Vortex Gaming

With the PC MMORPG EOS Blue, EOS Red, and the recently released EOS Black, Blue Potion Games is known as a game company specializing in the EOS series. However, Blue Potion Games has recently shown a desire to break away from being solely an EOS-focused company. They are publishing games like Dungeon is My Home and Dark Hero Dash, and recently unveiled their new MMORPG '프로젝트R' (Project R), demonstrating their efforts to diversify their business.

This '프로젝트R' (Project R), which will be the core of these efforts, is a challenging title for Blue Potion Games in many ways. It's Blue Potion Games' first game using Unreal Engine 5 and their largest-scale MMORPG to date, with the game's scale, visuals, direction, and completeness all being at the highest level compared to their previously developed games. It's no exaggeration to say that it aims to be the next EOS Red, or even better.

We spoke with Jung Jae-mok, CEO of Blue Potion Games, about what kind of game '프로젝트R' (Project R), which will be Blue Potion Games' secret weapon, will be, as they prepare for their second leap forward in 2025.

2024 Performance and Project R

Q. I'm curious about the approximate performance of EOS Black since its release.

= We launched simultaneously on PC and mobile platforms, and it reached around 20th place on the Google Play Store. This might seem like a somewhat low ranking, but the PC platform accounts for about 40% of the total revenue, so the ranking appears lower compared to the revenue scale.

Of course, we had internal targets that we didn't achieve. However, EOS Red also didn't achieve great results immediately upon release. After 5-6 years of long-term service and communication with users, it established itself as our representative game and is still loved, so we plan to continue updating and communicating with users for EOS Black, even if its current performance is poor, and improve it so that it can proudly establish itself as a game representing Blue Potion Games. Also, we are preparing to enter overseas markets, so we believe that these efforts will lead to further success overseas.

Q. What are the reasons for the poor performance as judged internally?

= I think there are two factors, internal and external. First, regarding internal factors, there were issues such as server instability at the time of release. As a result of continuous patching and supplementation, those issues have been largely normalized now, but users' perspectives are often unforgiving. If server issues occur at the time of release, many lose interest. I think there were shortcomings in that aspect when considering user expectations. In addition, we conducted CBT twice to ensure stability, so it seems that the problem felt too familiar at the time of release. You could say it gave the impression of a game they had already played. The lack of freshness led to a decrease in interest.

As for external factors, coincidentally, many games of a similar style were released around the time of the June release. At the same time, top-ranked games that were already in live service were also undergoing major updates, making it difficult to attract users. Since the initial user pool is related to the success of an MMORPG, user acquisition did not go as expected, even though we spent a significant amount on marketing. It's a disappointing aspect in many ways.

Q. You mentioned freshness, but did the aversion to the mobile MMORPG genre have an impact?

= It's not entirely absent, but that kind of trend has always existed. However, not all MMORPGs that have been released have failed. Some games have been successful in the midst of it. It's the same now. As the MMORPG market has shrunk significantly compared to the past due to the rise of subculture genres and idle games, competition will become even more fierce in the future. However, the fun that MMORPGs can provide is difficult to feel in other genres, so I think games that are chosen by users will inevitably emerge within that.

Q. EOS Black used 'hardcore' as its catchphrase, how did users react to this?

= It's about half and half. The keyword 'hardcore' did work to some extent. There was quite a bit of positive response from users, but the problem is that there were inevitable restrictions on expression since it was for the domestic market. As a result, some users said, 'It's supposed to be hardcore, but it's nothing special,' or 'It's not very humiliating.'

A typical example is dragging around a slave with the name of the defeated character in PvP, but through user feedback, we have developed it to display mocking phrases that others can see for a certain period of time, in line with the original intention of the planning. I think this is also a result of user feedback. Overseas, there are fewer restrictions in this area, and it is accepted more naturally, so we plan to allow users to feel humiliation properly as designed from the beginning.

