By Cho Jin-seo
Staff Reporter
Bill Roper, the star computer game producer of ``StarCraft,'' ``WarCraft'' and ``Diablo'' franchises, visited Seoul last weekend to promote his new game to Korean gamers.
Roper met game fans at the launching ceremony of ``Hellgate: London,'' an online game that is partly funded by Korea's Hanbit Soft. He also visited an Internet cafe (PC Bang) in Itaewon, Seoul.
``I heard that Korea has very unique gaming environment and the Internet cafes are very important to the online game industry. I wish `Hellgate: London' will help Internet cafes prosper,'' Hanbit quoted him as saying.
Roper is a celebrity in the global game industry but he is especially famous in Korea for his leading role in making ``StarCraft,'' the most popular computer game in South Korea's history. Ten years after its debut, ``StarCraft'' has a number of professional gaming leagues in Korea that are aired 24 hours-per-day on two cable TV channels.
``I've been a big fan of Roper since `StarCraft.' His visit has great meaning to me because his `StarCraft' is what has made today's PC Bang industry,'' said Jeon Ju-bae, the owner of the Internet cafe.
Roper worked at Blizzard Entertainment between 1994 and 2003 as director and vice president. After leaving the firm, he co-founded and holds the position of CEO for Flagship Studios, the developer of ``Hellgate: London.''
About 2,000 game fans attended the new game's launch held at Melon-Ax Hall in eastern Seoul. Singers ``Girls Generation'' and ``DJ D.O.C.'' were invited to the show. Roper, an accomplished vocalist himself, sang ``Unchain My Heart'' to the crowd.
indizio@koreatimes.co.kr