Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Alliance
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Neosoft was a titan among titans, leading the domestic market alongside NQ.
Of course, that was just their position. The relationship between the two was far from amicable.
After all, how could they smile at each other when they were constantly fighting over the same small pie in this cramped land?
NQ and Neosoft were practically at each other's throats.
Anyway, setting that aside, the public had a name for Neosoft's CEO, Park Yeong-jun.
'The Eccentric.'
An eccentric so famous that anyone with even a passing interest in the game industry knew of him.
Others called him the industry's biggest madman.
There was one reason for such nicknames.
He was a man who poured his heart and soul into making games so bizarre they made you wonder, 'What on earth is he thinking?'
Prime examples included 'a game where you start as a married couple and find various ways to get divorced' and 'a game where a bullied kid uses superpowers to crush the school bullies.' People even joked that CEO Park was just projecting his own ego through these themes.
Needless to say, they were commercial failures.
Despite investing tens of billions of won in development, the total revenue was only about one billion won, if I recall correctly.
So, was he an incompetent man?
If asked, I could answer with absolute certainty.
'Absolutely not.'
On the contrary, he was the epitome of competence.
An eye for trends faster than any other domestic developer.
An instinct for catching which systems or themes would resonate with users.
And finally, an outstanding business acumen befitting a CEO.
The source of his eccentricities lay there as well.
Several online games he had successfully exported and launched globally served as reliable cash cows, covering all the losses from his few underperforming titles.
Understanding this cause and effect, one would naturally become curious.
-Why would such a brilliant man squander money on such ridiculous games?
The answer was quite simple.
'An experimental spirit.'
It was a fact one could discern by studying and observing him for a long time.
CEO Park Yeong-jun was a man obsessed with experimentation.
The data obtained from that series of games, which had burned through hundreds of billions of won, was meticulously stored in the company's database to be used as a resource for the next game.
The most representative online game completed in this manner was 'Clear Zone'.
It was a large-scale sci-fi war game that combined hyper-FPS combat and RPG-style progression with sandbox content.
To roughly explain the concept, it was a game where users formed alliances, built factions on the map, and essentially played their own Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
The development cost alone was about 170 billion won. The development period was seven years.
That game achieved unbelievable success in China, pulling in an astonishing 1 trillion won in revenue in just one year.
His experimental development, which consumed hundreds of billions, ultimately returned trillions in profit, proving his philosophy correct.
Of course, that was something that would happen three years from now.
Clear Zone was still in development, and Neosoft was still just a well-known company within the domestic market.
...The reason this meeting troubled me was also related to that.
'He needs to finish Clear Zone before jumping into AAA development.'
In the near future, it was he who revived the domestic AAA package game market, which should have otherwise withered and died.
Needless to say, the source of that revival was the capital gained from Clear Zone's success.
If things continued this way, the future might change.
The thought that my actions might cause several outstanding games that were supposed to be released in the future to fade into obscurity without ever seeing the light of day made my stomach churn.
'I have to stop Neosoft from entering the AAA market at this point, no matter what.'
That was the mindset with which I attended this meeting.
"Wow, I'd heard you were young, but this is really something. I'm CEO Park Yeong-jun. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"...I'm Cheon Yeon-ho."
A high-end restaurant where a single meal could easily cost hundreds of thousands of won.
This was where I had arrived at Park Yeong-jun's invitation.
The Park Yeong-jun I met was a man overflowing with energy.
It wasn't just his voice; his very appearance screamed 'man of passion.'
The muscles that filled out his suit and his well-maintained, glowing skin made it impossible to believe he was in his mid-to-late forties.
The smile on his lips was hearty, and his eyes were filled with confidence.
It was a rather strange feeling.
In my past life, I couldn't have even dreamed of associating with this man in such a way.
The thought that my position had truly changed a great deal eventually led back to the question of 'how to make him focus on Clear Zone.'
However, that thought soon faded.
After just a few words, I found myself completely engrossed in my conversation with CEO Park Yeong-jun.
"So, if I had to pick the most fun game back then, it would definitely be Russo's Ruin Crusader."
"...I agree. There weren't any other titles from the 90s that were so obsessed with the feel of their combat."
"It was insane. As a kid, I went to all sorts of trouble just to see those damn execution animations."
"I remember that. I must have saved and reloaded countless times trying to finish off every mob with an execution."
"Ah, the direction and composition are still vivid in my mind."
This man's taste in games was uncannily similar to mine.
It wasn't just that we liked the same genres; our playstyles and even the elements we valued in games were remarkably alike.
I found it difficult to steer the conversation in the direction I wanted.
Like a fish mesmerized by the bait on a hook, whenever I came to my senses, we were talking about games again.
It was in the midst of one such discussion.
I seized a lull in the conversation during the meal and managed to finally steer it toward my intended topic.
"...But may I ask why you requested this meeting?"
I decided to first hear his purpose.
The answer that came back was a bit... anticlimactic.
"Hmm? I just wanted to have a meal together. We're both in Pangyo, wouldn't it be nice to be friends?"
"?"
I flinched slightly, and CEO Park Yeong-jun laughed heartily.
"What, were you worried I'd propose a merger or acquisition? Hey, I don't bite off more than I can chew. Besides, you turned down Russo, didn't you? That story is quite famous in the industry, you know."
Park Yeong-jun poured himself a drink.
"Well, your guess has some merit. You've thrown your hat into the AAA development ring. You've even mentioned it publicly. It's plausible you'd think I'm after your development technology or personnel."
"That's..."
"No need to be embarrassed. I would have thought the same thing in your shoes."
I couldn't figure him out at all.
Just as that thought crossed my mind.
"Well, if I had to name one reason, it would be to express my gratitude."
