>> PRODUCT REVIEWS FILTER FORGE DECEMBER 2007 THE LEADING GAME INDUSTRY MAGAZINE >>MUD-DY WATERS >>NOT-SO-SILENT HILL >>VIRTUAL CASH COW LESSONS LEARNED AN INTERVIEW WITH THE FREE TO PLAY, PAY FROM TEXT-BASED MMOS AKIRA YAMAOKA FOR ITEMS GOLDEN GOOSE POSTMORTEM: 5TH CELL’S DRAWN TO LIFE Display Until January 16, 2008 Using Autodeskodesk® HumanIK® middle-middle- Autodesk® ware, Ubisoftoft MotionBuilder™ grounded ththee software enabled assassin inn his In Assassin’s Creed, th the assassin to 12 centuryy boots Ubisoft used and his run-time-time ® ® fl uidly jump Autodesk 3ds Max environment.nt. software to create from rooftops to a hero character so cobblestone real you can almost streets with ease. feel the coarseness of his tunic. HOW UBISOFT GAVE AN ASSASSIN HIS SOUL. autodesk.com/Games IImmagge cocouru tteesyy of Ubiisofft Autodesk, MotionBuilder, HumanIK and 3ds Max are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. © 2007 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved. []CONTENTS DECEMBER 2007 VOLUME 14, NUMBER 11 FEATURES 9 PURCHASING POWER The microtransaction is at the forefront of a new wave of payment options in online games, but the concept comes with serious design concerns. Herein, two veterans of the Korean microtransaction-based game business share history and advice on this very subject. By Taiyoung Ryu and Kyuhwan Oh 16 TEXTUAL HEALING 9 It would be too simple to say that graphical MMORPGs are simply text-based online MUDs with graphics slapped on, but the roots are certainly visible. Simutronics is the only large company still maintaining text-based MMOs, and is currently porting their ideas into a fully graphical game. Lead designer Stephanie 22 Shaver shares with us some lessons that 16 translate genetically from text games to graphical ones. By Stephanie Shaver POSTMORTEM 31 INTERVIEW: AKIRA YAMAOKA 22 5TH CELL’S DRAWN TO LIFE Konami’s Akira Yamaoka is best known for his Beginning with the simple concept “Draw your character and play with sound work in the SILENT HILL series, and we 31 them,” the THQ-published DRAWN TO LIFE brought 5th Cell to profitability as had the chance to quiz him about his past, a developer, and cured the company’s licensed mobile game blues. But present, and future—not just his own, but as is so often the case, the company wasn’t quite prepared for the that of the whole industry. logistics of a console game. Yes, to some developers 15 people working By Brandon Sheffield together on a game is still a lot. By Joseph M. Tringali DEPARTMENTS COLUMNS 2 GAME PLAN By Brandon Sheffield 35 THE INNER PRODUCT By Mick West [PROGRAMMING] South Korea’s Got Seoul Reflection for Games 4 HEADS UP DISPLAY 38 PIXEL PUSHER By Steve Theodore [ART] GStar developer quotes, GDC 08 speakers announced, Front Line Award Reveling in Action nominees, and more 41 GAME SHUI By Noah Falstein [DESIGN] 28 TOOL BOX By Jennifer Sparks When Tales Wag the Dog Filter Forge 42 AURAL FIXATION By Jesse Harlin [SOUND] Music Licensing 101 48 BUSINESS LEVEL By Eelke Folmer [BUSINESS] The Accessibility Game COVER ART: PAUL ROBERTSON WWW.GDMAG.COM 1 GAME PLAN [] www.gdmag.com CMP Media, 600 Harrison St., 6th Fl., San Francisco, CA 94107 t: 415.947.6000 f: 415.947.6090 CMP Media, 600 Harrison St., 6th Fl., SanSUBSCRIPTION Francisco, SERVICES CA 94107 t: 415.947.6000 f: 415.947.6090 t:FOR415.947.6000 INFORMATION, f: ORDER415.947.6090 QUESTIONS, AND ADDRESS CHANGES t: 800.250.2429 f: 847.763.9606 e: [email protected] SUBSCRIPTION SERVICESSERVICES EDITORIAL FOREDITORIAL INFORMATION, ORDER ORDER QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS, AND AND ADDRESS ADDRESS CHANGES CHANGES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EDITOR-IN-CHIEFt: 800.250.2429 f: f:847.763.9606847.763.9606e:e:[email protected]@halldata.com Simon Carless [email protected] EDITORIAL SOUTH KOREA’S EDITORIALMANAGING EDITOR PUBLISHERJill Duffy [email protected] Simon Carless [email protected] FEATURESSimon Carless [email protected]@gdmag.com SENIORMANAGINGBrandon EDITOR Sheffield EDITOR [email protected] Jill Duffy [email protected]@gdmag.com GOT SEOUL ARTBrandonJill DIRECTOR Duffy Sheffield [email protected] [email protected] SENIORCliff Scorso CONTRIBUTINGEDITOR [email protected] EDITOR Brandon Sheffield [email protected]@gdmag.com CONTRIBUTINGJillBrandon Duffy Sheffield [email protected] EDITORS [email protected] ARTJesse DIRECTOR Harlin [email protected] I’M FRESH OFF THE PLANE FROM SOUTH KOREA, only 15 percent. For games that need servers (like CliffNoah Scorso Falstein [email protected]@gdmag.com [email protected] having just attended the GStar expo and met no less mobile MMOs), it’s more like 60/40. ASSISTANTCONTRIBUTINGSteve Theodore PRODUCTION EDITORSEDITORS [email protected] EDITOR