By Park Hyong-ki
Moon Chae-hoo, the director of Nexon's "Legend of Darkness," is having sleepless nights these days.
In charge of all the artistic and business aspects of the company's second-longest running game, he said he constantly finds himself facing a burden to meet its existing fans' expectations.
At the same time, he would have to reboot "Legend" on a par with today's trends for a whole new generation without having to upset the older one.
He said the game is in a situation similar to what "Star Wars" was in ― trying to satisfy its retro fans and attract the next generation.
"Star Wars: A New Hope" was produced in 1977. After its prequels in the early 2000s, a new sequel was released in 2015, bringing back the space saga's old characters and introducing new ones.
"I am burdened by the need to meet fans' expectations," Moon said in an interview at the company's headquarters in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province.
"Next year, the game will celebrate its 20th anniversary. We will have to consider updating its content as Star Wars did to attract new players who have not yet experienced the Legend universe."
"Legend of Darkness" was created in 1998 by a team led by Kim Jung-ju, the founder of Nexon, a Tokyo-listed company.
The fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) puts players in a battle between good versus evil in a world after gods ruled the planet.
With enhanced view and graphics, the game is said to offer more dimensions than Nexon's first and oldest MMORPG, "The Kingdom of the Winds."
Launched in 1996, "Kingdom" celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, and is often referred to as Nexon's "firstborn son."
The game is based on a local comic book with characters in Goguryeo, one of ancient Korea's three kingdoms.
"Kingdom" and "Legend" use the same server to run the games, Moon noted. The latter is considered an upgrade of the former in graphics and action.
Also, "Legend" follows a classic storyline of a Western fantasy, while "Kingdom" an Eastern fantasy.
But "Kingdom," as Nexon's firstborn son, has been more successful in attracting players over the years. "Legend" faced a standstill without any content updates from 2013 to 2015.
The two do not have a sibling rivalry, Moon said.
"The success Kingdom has enjoyed is incomparable. Legend has always been the second child. But like in any families, mothers' feelings for all their children are the same," he said.
"The Legend game was put back on track as soon as Nexon Korea CEO Park Ji-won decided to revive and update its classic representative games."
And its updates included for "Legend" and "Asgard," a fantasy MMORPG about a battle between wizards and monsters.
This was when Moon was given the responsibility to revive "Legend." He was first part of the "Legend" team in 2005 when he joined Nexon as its new employee.
The 43-year-old director said fans, who are now in their mid-to-late 30s, have kept the game alive.
His main task is keeping them happy reminding them of the good old days of playing on their personal computers, while introducing the new world of "Legend" to younger players.
"It will be difficult to change the game's existing structure. I will have to seek the right balance to excite the old and the new," he said.
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| Moon Chae-hoo |
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In charge of all the artistic and business aspects of the company's second-longest running game, he said he constantly finds himself facing a burden to meet its existing fans' expectations.
At the same time, he would have to reboot "Legend" on a par with today's trends for a whole new generation without having to upset the older one.
He said the game is in a situation similar to what "Star Wars" was in ― trying to satisfy its retro fans and attract the next generation.
"Star Wars: A New Hope" was produced in 1977. After its prequels in the early 2000s, a new sequel was released in 2015, bringing back the space saga's old characters and introducing new ones.
"I am burdened by the need to meet fans' expectations," Moon said in an interview at the company's headquarters in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province.
"Next year, the game will celebrate its 20th anniversary. We will have to consider updating its content as Star Wars did to attract new players who have not yet experienced the Legend universe."
"Legend of Darkness" was created in 1998 by a team led by Kim Jung-ju, the founder of Nexon, a Tokyo-listed company.
The fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) puts players in a battle between good versus evil in a world after gods ruled the planet.
With enhanced view and graphics, the game is said to offer more dimensions than Nexon's first and oldest MMORPG, "The Kingdom of the Winds."
Launched in 1996, "Kingdom" celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, and is often referred to as Nexon's "firstborn son."
The game is based on a local comic book with characters in Goguryeo, one of ancient Korea's three kingdoms.
"Kingdom" and "Legend" use the same server to run the games, Moon noted. The latter is considered an upgrade of the former in graphics and action.
Also, "Legend" follows a classic storyline of a Western fantasy, while "Kingdom" an Eastern fantasy.
But "Kingdom," as Nexon's firstborn son, has been more successful in attracting players over the years. "Legend" faced a standstill without any content updates from 2013 to 2015.
The two do not have a sibling rivalry, Moon said.
"The success Kingdom has enjoyed is incomparable. Legend has always been the second child. But like in any families, mothers' feelings for all their children are the same," he said.
"The Legend game was put back on track as soon as Nexon Korea CEO Park Ji-won decided to revive and update its classic representative games."
And its updates included for "Legend" and "Asgard," a fantasy MMORPG about a battle between wizards and monsters.
This was when Moon was given the responsibility to revive "Legend." He was first part of the "Legend" team in 2005 when he joined Nexon as its new employee.
The 43-year-old director said fans, who are now in their mid-to-late 30s, have kept the game alive.
His main task is keeping them happy reminding them of the good old days of playing on their personal computers, while introducing the new world of "Legend" to younger players.
"It will be difficult to change the game's existing structure. I will have to seek the right balance to excite the old and the new," he said.
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