IGN’s Online Worlds Roundtable

Interview with Grantley Day

Vice President of Product Development, K2 Network
North American publisher, Knight Online, Global MU Online, et al

In the game market of 2006, there are large differences between Eastern and Western development in the MMO space. These differences are not only in the development and concept phases, but also in the beta and launch methodology. The “culturalization” term is bandied about in the executive circles in the game industry in both East and West, but what does this actually mean, and what are the differences between the two markets? One thing is certain; when culturalization is successful, the transition between markets for titles is seamless. This is something that the great console developers of the world have known and capitalized on for years.

Eastern developers can spend only $5 million on the development of a new concept title to have it launch quickly into the market, and then watch its stickiness.

What Eastern developers can learn about the Western development process and vice versa is, in my belief, a great deal. K2 Network's primary business is to publish Eastern-developed titles into the Western market, and as a company, we have seen the process many times. It is less about what can be learned, and more about what the strengths are. Eastern and Western developers both have strengths, and they are vastly different. Over the past five years, there has been progress as development companies in each region are learning and trying to capitalize on these strengths, and there is success as we see today more titles being generating revenue in both markets.

One of the main strengths of the Western developers is in building triple-A titles that are free of bugs. Most good Western titles are not shipped with any class A or even class B bugs, and most production teams focus very hard reducing these bug counts during the end of the development cycle. This extends into Quality Assurance; Western developers know the power of having a good QA team and using it to maximum advantage during the development process. Overall, successful Western titles are easy to use, bug free and generally a great experience for the game player.

Eastern developers excel in innovation, different game mechanics and revolutionary revenue models. They will often work to a reduced budget (compared to the West), especially for the development of a new title that may contain a concept never seen before. Eastern developers can spend only $5 million on the development of a new concept title to have it launch quickly into the market, and then watch its stickiness. If the innovative game is a success, more resources will quickly be added, and production will be increased. If it's not, the dominance of gaming in everyday life in the East means they will most likely make a small return on their money. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy; developers keep churning out these low-budget titles until they have a success, often using similar technology and graphics across games.

Watch for greater innovation and fewer barriers between these two great development regions in the near future.