, creating siege weapons (giant fighting machines) takes a lot of resources, so having Realm vs. Realm once a week gives them plenty of time to gather the necessary materials.

Neo Steam is a free-to-play game with an item shop, much like many games releasing recently. Do you think this business model is the future of online multiplayer gaming?

Definitely, we're seeing that especially in this rough economic time, a free-to-play game is extremely appealing. We made sure to make the item shop something that isn't required to fully enjoy the game so our players who don't spend money won't necessarily feel at a disadvantage. We're finding that North American players are growing more comfortable with the idea of micro-transactions; it's definitely a method we see growing exponentially in the near future.



Neo Steam seems to have a strong focus on events and contests. Do you find that these are well-received by players and worth the extra time/resources involved?

Our GMs work extremely hard to plan events, and we usually have at least three or four in a given week. Having events on top of the in-game mechanics definitely adds another layer to gameplay, strengthening the feeling of community interaction. We like to inject our sense of humor into the events to really make them stand out from the rest of the pack.

Given the deep lore, is there a strong role-playing community in Neo Steam?

We haven't really seen too much in the way of Neo Steam-specific role-playing, but if you check out our forums we have a lively overall RP community, as well as lots of Neo Steam fan-art and stories.

How important do you think outside social networking tools (like Facebook or Twitter) are to MMOs?

We use our social networking sites to help players feel connected outside of the game. They are tools that are integrated with their daily browsing activities, which enables us to keep our players fully updated on events and promotions in real-time.

Atlus Online just announced 100 new mini-games added to their portal. Do you feel that these mini-games add or detract from the attention given to Neo Steam?

The mini-games are part of our overall plan to provide content for a wide range of people. People who play Neo Steam may or may not play our mini-games, but we know there are plenty of people out there who just need a little something to do when trying to procrastinate.

What can you tell us about upcoming content for Neo Steam?

While we can't say too much about the new content, we can say there are plenty of new areas and items in the pipeline to keep players excited.

Thanks so much for your time!