Q. From the PC MMORPG EOS Blue to the mobile MMORPG EOS Red and the hardcore MMORPG EOS Black, it feels like you've shown almost all the charms that EOS can offer. I'm curious about your future plans regarding the development of the EOS IP.

= Until now, Blue Potion Games has provided familiar elements through EOS Red and Black, but in the future, we are considering providing new play patterns or environments in terms of IP. Of course, we are strategically considering whether to present these new elements with the EOS IP. However, there is no rule that EOS must be an MMORPG, and recently, games are being developed and serviced in various genres using existing IPs. EOS is the same. Although it didn't reach release, we also developed an idle game based on the EOS IP in cooperation with an external developer, and we plan to continue making various attempts like this in the future. We are still receiving inquiries about EOS IP cooperation.

Q. I can't help but talk about '프로젝트R' (Project R), is it a separate IP?

= It can be said to be a game that brings together the know-how accumulated through EOS Red and Black. That's why we are developing it with Unreal Engine 5. Until now, we have been developing with the Unity engine, but we judged that it was not enough. We had to create a larger-scale game to jump up as a company, so we made a strategic choice of Unreal Engine 5, and we have high expectations internally.

We are still considering the IP. An IP is not something that can be accumulated as desired, and it is not something that others can have just because they want it. It is an important asset for a game company, and it seems that it will go in two directions depending on future business development. Until now, we have been developing and servicing in-house, but since '프로젝트R' (Project R) is a game that aims for more than the achievements we have made so far, we are also considering publishing with other game companies. So, if the publishing agreement results in it being better to release it as a separate game from the EOS IP, we will do so, and if not, we will use the EOS IP. Considering this, the scenario is also a new IP, but it is being developed in a way that does not exclude the EOS worldview so that it can be incorporated into either direction.

Q. I heard you are looking for a publisher, which seems unusual. Haven't you always self-serviced all the games you've developed so far? Is there a special reason?

= Rather than a special reason, it's closer to a strategic choice for the success of '프로젝트R' (Project R). As mentioned earlier, the market situation is more competitive than ever. In the midst of that, I felt that there were limitations to self-development and self-service. The trigger was EOS Black. In the case of the MMORPG genre, it goes without saying that the initial user pool is important, and in that sense, I know directly and indirectly that attracting users is important, but even when I see competing games putting more effort into marketing, there are moments when I hesitate about whether we should put more effort into marketing as well.

After experiencing such things, I felt that it would have been better if we had a publisher. While we are both thinking about the success of the game, I thought that if we could focus only on development and entrust live service and marketing to the publisher, we could further improve the quality of the game and put more effort into marketing.

Q. In a 2023 interview, you mentioned that you were developing a project with Unreal Engine. I think that was '프로젝트R' (Project R), but when did you start developing it? And what is the progress of development so far?

= It's been about 3 and a half years since we started developing it. We internally judge that we have developed about 80% of it. Looking at the numbers alone, it may seem almost complete, but there are still many parts that need to be refined. Details such as balance and optimization remain, and since this is a part that needs to be worked on stitch by stitch, it will take more time to complete.

Q. The development speed seems quite fast. How many developers are there?

= There were less than 50 people for EOS Red and Black, but there are a few more for '프로젝트R' (Project R), about 60 people. We've been developing for a long time, but game development doesn't necessarily go faster and better just because there are more people. And usually, when you look at studios with more than 100 people, art personnel often account for more than half of the total personnel, but since we have been developing in-house since EOS Red, we have a lot of assets and have managed art resources a lot, so we were able to minimize the number of people in that area.

There is another advantage to having a team composed of just the right number of people. When there are many people, it often takes a long time to communicate or make decisions, but since we have a small number of people, the decision-making speed is also fast.

Of course, having a small number of people is only when compared to a studio with 100 people. '프로젝트R' (Project R) is the largest project we have undertaken so far, so we have invested as much manpower as necessary. Please see it as we have efficiently allocated manpower as needed.

