From Ragnarok Online and MMORPGs to AI Research: The Journey of Veteran Developer Hakkyu Kim

Introduction

Hello, my name is Hakkyu Kim, and I develop games in South Korea.

I started developing games in the 90s and founded Gravity, where I developed projects such as Arcturus and Ragnarok Online. In 2003, I left Gravity and founded a new company called imcGAMES, where I created and continue to work on games such as Granado Espada and Tree of Savior.

Currently, my primary focus is on developing new IPs and researching the application of AI in game development.

And here are some details on the game I developed during my twenties as part of an amateur development team:

Lychnis (1993) – This was the first game I developed. It was the culmination of a technical endeavor in the early '90s to achieve Super Famicom-like graphics on a PC/VGA platform. I was responsible for engine/tool development, as well as the initial game logic. Additionally, I personally designed the pixel art for the initial game characters. The characters were inspired by classic games like Romancing SaGa and Sorcerian.

Lars the Wanderer (1995) – This was the game developed after Lychnis. I focused on the technical aspects of implementing more objects, larger maps, and more sprite frames by utilizing a 32-bit environment.

Antman2 (1997) – This game was developed as a technical attempt to implement an action game in a DirectX and Windows environment. It was created after receiving a development commission for a comic book original called Antman. It was inspired by games like Contra Hard Corps and Gunstar Heroes, which I enjoyed playing at the time. I was responsible for programming and directly designed the movements of the multi-jointed boss characters.

Sting (1998) – A game developed after receiving another development service. This time, we sought a high-resolution environment, moving beyond the VGA 320*240 resolution. It was inspired by Super Mario World and Kirby's Dream Land.

All four games above were side-view scrolling action games. By creating multiple games of the same genre, I was able to test slightly different elements and accumulate a significant amount of technical expertise, including transitioning from C to C++, from MS-DOS to Win32, and developing internal tools. However, the game I most wanted to make was an RPG. In my teens, I was fascinated by the world of RPGs while playing games like Ultima 3, 4, and 5 on an Apple II computer. The dream of someday creating my own world has remained unchanged from my teenage years to the present, in my 50s. So, I conceived the project 'Arcturus' because I wanted to make a proper RPG, not an action game. Although it was not a great commercial success, it was a work that opened up many possibilities. While developing it, I made technical attempts to combine 2D characters and 3D backgrounds using a direct software renderer 3D engine, and I even created my own scripting language and environment to express the vast scenario. However, such in-house solutions were also the cause of many bugs. The game that inspired me the most was 'Grandia' by 'Game Arts'.

imcGAMES

When I first created Gravity, I lacked business experience. At the time, I barely thought about anything other than completing the project I was working on – Arcturus – and releasing it to the world. In fact, I proceeded without knowing much about receiving investment from someone and how to divide ownership between investors and the company. As a result, the game became famous later, but I increasingly felt like it wasn't my company. So, I decided to leave the company and start a new one, determined to take the initiative as a producer and create a production environment. The result is imcgames, and we have been running it since 2003.

There were more difficulties than wonderful things in creating the company. Gravity didn't want the founder to leave and become a competitor, and they tried to take away my shares, so they legally harassed me for several months. They were absurd accusations, but it took time and effort to refute and resolve them one by one. Fortunately, I overcame it successfully and was able to develop and release a new project to the world safely.

At that time, after Gravity was listed on NASDAQ, the ownership and management of the company changed. This change has no relation to the current Gravity.

Granado Espada and Tree of Savior

At my previous company, I experienced the value and power of MMORPGs through Ragnarok Online, and naturally, I wanted to create something even more ambitious at my new company. However, I didn't want to repeat something similar to what I had made before. Moreover, due to disputes with my previous company, I wanted to avoid any controversy regarding similarities as much as possible.

So, when creating Granado Espada, I wanted to approach it from a completely different perspective. Contrary to being based on Norse mythology, I aimed to explore various themes across multiple areas, including the Age of Exploration, the Victorian Era, the Age of Discovery, and even systematic ideas like MCC. Introducing unverified new systems and balancing them was a significant challenge in itself.

Furthermore, the early to mid-2000s were a time when PC performance and specifications were continuously improving. Developing an MMORPG took at least 2-3 years, and even in that time, you could feel the changes as PC specifications considerably enhanced. We put a lot of effort into creating visual quality that could give a good impression even after the release date.

