westernization
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Daum hiring industry 'veterans from western region' for Black Desert
When Pearl Abyss announced that Korean internet giant Daum would be publishing Black Desert in the west, my first reaction was "really?" It makes a certain amount of sense, though, as having one worldwide publisher (Daum is also releasing the fantasy sandbox in its native Korea) could work in the title's favor in terms of localization and time-to-launch efficiency. On the other hand, Daum has no real presence in Europe or North America. That last point was recently addressed by Pearl Abyss Director of Overseas Business Brian Oh, who spoke with MMO Culture at ChinaJoy 2014. "Daum is looking to set up a new games business team and hiring veterans from the western region to operate the new games platform," Oh explained. The interview also delves into Black Desert's translation process as well as IP restrictions and other notables.
Leaderboard: Are you still interested in ArcheAge?
So, ArcheAge. It's still not playable in English, but rumor has it that Trion's got a related announcement scheduled for next week's GDC event in San Francisco. While I've been critical of XLGAMES for its interminably slow localization process -- and for releasing its fantasy sandpark everywhere except the West in recent years -- I'm still psyched to play it. The title is both full-featured and utterly unique, and how often can that be said about a current-gen MMORPG? Ultimately, it's one worth waiting for, in my opinion. What about you? Assuming you were interested in ArcheAge at some point over the last three-plus years, are you still interested? Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
The Daily Grind: Do you play MMOs that haven't released in your region?
So, Black Desert is coming to Russia. ArcheAge is already in Russia, and China, and Japan, and pretty much everywhere else except the West. Blade & Soul? Eh, it doesn't appear to be coming to Europe or America any time soon, either. I bring all this up because it's irritating and I'm impatient, but I'm also curious as to how many of you Korean MMO fans go the extra mile to play these games despite all the roadblocks. It's not just the language barrier, see. Sure, it can be challenging to download the client and get it installed and configured correctly, but then you've got to deal with IP region-locking, poor performance, and in the case of ArcheAge, a requirement to own a Korean cell phone before you can even sign up for a legal account! How about it, MMO fans? Do you play MMOs that haven't released in your region? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Black Desert heading to Russia, still lacks Western publisher
Can someone in the MMO industry explain to me why Korean sandbox exports commonly head to Russia before they head West? My theory is that Russia and parts of eastern Europe are crazy for simulation-style games, since several great flight sims and military sims originated in the region. Maybe that passion extends to PvP sandbox MMOs like Black Desert, too? I dunno. In any case, Black Desert, like ArcheAge before it, has secured a Russian publisher and has already begun the localization process, according to Goha.ru. Fan site Black-Desert.com provides an interview translation. [Thanks WNxArcticwolf!]
The Daily Grind: Do you support 'westernizing' Asian MMO imports?
I'm a big fan of Korean MMOs. I don't know why, exactly, other than I'm partial to the unquantifiable exoticness on display in games like ArcheAge, Aion, TERA, Lineage II, and others. Unfortunately from my perspective, the powers-that-be in the MMO industry usually decide that Korean MMOs must be "westernized" before they debut in America, and while the term means different things to different games, it usually involves monkeying with the progression curve, rewriting quests that depend on cultural context, etc. I'd just as soon play Korean MMOs exactly as they were originally designed (albeit with a quality English text translation). How about you, Massively folk? Assuming you like eastern MMOs, would you prefer a straight-up language translation or do you support "westernizing" a game to make it more palatable to American or European audiences? [Note: Something is wonky with the comments on this post today. Sorry for the weirdness!] Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
It's all about story: Massively interviews BLESS's Jacob Han
Upcoming Korean MMO BLESS has been creating quite a stir as of late, what with its gorgeous HD visuals and action-packed "in-game" trailers. But MMO fans, skeptical bunch that they are, have expressed concern over the game, likening it to other Korean games, graphically attractive yet overly grindy experiences. What's to say this isn't just more of the same? This is exactly the question we posed to Jacob Han, lead producer at Neowiz Games. Han's studio collaborated with Epic Games Korea to build the Unreal 3-based title, and we figured he'd be the perfect person to help give us an idea of what makes this game different from the pack and why MMO fans should take note. Hop on past the break and see what BLESS has in store.%Gallery-171358%
E3 2012: XL COO on ArcheAge, CBT4, and coming to America
This is one of those good news/bad news ArcheAge articles. The good news is that XLGAMES' sandpark title is absolutely coming to the West. The bad news, though, is that we still don't know exactly when. XL didn't have an official presence at this year's E3, but the firm was kind enough to set up a private interview with COO Suk Woo Choi away from the hustle and bustle of convention ground zero. We talked at length about CBT4, game systems, and the challenges inherent in localizing ArcheAge for Europe and America.