Q. Interest in MMORPGs is not as high as it used to be, both domestically and overseas. The recent trend is subculture, but '프로젝트R' (Project R) is advocating for a traditional MMORPG. Aren't you burdened?

= '프로젝트R' (Project R) is a project that was carried out simultaneously with EOS Black, and if we had felt burdened by the users' views on MMORPGs or the atmosphere of the market, we would not have proceeded with it. It is certainly not an optimistic situation, but the reason why we developed an MMORPG is that we thought that the community elements unique to MMORPGs, where users work together, are the fun that only MMORPGs can provide. We judged that there would definitely be users who want this fun that cannot be provided in other genres.

Of course, in a situation where competition has become more fierce than ever, we also needed to further advance the game. The reason why we are developing with Unreal Engine 5 and changing the game play environment is here. EOS Red and Black provided users with similar game play environments, but we judged that if '프로젝트R' (Project R) did the same, it would not be good for the company or the users who like our games. So, we put a lot of effort into not only the visuals but also the camera work and direction.

Competition with major games will not be easy, but we also have the development and operation know-how that we have accumulated while developing and servicing EOS Red and Black so far. In fact, not all games with good visuals or quality have been successful. Communication is really important in live service games like MMORPGs, so '프로젝트R' (Project R) plans to compete with other games using this as a weapon, by being approachable to users.

Q. '프로젝트R' (Project R) is advocating for an open-world traditional MMORPG, but I'm curious what exactly you mean by 'traditional' here.

= When it comes to traditional MMORPGs, it's easy to think of things like siege warfare or raids, but it's better to think of it as meaning various contents that MMORPGs can provide, rather than specific end contents. An MMORPG that lowers the entry barrier to such various contents and allows everyone to enjoy it. This is what '프로젝트R' (Project R) aims for.

Siege warfare is a typical example, but in general, siege warfare is often updated after a certain amount of time has passed after release. This is because it is content that users can enjoy only after they have grown to a certain extent. One fatal problem with this siege warfare is that it often targets only core users. The vast majority of people who enjoy the game are casual users, but I have always felt that it is a waste in many ways that it is content that only a small number of whales enjoy. There are various reasons for this, including experience. Users who have experienced siege warfare enjoy it, but casual users who have not experienced it don't even think about approaching it, saying, 'Siege warfare is for core users.'

'프로젝트R' (Project R) aims to minimize users' psychological resistance by allowing them to enjoy various contents in the process of growing, so that they think, 'Oh? Siege warfare might be fun?'

Of course, there is more than just siege warfare. In the past, MMORPGs were divided into WoW-style MMORPGs and Lineage-style MMORPGs, but now many parts have been merged. '프로젝트R' (Project R) also pursues the fun of siege warfare, and at the same time, PvE content such as raids where you form parties with other users to catch bosses is also fully prepared, so don't worry about this.

Q. PC and mobile cross-platform is nothing new now, but it seems somewhat unsuitable for a traditional MMORPG based on an open world. If it's based on a mobile platform, there are elements such as auto-hunting, which makes it casual, so I'm worried that the value of tradition will be damaged.

= Cross-platform and the resulting mobile-based auto-hunting should no longer be seen as a simple trend. It is right to see that this part has evolved in the direction that users want. For example, in the case of MMORPGs, since they are games that are played for a long time, users often feel fatigued compared to other games. For such users, making them hunt manually from level 1 to max level is rather going against the current trend. In that sense, auto-hunting in the farming and nurturing stages can be said to be a convenience element that reduces fatigue.

Of course, it doesn't mean that you just press auto-hunting from start to finish. As mentioned earlier, you have to avoid the boss's range attacks with evasion skills in raids, and in siege warfare, you have to manually control everything. Please see it as we have divided the sections where auto-hunting and manual operation are needed in order to minimize fatigue and boredom and maximize fun.

