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RISING S.U.N.
Webzen Sounds the Battlecry with Soul of the Ultimate Nation
Given the firm's successful conquest of Asia, it's no surprise that Korean software publishing powerhouse Webzen is now making the move to American shores. What may shock you though is the fact that the company's first PC-based title destined for release domestically isn't even designed with the Windows XP crowd in mind.
No joke; Soul of the Ultimate Nation (or SUN, as it's known to insiders) actually takes the mechanics of your favorite console fantasy RPG and transplants them onto a Pentium-compatible platform. While it may seem a strange strategy for breaking into a notoriously difficult - not to mention tight-knit - market, the corporation's convinced it's the right approach. As such, executives are offering gamers hack and slash-style combat chased with stunning 3D graphics, thousands of fabulous treasures, epic guild-based battles and a depth of storyline typically relegated to single-player-exclusive adventures.
Will the tactic work? Only time will tell. But for now, we check in with producer In-Kyun Hong to see why his employer is adopting such an unconventional plan of attack:
LQGaming Services:: You claim SUN is the first MMO to incorporate console-style play? How so? And wouldn't that honor by rights go to Final Fantasy XI?
In-Kyun Hong: Soul of the Ultimate Nation offers online PC gamers the fast and furious fast-action combat normally associated more with console action games. Final Fantasy XI did a great job of introducing traditional console gamers to the MMOG genre. In SUN, the game world and the game system have been created by blending the best MMORPG conventions and a gameplay style similar to that of a console 3D action game, so it is essentially a console-style MMORPG.
LQGaming Services:: What makes this game so different than the traditional MMO. and why shouldn't audiences dismiss it as just another fantasy-themed grind?
In-Kyun Hong: The battle system is definitely a departure from the typical MMO. We really wanted to avoid the slower pace of battling in traditional MMORPGs that occurs with turn-based battles. Battles in SUN require the player to be more engaged and actively involved. Also, the missions that take players through SUN's narrative are unique in that there is a high degree of freedom. Players can take on smaller quests and uncover the storyline while also building up the community.
LQGaming Services:: Please tell us a little bit about the technology powering SUN. Why will it blow gamers away?
In-Kyun Hong: Visually, the game is stunning. We've been able to create a high level of realism with the graphics in SUN by applying a normal-mapping system, which hasn't been used in an MMORPG before. Also, we've painstakingly applied self-shading, gloss effects, illuminant effects, etc. to achieve a high level of detail within the world of SUN. In terms of server technology, Webzen has a proprietary server technology that utilizes an advanced channel system making it possible for 10,000 players to be in one game world at the same time.
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