TERA's Chris Lee shares the trials and joys of transforming an MMO
What was En Masse VP of Publishing Chris Lee's favorite memory of working on TERA? According to a new dev diary, it was when Lee got his hands on the first English-translated build of the game: "At that time we were learning first-hand the strengths and weaknesses of each class, how a balanced party made a difference in the instances, and how much damn fun it was to kill a BAM." Saying that it was a "different game" when the studio first got involved with TERA's Westernization, Lee said that the team had to identify problem spots that would need changing in order to bring it to market in North America and Europe. One of the biggest changes was making the game far more solo-friendly after level 20. Lee shared a few anecdotes about life at En Masse, including a competition between team members to level as quickly as possible in beta and then again in live. He's excited to see the game gaining traction with a diverse community: "What's really interesting is the variety of people that TERA has drawn. In addition to our strong community, we have seen tweets from NFL players, Penny Arcade editors, and even Felicia Day about playing the game."
GDC 2012: Publishing heavies weigh in on F2P conversions
Like it or not, free-to-play is rapidly coming to dominate every corner of the gaming industry. While that's good on the surface, it also blurs the line between business and design, and it creates a lot of tension for both consumers and developers who are increasingly faced with the challenges inherent in separating monetary decisions from gameplay decisions. One of the more interesting GDC 2012 round-tables featured Sony Online Entertainment executive producer Dave Georgeson, NCSoft publishing director Steve Levy, Perfect World VP John Young, GamersFirst monetization director Joe Willmon, and Digi-Capital Limited managing director Tim Merel, all of whom convened for a mind-meld on successfully migrating subscription games to F2P. As you would expect, the panel was heavy on business-speak, but it also featured plenty of insight into the pricing phenomenon that has become the rule rather than the exception.
GDC 2011: Massively takes on TERA's Smuggler Hideout, and Brian Knox teases the political system
Ah TERA, you're such a tease. And we're not just talking about your skimpy outfits, oh no. Your political system, your endgame, your Westernized (whatever that means) makeover... all of these have conspired to leave us breathless with anticipation. Fortunately, we were able to take TERA for a spin at this week's GDC 2011. Along with help from a PUG comprised of En Masse Entertainment staffers, we ventured deep inside the game's Smuggler's Hideout, battling BAMS (En Masse shorthand for big-ass monsters) and checking out the title's streamlined UI and spiffy combat mechanics. Join us after the cut for a brief recap of the demo as well as an interview with producer Brian Knox during which we (politely) demanded a definition for the much-discussed concept of Westernization.
TERA interview attempts to decipher "westernization"
Uh oh, it's time for the W-word again. Last week's entry in the TERA Race and Class series purported to explain En Masse Entertainment's definition of westernization. The vaguely worded nature of the press release raised more questions than answers, though, and the folks over at ZAM recently caught up with En Masse producer Brian Knox in an attempt to put some meat on the westernization bones. Knox's insights steered clear of specifics, instead focusing on a general definition as En Masse sees it. "Westernization refers to our process of adapting a game to fit the Western market. In some cases, text localization and new marketing assets are all that are needed. Other times, specific game mechanics and features require tweaking for the market," he says. So what exactly does that mean for TERA? It's anyone's guess at this point, and it could be as simple as text translations or as complex as class differences or a softened XP grind. We'll keep our eyes peeled for more details.
En Masse discusses TERA westernization
Westernization. It's a word that gets thrown around quite a bit in regard to TERA discourse. Whether it's the latest producer letter or a fan forum discussion, there's no getting away from the "W" word when it comes to En Masse Entertainment's work on TERA. As part of the latest Race and Class series update, En Masse spends a bit of time hinting at what westernization means before indulging us with some new info regarding the Baraka and Popori races. We've also got a look at the Archer class, including a nifty new video, so join us after the cut for all the details. %Gallery-105090%
TERA Korean beta news rolls in, Knox talks translation and marketing
Yes, TERA news is coming in from overseas, lots of it in fact. That said, En Masse Entertainment's Brian Knox cautions us to take the translations and suppositions with a grain of salt. First up is TERAfans checking in with another translation of an article by Bluehole Studio's community manager Mr. Blue. This time around, Blue details TERA's advanced skill system and discusses item stats, the newly added glyph system, racial abilities, and PvP skills. There's a ton of info to sort through, including nifty screenshots direct from the Korean client. The only problem is that some of this stuff might not make it into the western client (or might look very different) according to Knox. In a blog post on the official TERA website, he warns against taking all of the translation news from the recent G-Star gaming convention at face value. "Our fans do a great job of translating articles very quickly but the fact is there will be differences -- in terminology, game play mechanics, and services provided by the publisher -- between the western release and NHN's release of TERA. With these translations there will certainly be some misinterpretation, and we will do our best to react and clarify to the community," he writes. Why all the secrecy? Knox chalks it up to the challenges of releasing a global product, and the need for local distributors to get their share of timed exclusive marketing information.
