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GDC China 09: Social evolution and Eastern vs. Western dynamics
Yesterday was the for the Game Developer's Conference in China, and one of the highlights included a speech given by Nexon America's vice-president Min Kim on Nexon's entry into the Western market and a call for more Chinese developers to make the leap across the ocean.Kim, who was born and raised in New York City and took frequent trips to visit his grandparents in South Korea, sees a connection between the gaming cultures on both sides of the ocean. His speech cited the original links between the American and Asian markets when it came to arcade culture, but how both sides began to diverge when console video games rose to power in American and Japan but not in mainland Asia.Kim's speech also goes into Nexon's first steps into the American market, the rise of social gaming, and Kim's interest in what he calls the "Penguin Army" -- the gamers who will soon out grow Club Penguin and move on to other games. For the full notes on his speech, check out the story over at Gamasutra.
Aion's third podcast takes on the east vs. west gaming approaches
The next video in the Aion podcast series is up, and this time the staff speaks on the differences in how the Western and Eastern markets perceive gameplay, and how Aion manages to stretch their Tower of Eternity across both markets. According to the podcast, the team has designed Aion with a global mindset -- such as tempering the experience grind with story and adapting the graphics to straddle the cultural preferences of both markets. In addition to that, they wished to bring new perspectives to the industry as a whole, including their take on flight and the use of PvP in PvE settings, such as the notorious Abyss.But don't take our word for what they said in the podcast when you can view it right here! We've embedded the video in this post right after the break, so hit "continue reading" to see what the Aion team has to offer!