Auto-hunting is not exactly the same as auto-hunting in other games. '프로젝트R' (Project R) has a skill tree system as a core system. Simply put, it is a system that allows users to create how they want to auto-hunt and how to put in combos. In general, auto-hunting has a simple aspect of just throwing skills randomly, but I felt that we could make auto-hunting more fun from a management perspective while watching that.

The skill tree is a system that was born from that regret. You can create your own skill tree, or if it's too complicated and difficult, you can bring in a skill tree registered by another user. We plan to provide fun from a management perspective by allowing users to precisely configure skills in what order to use them and how to link them if the opponent is inflicted with attribute abnormalities or stuns.

Q. It may feel somewhat complicated for users who have been enjoying MMORPGs.

= It was a part that could be confirmed while servicing EOS Black, but in the past, the user base was concentrated in the 40s and 50s. So, we prepared a system that suits that user base, but now many users in their 20s and 30s are also enjoying it. Of course, such users often show a high degree of control in PK and such, so please see it as an element for users who enjoy the game more deeply. And as mentioned earlier, we provide basic settings and also have a function to share the settings of good users, so we don't think there will be any major problems.

Q. In a similar sense, you said that you have implemented real-time environmental effects and flashy action based on Unreal Engine 5, but I'm worried that mobile will hold back optimization or quality.

= Unreal Engine has made great progress in terms of resource management and optimization with the recent release of 5. Of course, since there is a big difference between PC and mobile in terms of hardware, it is inevitable that we cannot show the exact same quality. Mobile inevitably has lower visuals than PC, but we want to provide the same play experience except for those parts related to visuals.

Q. You said that you have implemented real-time environmental effects, and this is certainly a good element visually, but this is basically close to +@. If not, I'm curious if there will be changes in the play depending on the environment in the in-game.

= Environmental factors do not directly restrict or change the play environment. Rather, it can be said to be a device that helps to immerse you in the game. You can feel through changes in the environment that there will be a monster invasion or that the future war situation will worsen.

Q. '프로젝트R' (Project R) seems to be a challenging title for Blue Potion Games in many ways. Were there any voices of concern internally?

= There weren't. Rather, they were worried that it would be bad if we released a game with a similar impression to EOS Red and Black. If it was visually similar, users who played EOS Red would move to Black, and users who played Black would move to a similar new game, so the overall user pool would remain the same or even decrease. This is also the reason why we developed '프로젝트R' (Project R) at the same time as developing EOS Black. We judged that we could catch both existing and new users by doing this.

The developers were also full of enthusiasm. Since they wanted to make a better game, they wanted to try to incorporate all the know-how they had accumulated into '프로젝트R' (Project R). The fact that there were many veterans who had been developing MMORPGs for a long time also had a great influence on the development of '프로젝트R' (Project R). Everyone is talented and showed an active attitude, so we naturally proceeded with the development.

Q. EOS Black advocated for 'hardcore', but I'm curious if there is a core keyword that defines '프로젝트R' (Project R).

= '프로젝트R' (Project R) does not have such a core keyword. We are going to focus more on the overall completeness of the game rather than focusing on keywords because there were parts that we missed because we focused on keywords. In particular, we are putting a lot of effort into the community, and joining a guild often becomes a driving force for playing the game while feeling a sense of belonging, but on the contrary, when you leave the guild, the sense of loss increases and you quit. '프로젝트R' (Project R) plans to implement a way to minimize this sense of loss in the game based on the know-how accumulated so far.

Project R, a game that will be responsible for the future of Blue Potion Games

Q. Until now, you have been developing using the Unity engine, but '프로젝트R' (Project R) is being developed with Unreal Engine 5. Using different commercial engines while proceeding with a project is nothing new, but I think it is still something that requires adaptation, so were there any difficulties?

= Since we set up a new team centered on developers who had experience working on projects with Unreal Engine in the past, problems such as having to learn new things did not occur. Of course, since we had mainly developed with the Unity engine until then and the version of Unreal Engine had been upgraded, we needed to learn it to some extent, so we went through R&D for about a year. Now, everything from developer recruitment to R&D has been resolved, so we can say that there are no difficulties.

