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The Power of 'DJMAX': Reaching 6 Million Copies Sold Cumulatively
The 'DJMAX series' developed by 'Rocky Studio' under NeoWiz has celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. It is NeoWiz's representative IP and a long-running IP that represents Korean rhythm games. Another significant record has been achieved: DJMAX Respect V has surpassed 6 million copies sold.
DJMAX, which has been consistently released since 2004, had a period of great attention in the past and was released on various platforms, but it was somewhat stagnant before the release of Respect. DJMAX Respect was a turning point for the series, and 'DJMAX Respect V', released as a PC version, laid the foundation for further progress.
The record of surpassing 6 million copies sold based on XBOX and PC sales, including DLCs, has a meaning that is hard to see as just a number. This level of sales proves that it is a sustainable IP that can expand the game's fan base globally, not just a rhythm game enjoyed by a niche audience.
Finally, it can be said that the game has properly met the turning point for a leap forward from the previous PS4 Respect, and now it has truly become a more advanced game. Despite the genre of rhythm games feeling somewhat difficult, we checked the secrets to how 'DJMAX Respect V' was able to achieve these results.
디제이맥스 리스펙트 V?
A global service rhythm game with battles
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of DJMAX is that it is a representative work of Korean rhythm games. It is a representative rhythm game that started as a PC online game and expanded to handheld consoles, mobile, arcades, and even the console market. The name that represents DJMAX now is 'DJMAX Respect V'.
The series wasn't smooth sailing from the start. The early PC service, now called DJMAX Online, was not successful, and after DJMAX Portable 2 became a big hit on the PSP, it seemed to be on a successful path, but after that, it suffered from ups and downs and barely managed to maintain its existence.
It continued to maintain the series' lineage by advancing to PSVITA, mobile, and arcade, but it was hard to say that it was stably established. Spin-offs appeared and the platform diversified, but there was no definite hit.
The title that started to show the current stable appearance and showed a definite hit is 'DJMAX Respect'. Respect, which was first released on PS4, was well-received in the market, and after the PC version 'DJMAX Respect V' was released in early access in 2019, it can be said that it firmly established itself as Korea's representative rhythm game.
DJMAX is a keyboard-based rhythm action game. Notes determined according to the chart fall down the lane, and you play them at the correct timing. It requires dynamic visual acuity, a sense of rhythm, and memorization, and it is also a genre where people who play at a high level of difficulty have been a hot topic since the past.
Also, one of the unique features of the game is that all songs always have a BGA, a background animation. Moreover, the splendor and quality of this animation is the highest level among all rhythm games in the world. As a result, it is a visually outstanding game to the point where you may miss notes or have sore eyes.
Since it is a rhythm game, the tendency of the music can also play a very important role, and DJMAX generally has many songs that are more popular and easy to listen to than other rhythm games. Of course, there are also songs with bizarre charts called 'boss songs', but it also includes popular songs and has been steadily transferring good music that gamers would like through collaborations with other games.
As it is a game that can be played online, 'DJMAX Respect V' also allows for battles. Of course, solo play is also possible, and you can compete for rankings in ladder matches or enjoy battles with other players without pressure in open matches. This is the biggest feature of this 'DJMAX Respect V'. V stands for 'Versus'.
Since its release, it has been a game that has been steadily undergoing not only music updates but also system updates, optimization updates, and balancing of note charts. As a rhythm game, it is unusually frequent in communicating with fans, and it is also taking many new steps, such as introducing a season pass for the first time in a rhythm game.
The power of over 6 million copies sold
Continuous updates, improvements, and IP expansion
Then you might be wondering how much success DJMAX is achieving now. To put it simply, the achievement of cumulative sales of 6 million copies, as mentioned in the title, stands out first.
It is one of the few console/PC titles in Korea that has achieved such high sales, and it has been continuously serviced for more than 4 years and has released 49 DLCs to date. On Steam, where you can see the most accurate evaluation of users, it maintains 23,893 positive reviews, and the most recent evaluation is also very positive.
Unlike the original DJMAX Respect, DJMAX Respect V is constantly making new content, updates, and feature improvements. Of course, the PS version is also constantly updated with legacy series and regular DLCs. Most rhythm games require a lot of work, such as securing music and creating note charts, so there has always been a lot of talk about continuous support after release. In particular, DJMAX has excellent BGA quality, so there were concerns that updates would be even slower.
Nevertheless, Respect V has continued to be updated, and has now established itself as a rhythm game title with a clear personality and uniqueness. Even if you look at the major updates that have been newly updated since Early Access, you can see that it has been continuously updated.
■ DJMAX 주요 업데이트 연혁(음원 DLC 및 세부 조정 제외)
2019년 12월 19일 얼리액세스, 앞서 해보기 시작
2020년 1월 16일 오픈 매치 테스트
2020년 2월 20일 래더 매치 베타 테스트
These update details are quite rare for a console game, and there are almost no rhythm games that provide this much support. This only includes functional and new content updates.
In addition to this, there have already been 49 DLC releases, as well as various updates such as note judgment and balancing, and function improvements. As much as time has passed, many songs have been added and many parts have been improved, and the fact that the game is changing gives the feeling that the DJMAX series is alive and well, which may be why it has been continuously popular.
The company is also working to expand the IP base. DJMAX Entertainment is a music label under Rocky Studio, which develops the DJMAX series. It is developing various activities based on subculture, including music, art, fashion, and culture.