Launching a new MMO title with high expectations at a new company is enormous pressure in itself. Moreover, it was incredibly stressful to watch the servers crash at launch after implementing technologies that weren't fully verified in preparation for the future, and then having to respond to the issue. For example, we created and implemented features like 

‘distributed transactions’ as a way to prevent issues such as copying or omissions from the database. Although there were no problems during internal testing, the feature caused a significant bottleneck on the server when we actually launched. I have a terrible memory of rewriting all the DB access parts for almost 50 hours without being able to sleep. These are memories of creating services through trial and error in an era when methodologies for testing and QA were not yet established.

Finally, after the release, as the freemium game monetization model became popular, adapting to it became an essential requirement for survival. Adding new rules to the game, almost from scratch, even after release, was a significant challenge. The development team complained that they had to perform the task of changing the wheels of a running carriage.

Initially, it received tremendous expectations, but then it suffered from various bugs and server instability, resulting in complaints from users. However, through the superhuman efforts and dedication of the team members and bold changes, we brought back users again, and improved versions were released in regions other than Korea, generating revenue. Maintaining this for over 20 years is the history of IMC.

Secrets to longevity

For a game, the most crucial condition for longevity is not giving up on itself. Many companies launch games expecting the initial attention to continue, but that is rarely the case. When the hype dies down and the development team is on the verge of losing hope, it's essential not to give up and continue doing what you can.

For example, if a game has only 1,000 concurrent users left, most companies would consider it a business failure and try to end the project in some way. However, if there is still a reason why 1,000 people continue to play our game, we should determine what the development team and operations team should do next.

We approach our game users' efforts and assets with a sense of responsibility. Rather than choosing to terminate the service due to some difficulties, we intend to revive it in any way possible. Financially, this is also possible due to the assistance of good external partners and investors.

The production of mobile games

The approach of easily creating and releasing a game, and then easily shutting down the service, is not the path we have chosen to take. Releasing an online game comes with responsibility. It's like the difference between buying and throwing away a toy versus bringing home and abandoning a puppy – it's a matter of responsibility. That's why we haven't been able to create and release more games than we can maintain for over 20 years.

Mobile games should not be considered fundamentally different from other online games. After all, people are becoming increasingly accustomed to playing mobile games on a PC and playing PC games on a mobile device.

The values we consider most important when creating a game are engraved in the initials of our company name: Impress, Motivate, Connect. The first impression must be good, it must provide continuous motivation, and in the process, people must be connected so that users don't feel lonely. Of course, there is more than one way to achieve that goal, so various attempts, trials, and errors are inevitable.

It's still under development, so it's too early to say much about it. Still, our next project is being created to revive as many memories as possible of when we first developed and played RPGs in a form that can better convey the game's world and IP to the player.

Monetization trends

Today's game users are seen as a heterogeneous group, far from homogeneous. Beyond basic factors such as age, gender, and play experience, they often have entirely different answers to the question of 'Why do you want to play the game in the first place?' The most consequential clashes occur in response to monetization. Different groups have varying evaluations of a developer selling something. Additionally, judgments and actions often evolve over time and are influenced by surrounding circumstances.

Many people are constantly contemplating and seeking answers to these aspects, so we should refer to those results. However, we should also not deviate from our own common-sense judgment. The idea is to prevent elements that my family would consider crossing the line when playing the game I made from appearing.

Advice to younger developers

Currently, many people are feeling confused due to the advancement of AI technology; however, it is also a time when opportunities are being presented. All jobs in the world are being affected, and game development is no exception.

Personally, I tend to view the opportunities that AI can provide positively.

When I first started game development, the number of developers in a team usually didn't exceed 10. Three to four core members would share ideas, enjoy other games together, exchange jokes while laughing, and when inspiration struck, they would stay up all night creating and testing. It was really fun, and I thought I would be the happiest person in the world if I could do that for the rest of my life without worrying about money. We operated with a rock band-like culture.

However, as time passed, the number of users increased, and the market grew, game development became an industry. To create results that meet users' expectations by utilizing the latest technology, a large workforce was required. Companies received investment, hired more people, expanded their teams, and acquired new tools. The rock band culture disappeared and was replaced by a culture that mixed large research labs and factory production lines.

My company and I also had to grow to survive in that trend, and in the process, the rock band culture naturally disappeared. But I miss the atmosphere and fun of those early days.

AI technology is reopening the path to creating games with a small team. The belief that there is an opportunity here to return to the old rock band culture and develop games that are rich in fun and variety is rekindling my enthusiasm, more than 30 years after I started making games.

Therefore, if I were to give one piece of advice to young developers, it would be, "Master the technology, but keep the rock band spirit."

Hakkyu Kim, CEO of imcGames

Interview conducted by Kirill Tokarev