Jake Song, a CEO of XL Games and a developer of <Lineage> and <The Kingdom of the Winds(or Nexus)>, showed himself at the NDC 2011 as a keynote speaker.
Some might ask why the CEO of XL Games speaks at Nexon’s conference. Well, he founded Nexon with the current CEO, JungJoo Kim, and made <Nexus>. Enough to participate as a keynote speaker, huh? :)
Reflection on MMORPG
Jake had fell in love with WoW in the past.
After resigning NCsoft, Jake just chilled at home and his wife did not like it and said “go out and play.” So?he, frankly saying, founded XL Games in order to escape from nag of his wife and to loaf his life away from his wife. And he played <WoW> all day at the office. :D
He said he had thought <WoW> would be the complete model for MMORPG, but soon had felt somthing stuffy. He confessed “What is the directon of MMORPG I think? MMORPG stands for Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing which is, as far as I know, created by Richard Garriott. HakGyu Kim, the CEO of IMC Games, also admit that he cannot think MMORPG without the word ‘Massive’.
Jake echoed him. ‘Massive’ is the biggest and the most important feature of MMORPG. Interaction derived by thousands of people in a server. Then what MMORPG is the most MMORPG?
MMORPG has been improved as time passes by fixing and supplementing the wrong and mistakes. For examples, cash trade has been prevented with BoE(Bind on Equip), indiscreet PK is restricted by faction, and occupied field is replaced by instance dungeon.
Direction of MMORPG
Guys, that way is not only way.
The problem is that all the MMORPGs has gone to one way as the environment became standards. They should have return to their own path after evading the obstacles, but they have failed it and have been walking the path which MMORPG looks more like a package game. He throwed a question to himself. “What is the feature of MMORPG that is more like MMORPG?”
He thought “Basically party play?rather than solo play is the most fundamental. Most games support it but the final content is concluded with it eventually. But some gamers do not like it, and it is true because it is forced.
So his conclusion is that pursuing the coincidental party play instead of the forced pary play. Just like wrangling each other at the field and then getting to know each other and naturally playing each other before they know. He emphasized MMORPG world must reflect the real world.
MMORPG should be a mirror to the real society. Unexpectable elements just like the world we are living should exist and excitement comes from it is the pure fun of MMORPG. This is his idea.
“As unforeseeable fun thanks to multiple players is the MMORPG’s exclusive excitement not like?playing for the provided ending in console games,?we should design the MMORPG in this way,” said Jake and it is the basic concept of his latest title <ArcheAge>as well.
A Challenge Based on the Experience in the Past and the Reflection of Today
Balance btween freedom and provided entertainment creates fun game.
Lastly, Jake Song said <ArcheAge> is a challenge based on the experience in the past and the reflection of today. Another experiment on MMORPG.
He also addressed that contents balance is very important as a key feature of MMORPG. In other words, both?buffet which gamers can help themselve and course cuisine which developers provide for the gamers should be well balanced.
He ended his speach with a comment, “I will do better to make better MMORPG.”
Committee of G-star opened the executive office and is preparing for coming G-star 2011 taking place on November 10 in Busan as last year.