Bluehole Studio's TERA westernization team interviewed
Inevitably, one of two things happens when we post a story about TERA's westernization. First, folks compare it to Aion (and the general consensus is usually that it will be similarly grindy). Second, people bring up Brian Knox, currently an En Masse producer who formerly worked as an NCsoft producer responsible for bringing Aion to western audiences. Happily, TERAfans has brought us information rather than speculation about TERA's journey overseas, in the form of a lengthy interview translation with members of Bluehole Studio's Korean localization team. The article, translated from the Korean original, touches on the challenges inherent in bringing a game to the North American market that values story presentation a bit more than the game's native Asian audience. "The English version really takes priority for the game's story. NA players consider a game's story a portion of the game's content. With that in mind we are currently working on how we can best convey TERA's story. For example, the story cannot just be told through simple text, but with many background stories for the NPCs and zones," says Young-Kwang Kim. The piece also makes clear that the job of westernization is much more than simply translating quest text into the appropriate language. Whether you're talking about the German, Japanese, or American markets, Bluehole's team is especially mindful of what it terms "culturalization" as opposed to localization. "It is true that we are careful about cultural differences more than anything. TERA's localization is more than a simple translation, word for word. We want to make it easier for players around the world to understand the game without hitting cultural walls," says Hee-Soo Lee. Head over to TERAfans for the full interview.
TERA's David Noonan talks story, gameplay
TERA was one of the big winners at this year's E3, and the action fantasy MMORPG continues to ride that wave with a set of newly released video interviews taped on the show floor. TheGameNet's Nadine Heimann interviews lead writer David Noonan, who drops a few interesting nuggets about TERA's gameplay and story. For starters, Noonan clears up a question many fans have had regarding Westernization and the game's plot. Despite the fact that the majority of TERA's development is happening at Bluehole Studio in Seoul, South Korea, the game's quests will have a distinctly American flavor since Noonan spends one week out of every month traveling to the far east to collaborate directly with Bluehole's designers. He also points out that the game's quests will feature upwards of two million words, and that players could play through the TERA's lengthy storyline twice without repeating any quest content. Check out the full interview on YouTube, and don't forget to watch the shorter "personality" piece as well.
Massively Interviews: A look into Jade Dynasty's Ascension expansion with Andrew Brown
As we mentioned on Friday, Jade Dynasty is getting a brand new expansion and we the inside scoop for you. This Thursday is the release of the free update, but you don't have to wait that long to find out the story on the game's new Ascension system, brand new race, and new pet features. We sat down with Jade Dynasty's American product manager, Andrew Brown, and talked with him about the update. Not only did we find out exactly what's in the expansion, but we also got a glimpse into how the game is made and how much control American audiences have over the features in a Chinese MMO.
Five things content writers learned while westernizing Aion
In a developer journal over at MMORPG.com, NCsoft Content Writer David Noonan waxes on five things he and the "Aion Westernization Army" learned while stripping Aion down to its narrative essence and building it back up again. It was no easy task taking what was basically a fully-fledged successful Korean MMO and repackaging it for a totally different audience.It seems as though the writing team took the task seriously. In a game populated by over 2,500 quests, there's bound to be some repetitiion and uncreative storytelling going on but Aion's writers aren't simply giving in to the status quo. Your character's primary campaign quests may deliver the bulk of the narrative, but tons of other pieces are strewn about for players to discover that will be picked up by chatting with various NPCs. Based on this article, they seem to have taken a strategic approach to storytelling in the game. Story isn't shoved down your throat, but it is there if you are perceptive and take the time to actually read it. While many will surely plough ahead to reach the level cap as fast as possible, many others will stop to smell the roses. NCsoft wants to reward those flower-sniffers with a rich story experience.
