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Wed, January 27, 2021 | 22:09
Game
Daum to launch new blockbuster game
다음게임 야심작 '검은사막' 17일 출시
Posted : 2014-12-02 15:43
Updated : 2014-12-02 19:21
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Pearl Abyss executive product manager Koh Do-sung speaks during a press conference at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Yeoksam-dong, southern Seoul, Tuesday, to announce the launch of the online game 'Black Desert' on Dec. 17./ Courtesy of Daum Games
Pearl Abyss executive product manager Koh Do-sung speaks during a press conference at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Yeoksam-dong, southern Seoul, Tuesday, to announce the launch of the online game "Black Desert" on Dec. 17.
/ Courtesy of Daum Games

Title to be available in Europe, North America, China next year


By Yoon Sung-won

Daum Games, a subsidiary of Daum Kakao, said Tuesday that it will launch its new game "Black Desert" on Dec. 17.

The company will allow users to play the game for free, except for some additional paid content. It also aims to extend its reach into overseas markets in Europe and North America.

"We have engaged in market research and other preparation to roll out Black Desert in North America and Europe in the latter half of next year," Daum Games CEO Sean Hong said in a press conference at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Yeoksam-dong, southern Seoul, Tuesday. "We hope that Black Desert will revitalize the stagnant online games market."

Hong said the company is in talks with local publishing partners to launch Black Desert in those regions and plans to take charge of publishing directly in these markets. He added that the company has already established license agreements in Japan and Russia.

A local game development company, Pearl Abyss, led by its CEO Kim Dae-il, has developed the game since its establishment in 2010. Daum Games said more than 100 developers and an additional 100 staff have been used in creating the title.

Black Desert is a three-dimensional role-playing game and has been one of the most-anticipated Korean PC online games. It has drawn big crowds in the three rounds of closed beta tests arranged since 2013.

The game features fast-paced combat and four main characters ― warrior, ranger, sorcerer and giant ― as well as dynamic camera work, Pearl Abyss Executive Product Manager Koh Do-sung said.

Besides combat, users can customize detailed parts of their characters and control them to hunt, cook, fish, collect, plant, manufacture and trade goods. They can also join in a guild of users to cooperate for end-game contents like siege warfare, which they cannot play alone, he said.

Koh said, "We have talked with multiple publishing companies to launch Black Desert in the world's largest market ― China."

Ham Young-chul, Daum Games' Black Desert team leader, promised a stable game service operation.

"We will conduct maintenance every day in the early stages of the launch and continue to release updates. We will also put strong countermeasures against illegal users and abusers," he said. "To give a pleasant game-play experience to more gamers, we have diversified graphic settings into seven levels and downsized the game program for those who have relatively dated desktop computers."

He also pledged to maintain a fair policy that does not hamper the general user experience. Like many mobile games released at home and abroad, users can download and play basic contents of Black Desert for free to "lower the threshold" to enter the game. They can pay for extra contents such as special costumes, Ham said.

Black Desert's success is indispensible for Daum Games, which needs a major hit to survive as a game publisher. The company has become a game channeling service provider, based on existing Daum users, rather than a leading publisher here.

Daum Games was separated from Daum Communications on Aug. 1 before the latter was integrated with Kakao to establish the joint corporation Daum Kakao on Oct. 1. Daum Kakao holds a 100 percent stake in the game company.

Users can download the client program from Dec. 10 in advance, and register for game characters from Dec. 12 to 15 before the service fully launches on Dec. 17.



다음게임 야심작 '검은사막' 17일 출시

북미·유럽 진출 준비…'게임업계 침체 깰 촉매'

다음게임(대표 홍성주)과 펄어비스(대표 김대일)가 수년간 함께 준비해 온 PC 온라인 게임 대작 '검은 사막'이 시험 테스트를 모두 마치고 공개 서비스에 들어간다.

다음게임은 2일 서울 리츠칼튼 호텔에서 미디어간담회를 열고 MMORPG(다중접속역할수행게임) 검은사막을 17일 출시한다고 밝혔다.

검은사막은 올해 업계에서 최고 기대작으로 주목받는 PC 온라인 게임으로, 펄어비스가 4년에 걸쳐 개발했다. 다음게임은 검은사막을 국내와 해외에 유통하는 퍼블리싱을 맡았다.

검은사막이 추구하는 게임 스타일은 '통쾌한 액션, 화려한 전투'. 논타케팅 액션이면서도 동시다발적인 대규모 전투가 가능한 것이 특징이다.

중세풍의 실사 그래픽을 사용했고 그래픽 옵션 설정을 7단계로 세분화해 시각적으로도 여타 MMORPG를 앞선다는 평가가 나오고 있다. 클라이언트 용량을 대폭 줄이고 로딩 속도를 개선하는 등 최적화에도 주력했다.

2013년 10월 첫 비공개 테스트에서 15만 명 이상이 접속하고 지난 9월 마지막으로 실시된 테스트에서는 총 8만 명의 게이머가 참가해 15만여개 캐릭터를 생성하는 등 게이머들 사이에서는 이미 큰 화제가 됐다.

다음게임은 일단 국내에서의 안정적인 서비스에 집중하되 준비작업이 완료되는 대로 북미와 유럽에도 진출하겠다는 의지를 밝혔다.

홍성주 다음게임 대표는 '검은사막 상용화를 위해 2년 가까이 펄어비스와 함께 달려왔다'면서 '검은사막이 침체에 있는 PC 게임업계에 활력을 불어넣는 촉매가 되기를 기대한다'고 말했다.

검은사막의 상용 서비스는 PC 온라인 게임에 대한 이용 장벽을 낮추기 위해 '부분 유료화' 방식으로 진행될 예정이다.

다음게임은 검은사막의 대중화를 위해 PC방 서비스도 적극적으로 전개한다. 전국의 약 9천개 다음게임 가맹 PC방을 대상으로 다양한 프로모션과 이벤트를 열겠다는 방침이다. (연합뉴스)
Emailyoonsw@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter









 
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