Like Cheonggukjang, 'Imjin War: The Counterattack of Joseon' Offers Hidden Depth

A Unique Approach to Historical Game Development

The game 'Imjin War: The Counterattack of Joseon' has garnered a lot of attention from users, with many describing it as a deep and engaging experience. This sentiment is echoed by Producer Kim Tae-gon, who notes that the more players dig into the game, the more they uncover its layers of complexity. Unlike other games that rely on flashy marketing or immediate product releases, this title has been steadily climbing in app market rankings. It's a testament to the quality and depth of the game.

Kim Tae-gon, Head of Development at Red Ginkgo Games, has a long history in the industry, having worked on titles such as 'Chungmugongjeon', 'Imjinrok' series, 'Merchant', 'Atlantica', and 'Embrace the Three Kingdoms'. His journey reflects the evolution of Korean historical games. In 2024, he took a bold step by leaving a large corporation to start an independent development company, driven by a sense of urgency and a desire to create something meaningful.

One of the key aspects of the game's success is its business indicators. According to Kim, the goal was to create a game that could be loved for decades. The proportion of PC payments stands out, with approximately 40% of users accessing the game via PC. Despite being designed primarily for mobile, the preference for PC among RPG enthusiasts is stronger than expected.

User Engagement and Economic System

Another surprising aspect for Kim was the "overheating" of users. The game's design focused on early combat enthusiasm through events, leading to high combat frequency. Even with expanded gathering spots, they remain saturated, making balancing the in-game economy a key challenge. Kim found it rewarding to focus on revitalizing the economy rather than just selling products.

The freedom inherent in historical themes is a core driving force behind the game. By using history as the subject matter, developers can implement their vision without worrying about original creators' opinions. This flexibility allows for a unique approach to game design.

Kim also emphasized the importance of his favorite style—raising multiple characters and driving fun through management. This format has been a significant part of the game's identity, allowing for a deeper engagement with the content.

Differentiation in the MMORPG Market

Producer Kim has a clear perspective on the homogenization of the current MMORPG market. He argues that differentiation is disappearing because the formula for success has become too obvious. His reasoning for not following trends is based on personal enjoyment. He uses the analogy, "You shouldn't run a Chinese restaurant if you don't eat Jajangmyeon yourself." This belief ensures that the game is enjoyable for both the developer and the users.

The game's structure includes the ability to switch between macroscopic and on-the-ground perspectives of a strategy simulation. This feature allows players to experience both the broader context of the Imjin War and the emotional aspects of individual battles.

Authenticity and Historical Verification

The game captures the progression from the early stages of the Imjin War to the Battle of Noryang. It objectively covers not only the battles that were lost but also the respective viewpoints of the Ming Dynasty and Japan. This approach involves layering a fictional story on top of historical facts, making the narrative more engaging and plausible.

Historical verification plays a crucial role in the game's authenticity. With access to vast amounts of data through the internet, YouTube, and wikis, the development team can cross-reference information effectively. Kim emphasizes the importance of the team studying and researching directly to fully internalize the material.

Appeal to New Generations

Will this game appeal to the new generation of users who are unfamiliar with the 'Imjinrok' or 'Geosang' series? Kim expresses confidence, citing several reasons. The game is primarily mobile-based, designed to be managed by logging in briefly, intentionally reducing complexity compared to previous titles. Additionally, the current generation has a higher sense of pride in their own history and culture, which can serve as an attraction rather than a barrier to entry.

Economic System and User Communication

The economic system in the game is another area of focus. When in-game prices fluctuate, Kim personally appears on live broadcasts to explain the situation and discuss response strategies. This structure resembles how economic officials address interest rate fluctuations. Kim describes this as feeling like "running a small administration."

His stance is that while the basic principle is market autonomy, minimum safeguards are necessary. He has established exchange price limits, similar to the upper and lower limits of the stock market. This decision stems from the judgment that, unlike the real-world economy, tighter checks are required within the game due to unknown user identities.

Community and Organizational Impact

PD Kim conducts live broadcasts once or twice a week and directly manages the game. He said, "As I communicate directly with users, I came to consider what gift I could give them today before making business judgments." This direct communication fosters a sense of community and trust.

Red Ginkgo Games intentionally reduced development and marketing costs. This decision was based on the judgment that investing massive marketing expenses would lead to a vicious cycle where those costs would eventually have to be recouped by inducing first-month payments. The company uses Daiso as a benchmark, a model where word-of-mouth continues thanks to reasonable prices and quality.

Future Developments and Expansion

Currently, naval battles are handled directly on the field without switching to a separate encounter screen. As the importance of naval battles far exceeds expectations, the developers face the challenge of enhancing the appeal of land-based content to naturally encourage users to disperse.

There is a growing demand from multiple users to gather ships and engage in large-scale naval battles. Producer Kim stated, "We are planning raid content where multiple users lead ships to fight large-scale fleet battles against AI or other users, but a specific schedule has not yet been determined."

The direction of updates for the time being is focused on depth. The focus is on refining existing elements rather than blindly piling up new ones. Given the significant number of users complaining that "there is too much content and it is overwhelming," improving convenience and supplementing the safeguards of the economic system are the immediate top priorities.

Expanding the World of Imjin War

Regarding concerns that the subject matter of the Imjin War might run dry, Producer Kim presented various avenues for expansion. Beyond the overall flow of the war, it is possible to include episodes that focus on specific events such as the Battle of Haengju Fortress or the Battle of Myeongnyang, utilize detailed themes like the Porcelain War or prisoner stories, and even expand the era to the Manchu Invasion of Korea.

The myths, legends, and folktales of Joseon, Japan, and the Ming Dynasty can be naturally integrated into the worldview, and elements of international trade, such as exchanges with the Ryukyu Kingdom (Okinawa) or European merchants, are also being prepared.

New Projects and Future Plans

The upcoming title 'Jindallae' is an RTS spin-off game derived from the Imjin War worldview and is currently in the research and development (R&D) stage. We aim to release an official version supporting multiplayer sometime next year, and we are developing it exclusively for PC, given the nature of RTS games where the true enjoyment comes from busily manipulating both the mouse and hotkeys with both hands.

The difficulties in monetization and securing a user base inherent to the RTS genre are realistic challenges. However, Producer Kim explained, "The recent advancements in learning AI technology, which allow AI players to excellently compensate for the lack of users, have served as a solid foundation for this endeavor."

We plan to further accelerate the development of 'Jindallae' once the service for 'Imjin War: Counterattack of Joseon' is on track and stabilized.