In April of this year, the first compilation album 'DRIVE' was released, and thanks to the enthusiastic response from users to the 'DRIVE' album at the time, the 'DJMAX Miracle: DRIVE' offline performance was held in Seongsu-dong last April. Following this, the stage was presented once again through 'GES 2024 (GAME ESPORTS SEOUL 2024)' held at the Hall of Peace at Kyung Hee University in September.
In addition, offline pop-up goods stores were opened to meet many fans, and online goods shops were also opened. As an aside, to add just one more thing, there are often scenes where DJMAX is used in actual combat after benchmarking to see the responsiveness of keyboards, UMPCs, or controllers, so it often appears here and there.
디제이맥스 리스펙트 V의 미래
"We will continue to provide the fun and excitement unique to DJMAX"
As a rhythm game that has sold approximately 6 million copies, including DLCs, it can be said that it has been a fairly successful move so far. It is the best achievement among Korean rhythm games, and it is an excellent record even among domestic console/PC titles. But what is important now is the future. What will be the future of the DJMAX series, especially in the genre of rhythm games?
From the perspective of someone who has played rhythm games for a long time, it may be very personal, but looking at a few things, I think DJMAX Respect V has a high potential for further development. There are three main reasons for this.
The first is that it has achieved some improvement in the monetization model. Rhythm games always start with a big problem. That is, the monetization model is poor. Licenses for music must be secured, and development costs are not cheap, especially since the DJMAX series has BGA. Mobile rhythm games show a slightly different aspect, but DJMAX is a console and PC game, so there are definitely different points from them, which was an even bigger problem.
In that respect, there is bound to be a limit to worrying about the future with music DLC alone, but here, Respect V has introduced a 'Clear Pass', which can be said to be a countermeasure unique to DJMAX, as one of the ways to overcome this.
Since it was the first form of introducing a pass as a rhythm game, it was not perfect. However, the development team has been steadily improving the pass over several seasons and is at a point where it is becoming established.
The development team is also holding events related to the pass and making improvements, so I hope that it will gradually develop and become a good model for both players and the development team. If that happens, the monetization that was in a 'poor' situation will be improved to some extent, so we can look forward to the future more hopefully.
The second is the musical tendency and chart distribution of DJMAX. Preferences vary from person to person, but among users who have enjoyed rhythm games for a long time, fast-tempo songs that show high-difficulty charts are more popular than songs of popular genres. However, DJMAX did not only take care of this part, but rather took care of the popular part a lot. There are also maniac and hardcore songs, but the fact that many songs of various genres are included is also the DJMAX song recording style.
Not only that, but they also brought good OSTs from other genres of games such as League of Legends, TalesWeaver, Guilty Gear, and Girls' Frontline, and also collaborated with songs from the same rhythm game. Recently, the collaboration with Tekken 8 and bringing in a yodel song has also been well received. There are probably many songs that gamers have heard from time to time and are easy to access.
Including songs that are easy to hum and listen to, popular songs, and songs that rhythm gamers prefer, the wide spectrum is what I think has become the foundation for DJMAX to steadily increase its fan base as a rhythm game.
Furthermore, while recruiting good composers, they are also discovering new artists, discovering new pattern designers through DPC, and collaborating in many ways to discover various artists in visual art.
This can also be seen as an effort to compensate for one of the weaknesses of rhythm games, which are one of the three major barrier games in the game industry. In fact, the advantage of playing rhythm games alone is that anyone can enjoy playing hard without competing with anyone. There are songs that are really easy to access, as well as skilled, expert, and challenging SC difficulty, and even more fierce matches are possible, so I think it is an advantage to be able to secure a large user spectrum.
Instead, the DLCs that accumulate over time can be a big burden. Of course, this part can be purchased at a much less burdensome price if you choose the right time, and it can be said to be a choice. And even if you don't own a song, you can play it through online matches. I think that by overcoming and improving these points, we can look to a more distant future.
The last thing I can mention is the attitude and passion of the development team. I remember what Baek Seung-cheol PD (BEXTER) said in an interview when DJMAX Respect was first released. "DJMAX RESPECT is a work that will be an opportunity for the series to take another leap forward." The name Respect was given to encompass and respect all of the previous works, and most of the songs for which licenses have been resolved are actually included. It's also good for reviving memories.
Without stopping here, they advanced to the PC version and secured a global fan base in order to prepare for another leap and foundation for the series. And they are creating a system unique to DJMAX and continuing to develop it. The fact that they communicate with players through broadcasts and share future plans is very positive.
Looking at the updates so far, while solidifying the internal affairs, the DJMAX development team has definitely shown moves that can be said to be an opportunity for the series to take another leap forward, and I think they have prepared to move towards a bigger future. As they have gradually increased the number of events where they can communicate with fans, and as the DJMAX concert was held for the first time in a long time, I think they will continue to take new steps to move forward. I hope that the DJMAX series will continue to show the moves of a game that will remain in the memories of users for a long time.
An official from DJMAX said, "We would like to express our gratitude to the users who have shown interest in DJMAX for 20 years," and added, "We will continue to provide the fun and excitement unique to DJMAX through the medium of 'music'." As the message says, I hope that DJMAX will provide the fun and excitement it pursues and remain a good game in everyone's memory.
웹진 인벤양영석 기자
2024-12-30