Q. Let's talk about the game in earnest. What kind of game is '프로젝트R' (Project R), and how did you differentiate it from existing mobile MMORPGs?

= If I had to pick the biggest difference compared to competitors, I would pick the skill tree system mentioned earlier. When it comes to auto-hunting, you just stare blankly, but by incorporating a kind of management element here, users can compare how to create a skill tree more effectively when the equipment settings or stats are similar, so we plan to minimize intervention while maximizing the fun of watching and doing.

In the case of community elements, I have also lived a Lineage life, but when you belong to a guild, you can feel a strong sense of belonging, but when you leave, the sense of loss also increases. I have always been thinking about how to solve this, and I have found my own answer while developing '프로젝트R' (Project R) this time. There is a differentiated element from other games, and other companies have also viewed this part favorably when meeting with them.

However, this is not the core. Personally, I think that MMORPGs are ultimately games that users create. From that point of view, it is of course important to differentiate with the system, but I believe that it is more important to create an environment where users can enjoy it. Fortunately, we have the advantage of being able to quickly reflect user feedback because we have directly developed and serviced EOS Blue, Red, and Black. '프로젝트R' (Project R) also plans to listen to users' voices and respond quickly based on our past experience.

Q. The skill tree system of '프로젝트R' (Project R) seems quite elaborate compared to other games. What is the reason for making it so elaborate, and what was the motivation for putting it in?

= EOS Red and Black are MMORPGs that started from a familiar billing-oriented mindset. Simply put, if you pay, you can easily become stronger, but as a result, it was somewhat far from the original fun. You get satisfaction from seeing numbers and becoming stronger numerically rather than the fun of growing and the fun of fighting. I was always disappointed with that. So, when developing the next game, I decided to make it a game where you can gradually learn the fun of combat through the process of growing.

However, I thought that completely excluding auto-hunting would also be an overreach. In the end, I decided to put in the skill tree system because I had to maintain auto-hunting, which users feel familiar with in relation to convenience, while also adding different elements. Since it is a system that we consider very important internally, we are increasing the completeness by densely balancing and internally testing it. User feedback is also very important, so we will continue to receive feedback and improve it even after the official release.

Q. Come to think of it, the high point of the transformation system is low. In other games, when the attack speed of a high-grade is 10%, the attack speed of a legendary grade is 100%, but '프로젝트R' (Project R) does not seem to be the case.

= It's an intentional part. There will inevitably be a gap depending on the grade. However, if such a gap occurs in the early stages of release when you have to nurture a lot, before the community is established, many users will inevitably leave due to that gap. So, in order to prevent the gap from widening due to billing from the beginning, we made the difference according to the transformation grade small.

So, in '프로젝트R' (Project R), we will try to prevent the situation where you become the strongest by billing as soon as it is released, or as a result, the content becomes boring. Billing is helpful as an element that makes growth easier, but we are avoiding becoming the strongest with billing alone.

Of course, there is definitely a gap depending on the grade. If you pay to draw a legendary grade, but there is no difference from high-grade and rare grades, isn't that also a problem? We are thinking about how to reflect this by distributing billing among various contents and creating synergy when each element is gathered.

Q. I heard that it is also possible to carry two types of weapons with the dual weapon system and quickly switch them during battle, but please briefly explain how this will be used.

= Users can freely choose which weapon to carry. For example, if you carry a one-handed sword and shield, and healer equipment, you can tank alone and switch to healer equipment as needed to heal yourself. In addition, you can attack with a ranged weapon in PvP and switch to a melee weapon as soon as the enemy approaches, so you can respond to various situations.

Carrying different types of weapons is not a patent of '프로젝트R' (Project R), but many other games have their own restrictions such as cooldowns when switching weapons. However, '프로젝트R' (Project R) does not have that. By actively responding to each other through this, we plan to make you feel the give and take in battle and feel the pleasure of overpowering specs with control.