JeffreyMickJesse West Harlin Fleming [email protected] [email protected]@gdmag.com than 13 different Korean game developers, either Then there’s N-LOG Soft, developer of B.O.U.T., which Noah Falstein [email protected] CONTRIBUTINGADVISORYNoah Falstein BOARD EDITORS [email protected] at the show or in their offices—and I have the very Acclaim brought to western markets quite recently. JesseSteve HarlinTheodore [email protected] [email protected]@gdmag.com HalMick Barwood West [email protected] Designer-at-Large distinct impression that I’ve just been schooled. N-LOG is relatively small for an online developer, NoahEllenMick Guon WestFalstein Beeman [email protected] [email protected] Microsoft ADVISORYSteveBrad Bulkley Theodore BOARD Neversoft [email protected] It’s easy to feel like you know what’s going on in with (again) around 100 people, so I asked if it MickClintonHal Barwood West Keith [email protected] High Designer-at-LargeDesigner-at-Large Moon Studios ADVISORYRyanEllen LesserGuon BOARD Beeman Harmonix MicrosoftMicrosoft the world. I’ve been following the Korean market was difficult to keep their IP since they always RyanBrad BulkleyLesser Harmonix Neversoft HalMarkBrad Barwood DeLouraBulkley Designer-at-LargeNeversoftUbisoft since 1999, when I picked up my first Game partnered with publishers. They looked at me like I EllenClinton Guon Keith Beeman HighHigh MoonMoon Microsoft Studios Studios ADVERTISINGBradRyan Bulkley Lesser SALES HarmonixNeversoftHarmonix Infinity brochure (representing Korean game was crazy. “You mean developers in the West ADVERTISINGMark DeLoura SALES Ubisoft companies as a whole) at E3. I’ve long had faith in don’t keep their IP? It seems like you would really DIRECTORClintonMark DeLoura Keith OF SALES High Ubisoft Moon Studios RyanSteve LesserMcGill e: [email protected] t: 415.947.6217 ADVERTISING SALES the region’s entertainment industry, and time has want to.” I thought I’d never get my jaw off the floor. GLOBALADVERTISINGMark DeLoura SALES SALESMANAGER, Ubisoft RECRUITMENT & EDUCATION DIRECTOR OF SALES proven me right in that regard—but actually going DIRECTORAaron Murawski OF SALES e: [email protected] t: 415.947.6227 ADVERTISINGSteve McGill SALES e: [email protected] t: 415.947.6217 there, meeting the developers, visiting the DIFFERENT SKILLSETS SR.Steve EVENTS McGill ACCOUNT e: [email protected] MANAGER, SOUTHWESTt: 415.947.6217 MEDIAGLOBALJasmin ACCOUNT SALESDavé e: MANAGER,MANAGER,[email protected] MANAGER RECRUITMENT RECRUITMENTt: 415.947.6226 & & EDUCATION EDUCATION GLOBALAaron Murawski SALES MANAGER, e: [email protected] RECRUITMENT & t:EDUCATION415.947.6227 studios, and feeling the vibe, there turned out to Korean companies are expanding into the West, SR.JohnAaron ACCOUNT Watson Murawski MANAGER,e: [email protected] e: [email protected] EAST COAST, EUROPEt: 415.947.6224 &t: EASTERN415.947.6227 CANADA GLOBALSR.Cecily EVENTS Herbst SALES ACCOUNT e:MANAGER,[email protected] MANAGER, RECRUITMENT SOUTHWEST t: 415.947.6215 & EDUCATION be a whole lot I just didn’t know. so naturally they’re toying with the idea of SR.Jasmin EVENTS Davé ACCOUNT e: [email protected] MANAGER, SOUTHWESTt: 415.947.6226 MEDIAAaronJasmin ACCOUNT Murawski Davé e: [email protected] e: [email protected]: 415.947.6226t: 415.947.6227 entering the console market. Trouble is, the SR. ACCOUNT MANAGER, EAST COAST, EUROPE & EASTERN CANADA SALESSR.John ACCOUNT WatsonREPRESENTATIVE, MANAGER,e: [email protected] EASTEDUCATION COAST, &t: EUROPE 415.947.224RECRUITMENT & EASTERN CANADA DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS industry grew up so fast around online games, GinaCecily Gross Herbst e: [email protected]: [email protected]: 415.947.6241 t: 415.947.6215 ADVERTISINGCecily Herbst PRODUCTIONe: [email protected] t: 415.947.6215 SR.ACCOUNTADVERTISING EVENTS MANAGER, ACCOUNT PRODUCTION WESTERN MANAGER, CANADA, SOUTHWEST INDIA, AUSTRALIA, & ASIA The first developer I visited was Blueside—pretty which are never finished, that very few ADVERTISINGMEDIAAmanda ACCOUNT Mae PRODUCTION Miller MANAGER e: [email protected] MANAGER Kevin Chanelt: 785.838.7523 much the biggest console developer in Korea, with companies know how to make finalized, complete JasminJohn Watson Davé e: [email protected] t: 415.947.224 SR.REPRINTSSALES ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE, MANAGER, EAST EDUCATION COAST, &EUROPE RECRUITMENT & EASTERN CANADA ADVERTISINGGina Gross e: PRODUCTION [email protected] t: 415.947.6241 titles like KINGDOM UNDER FIRE and NINETY NINE products. Blueside and Softmax (MAGNA CARTA) are REPRINTSADVERTISINGCecily Herbst ACCOUNT PRODUCTION MANAGER NIGHTS under its belt. Shockingly to me, the office the only companies that have really done it in the ACCOUNTMEDIAADVERTISINGCindy