If focus on the West, do it right
It is certainly great to read or hear that Asian MMORPG developers want to increasingly develop their upcoming games with an eye toward the Western market. However, this should also mean that the Western version is not treated as an appendage that is always a few steps behind the original version of the respective home market.
The trailer for ArcheAge Chronicles:
This includes:
- Concurrent testing phases, launches, and update releases worldwide.
- Sensible localization for the major languages.
- Globally easily reachable contacts/platforms for support, community questions, update info, and so on.
In parts, Amazon Games has done this reasonably well as a publisher for Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty. However, the versions adapted for the West still possess too many of the aforementioned peculiarities that have gradually driven Western players away from the servers.
It is not enough to simply find a large publishing partner from the West. One must also deliver a version of the game to such partners as NCsoft, Netease, and Co. that possesses the foundation to achieve sustainable success here.