"Gratitude...?"
"You laid the foundation for the domestic AAA scene, didn't you?"
"...Ah."
I immediately understood what he was talking about.
"...So they went to your company. Our former employees."
"Yes, we scouted them for our newly established team."
It wasn't a particularly special story.
He was referring to the employees who left Rewind and moved to other companies, sharing their development experience with the industry.
It was a different concept from a technology leak.
The software industry has a notoriously high turnover rate, and it was common for people to move between companies on a project-by-project basis.
Rewind also went through that process after finishing Hellic 3.
Although I was surprised by our remarkably low turnover rate compared to other companies, it didn't mean we kept every single employee.
When the time comes, skilled people leave.
So where do the people who hire these departing talents go?
They go to other companies in the same industry.
Companies buy the experience they possess.
CEO Park Yeong-jun's story was just that.
'So Neosoft was the one who scouted them.'
Still, it's a relief that my former team members joined a large company.
Neosoft is a company that takes good care of its employees' welfare.
"...It's not something I deserve thanks for."
In response, CEO Park Yeong-jun said.
"You absolutely deserve thanks. In soccer terms, it's like you released a bunch of Ballon d'Or candidates during the free agency season."
"I don't think it was that significant."
"At least, it was to me. Experience in AAA package game development. I was going crazy because I couldn't find anyone with that experience domestically."
I learned a rather surprising fact.
'He must have been preparing for AAA package development around this time in my past life, too.'
Ah, so this is why the announcement for the AAA package game was moved up.
CEO Park Yeong-jun had been lacking only one thing: 'experienced developers.'
That implied one more thing.
'Which means there are no other setbacks in the development of Clear Zone.'
Then that was fine.
Relieved, I continued to chat with CEO Park Yeong-jun about various things.
It was quite an enjoyable time.
It was so pleasant that I even wondered if my future might have been different had I chosen Neosoft instead of NQ in my past life.
"So, what I'm saying is, every man eventually has the urge to get a divorce. I tried to tap into that. But I still don't get it. Why did 'Divorce Chronicles' fail?"
"..."
Or maybe not?
"...Well, anyway, I should get going. The wife will throw a fit."
"...Yes."
"I had a great time today. Here's my card."
I took CEO Park Yeong-jun's business card.
He grinned and said.
"Next time we meet, feel free to be more casual. I'll treat you like a younger brother. Ah, and if you ever run into any trouble, let me know. If it's a domestic issue, I can cover for you."
"Especially if it's trouble with NQ. Be sure to call me. I'll mobilize our legal team and we'll crush them together."
He really seemed to hate NQ.
A sense of kinship welled up inside me, and I let out a dry laugh as I replied.
"Get home safely."
He left with a wave, not looking back.
It was a good connection to have made.
* * *
A little over a month passed after that meeting.
We didn't contact each other again during that time.
We each ran our own companies, and both CEO Park Yeong-jun and I had busy schedules to manage as leaders of our respective organizations.
And so, on a day when I had mentally filed away our connection as one where we'd simply greet each other if we happened to cross paths again.
Our reunion came sooner than I expected, and in a surprising way.
"We're participating in G-STAR this year."
It was the day I made that decision.
G-STAR 2015.
Just as I had decided to showcase one of our two games at the event and was beginning the preparations, CEO Park Yeong-jun called me.
In summary, it went something like this.
-Hey, little brother, I hear you're going to G-STAR this year. Need a booth?
It was an offer to help.
And I understood the underlying meaning of his words as soon as I saw the list of participating companies.
'NQ's new title.'
NQ was releasing a new mobile game at this year's G-STAR.
It was a game they would naturally promote heavily with a massive booth, and I knew it well.
One of the cash cows that would become quite successful and line NQ's pockets in the future.
CEO Park Yeong-jun didn't want that game to be the star of G-STAR.
-The game we had originally planned is delayed. If you're okay with it, I want you to go big.
A direct translation: I'd rather take a loss and make another game shine than see NQ take the spotlight.
I was amazed at the depth of his grudge, but regardless, it was a huge benefit for me.
-I understand your intentions perfectly. Thank you.
With a slightly ambiguous phrase, I conveyed my intention to make our game more successful than NQ's.
Anyway, thanks to this turn of events, I had a chance to make a big splash.
I called a meeting, and Yang Gil-sang asked.
"So, are we showcasing Identity?"
"No, Demon's Relic. Identity is a game that's more advantageous to release in its most complete form."
Having seized this opportunity, I naturally wanted to showcase Identity, the game I was personally directing, but the game's nature led me to a different conclusion.
Identity was a game whose main content—life skills and housing—began after the story ended.
As such, a demo would have limited impact, and it would be difficult to achieve any significant effect in terms of reviews or promotion with it.
On the other hand, there was Demon's Relic.
This was a game that could benefit greatly from a promotion centered around a playable demo.
This judgment wasn't based on my own direct experience, but rather on an insight I'd gained from my past life.
"Nishimura, Copson."
"Yes!"
"Hai!"
"For the demo version, please focus on the characters. Reduce the combat parts and concentrate on the character affinity and narrative sections."
Games of the genre often derisively called 'waifu zoos' were about to start devouring market share like crazy.
Of course, not every game managed to ride that wave of success.
On the contrary, only a very small number of games led the trend.
So, what set those trendsetting games apart from the others?
Even before their release, I could pinpoint the single biggest difference they had compared to other games.
"Let's focus on selling the characters. Solidify the character designs to the point where users can keep speculating and creating theories until release."
Fan creations.
The successful 'waifu' games had fan creation markets that were developed to a disproportionately massive, almost abnormal, extent.
To the point where players would decide to buy the game based on their loyalty to the characters alone, not the game itself.