Q. I think you have built a fairly elaborate battle, but I'm curious if it's pre-judgment or post-judgment.

= It's post-judgment. I didn't think pre-judgment was right because control elements are also involved in the fun of battle. Thanks to this, it seems that you will be able to feel the part about control even more.

Q. It's Unreal Engine 5 and the visuals look pretty high, so the hardware performance seems pretty high. How much are you aiming for?

= For PC specs, we are thinking of a level similar to major games, so-called top-ranked games. Mobile may be somewhat flexible, but we are making it possible to enjoy it with the current flagship lineup.

Q. Recently, when you look at mobile MMORPGs that are being developed, there are cases where they use a two-track strategy by separating automatic and manual content, but what about '프로젝트R' (Project R)?

= It's not clearly divided systemically, but I think you can see it as we have created it so that you can feel the new fun of battle when you operate it manually. Basically, it is based on auto-hunting, but you can live longer and react more nimbly when you do it manually.

Q. What is the difference between the weapon switching system and the methods of other games?

= We are aiming for fast battles that give feedback in real time. However, when you look at other games that allow weapon switching in this way, there is a cooldown every time you switch weapons, so it is somewhat ambiguous. As I said before, we don't have such restrictions, so you can quickly respond to various situations, and in addition, the skill combination is added to provide even more fun. Through this method, we plan to continue the fun of growth even after reaching the max level by making you research how to combine weapons and what skill tree settings to use even after reaching the max level, instead of just reaching the max level and ending.

At first, you will create a skill tree with only one specific weapon, but after growing to a certain extent, you will think about how to combine weapons, and how to combine skill tree settings with weapon switching in mind.

We have put our will to break away from the growth structure that is said to be a feature of so-called Korean MMORPGs, where you reach the max level and get a legendary transformation and a legendary skill.

Q. Does that mean that the benefits of billing are small?

= We are still thinking about the BM because it is not yet complete. If the benefits of billing are small, there is a problem, and if they are large, there is another problem. We are still thinking about how to make users feel satisfied through billing within a range that users can accept.

However, the amount of time you can play the game is different for each person. So, it is natural in some ways to pay to save time or buy items from other users. So, I don't think it's a good thing to completely exclude that if you look at it differently. To summarize, billing in '프로젝트R' (Project R) will exist as an element to save time. So, most of it can be obtained through in-game play.

Q. The ultimate community element of guilds is undoubtedly siege warfare. However, in reality, only a small number of users enjoy siege warfare, so how does '프로젝트R' (Project R) plan to solve this?

= I was actually thinking about how to solve that. If you classify users who enjoy MMORPGs into three main categories, there are users who want to benefit from siege warfare, neutral users who participate in siege warfare or field battles when they feel like it, and users who hate being controlled. In addition, there are so-called rice-eating users or workplaces.

The problem is that most of the existing MMORPGs are designed for users who enjoy end content such as siege warfare or raids. Users who enjoy it moderately can still enjoy it to some extent, but a large number of users who don't enjoy it at all often lose their way in the middle and have nothing to do. By making them enjoy siege warfare and raids through communities such as guilds, they become attached to the community on a small scale and the game as a whole, but this gives a sense of alienation to users who do not join guilds. The problem is that, as mentioned earlier, such users correspond to the waist layer. It is more important to keep users in the waist layer than core users who enjoy end content, so I think that keeping them is the most important thing for the long-term success of the game.

As a solution, we are thinking of content such as making them have field battles over field bosses separately from siege warfare for core users. However, this can also become intense, so as an alternative, we are thinking of making the guild master obtain a scroll to summon the field boss at a high price and summon it in a safe place to catch it, so that they can taste the end content even a little.

It is most important to create solid content that everyone from the waist to the top floor can enjoy, so I am thinking a lot about it.

