Amaranth Sparrow wrote:http://sgame.jp/speciel_newsinfo35.php Bit of news, an "NTL X Bandai Korea Interview", following up on DBO's rapid rise into Korea's top ten online games chart.
They basically explain that NTL is a company that exists in Korea and Japan at the same time, and was originally founded in Japan in 2003 to work on some Disney 3D animation projects. They were then brought into the Dragon Ball Online Project in late 2003, and it entered into the conceptualization phase in 2004. Because the online gaming market is stronger in Korea, they worked in tandem with Bandai Japan and Bandai Korea, then formed their own Korean branch in 2004. Six years later, NTL is a company that is currently dedicated solely to Dragon Ball Online. They go on to explain their relationship with Bandai Korea, CJ Internet, and Shueisha and how that relates to the DBO Project.
They again summarize that the idea behind DBO was to unite Korean experience in online game development with Japanese creative force to create something that could transcend their respective cultures and make an impact on the whole world. They say that their motto is "harmony", with both Japanese and Korean staff members working together, bringing their own talents to the table. They currently have about 80 people working on the game between Japan and Korea, and the staff is growing. The game has been in direct development for five years, and has existed conceptually for about six. They'd originally planned to have it out in 2007, but they make a veiled mention of the release of World of Warcraft in 2004, and their need to greatly expand DBO to raise standards so it could compete, and also to incorporate as many requests from players as possible.
Next, they talk a bit about the story, and Akira Toriyama's involvement. Basically, they say that the story of Dragon Ball Online can't be the same as the original story, because it's set 250 years later, and they need to have new events for the present setting. They say that they're trying to implement the most original stories, and that everything is produced under the supervision of the original author, Akira Toriyama, and Shueisha, the copyright holders.
They then go on to discuss the hows and whys of implementating familiar elements from the manga, like the Tenkaichi Budokai, Scouters, and Jan Ken, and what sort of content they'd like to add in the future. They say that those things had to be included because it wouldn't feel like Dragon Ball without them.
They mention that when it comes to special techniques, they have to strike a balance for the sake of gameplay and that they can't always just look at how powerful they were in the original, though it's really cool to see a famous skill thrown in at the end of a combo. They want to eventually implement team-up attacks. They also mention that they have to come up with a lot of completely original abilities, simply because they're required for the sake of gameplay, but that it can be a difficult process because Akira Toriyama and Shueisha have to consent to every ability they come up with. This is taken very seriously, so that anything they develop can be considered an official part of Dragon Ball.
They then basically emphasize that everything that actually gets developed has to be supervised by Shueisha and checked by Toriyama before being placed in the game, and that such an influence gives an official touch to everything in the game.
They talk a bit about why they decided to move from console games to an online game, and to shift from a game about fighting to a more thoughtful game about going to important places, where players can enjoy the world of Dragon Ball firsthand. They mention that, even though it's set 250 years in the future, they implemented a lot of features to allow fans of the original to enjoy it, too.
They talk a bit about the original concept, which was that rather than copying or imitating the original, they'd make an official sequel set 250 years later, to make something that's "the real deal". They mention that they also wanted to make it for the sake of the people who already love the setting, and because of that, it can appeal to people all over, from schoolchildren to the middle-aged. They say that DBO is the rare sort of MMORPG that could be cross-generational in a positive way. They didn't want to make a game that targets any one country, but rather something that could be considered world-class. They talk a bit about localization, and basically say that, since people all over the world already love the setting, and that they're developing it with a worldwide audience in mind, they don't want changes and mistakes in the localization process (like changing items, gameplay balance, how clothing or characters look, etc.). They say that if things get changed, they'll get flamed by Dragon Ball fans all over.
They go on to say that NTL and Bandai have to "move very carefully" with Shueisha when it comes to targeting Japan and the rest of the world, and they apologize to the fans waiting for such details, because they can't reveal anything about that yet. Even so, they're eager to start working on the Japanese release, they plan to expand to a worldwide release, and they think it'll be a game that can be continually updated and expanded on indefinitely.
), I'm really looking forward to seeing how this turns out.
.