Q. Is there any siege warfare content exclusively for weak guilds?

= There is. After all, siege warfare and field battles have risks such as becoming a target of eradication if you do it wrong. So, as an element that you can enjoy without such risks, we are going to put in a kind of instance siege warfare (battle). You can enjoy siege warfare pleasantly by protecting each other's guild relics through matching.

Q. MMORPGs often experience inflation when they are serviced for a long time, so are there any concerns about this?

= There are parts inspired by blockchain. We plan to prevent inflation from occurring as much as possible systemically by limiting the total quantity of certain materials. Of course, blockchain is not included. It's only inspired by blockchain.

Q. When I look at the guild system, there is something called Arcane. The more guild members with high Arcane, the greater the guild buff, so I'm worried that a vicious cycle will occur where users flock to large guilds.

= Basically, the number of guild members is fixed, so we are preventing such a thing from happening where users flock to specific guilds. The reason for putting in Arcane is simple, but until now, guild members have had a feeling of being subordinate to the guild. Should I say that the guild and the guild leader are the boss and the guild members are the subordinates? If you leave the guild, you can't get the guild buff, so you tend to cling to it. In addition, there is also the problem that the damage suffered by guild members is too great when the Lineage collapses while fighting and as a result, the guild leader disappears and the guild is dissolved as it is.

Arcane can be said to be an element for guild members who have no choice but to suffer in such a situation. In other games, if you are kicked out of the guild, you have no choice but to be kicked out empty-handed no matter how much effort you put into the guild, but '프로젝트R' (Project R) is different. Every time you do guild activities, Arcane, a kind of guild contribution, increases, but this is subordinate to the guild member, not the guild, so if you leave, the guild will lose that much Arcane. Through this, we are preventing guild members from suffering even if the guild disappears at some point or is kicked out.

Of course, if a user with high Arcane comes out on the FA market, large guilds will try to bring them in, but I think this will also be one of the fun of community elements such as siege warfare.

Of course, Arcane may also be treated as a spec in some ways, but as mentioned earlier, the maximum number of guild members is fixed, so we don't think that users will flock to large guilds.

Q. There are a series of large MMORPGs scheduled to be released this year, are you worried?

= Most of us, including myself, have been in the gaming industry for over 20 years, and looking back, it seems like there's never been a time without competition (laughs). It's not even small-scale. We've always competed with major games. Yet, we've survived. Ultimately, the environment, from the market atmosphere to the competitive landscape, has always been tough, but I think we've been able to survive because we quickly grasped what users wanted and were able to reflect that.

Thanks to these continuous efforts, we've been fortunate enough to service three MMORPGs, from EOS BLUE to EOS RED and BLACK. Therefore, even in a situation where competition with other games is unavoidable, I don't think there's a need to be greatly concerned or worried. '프로젝트R' not only has elements that contrast with other games, but also possesses know-how from having serviced multiple live service games, so I think we have our own competitiveness in this area.

Q. In a 2023 interview, you mentioned plans for an IPO. The IPO market has been quite frozen recently, are the plans still in place?

= After selecting the lead manager and servicing EOS BLACK, we were preparing with the goal of 2025, but at the time, we thought the timing wasn't right, so we're thinking of challenging the IPO again with the release of '프로젝트R'. I think we can challenge it as early as 2026, or at the latest by 2027.

Q. '프로젝트R' feels like a game that Blue Potion Games is betting its future on, aiming for a jump-up. What do you think about the release timing?

= Every time we prepare a new game, I feel like we're always developing with a do-or-die attitude. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing. If we didn't have that ambition, EOS BLACK and '프로젝트R' wouldn't have come out. It's not easy to start a new project in a market that's increasingly freezing, but it's also not an easy situation to succeed without that mindset, so the entire company is putting all its efforts into the success of '프로젝트R'.

As '프로젝트R' will be a milestone for us to grow one step further in terms of scale, I hope that users who are waiting for a new MMORPG will have high expectations. '프로젝트R' is scheduled to be released in the third quarter of this year.

웹진 인벤윤홍만 기자
2025-01-15