The CEO of Smilegate, the developer of Lost Ark, confirms that the new MMORPG will also be released in the West. One of the reasons for this is the new strict regulations against video games in China.
What happened? During the celebration at the Grand Hyatt Hotel for the upcoming launch of Lost Ark, Smilegate’s CEO, Kwon Hyeong-Bin, gave a speech. In it, he officially confirmed for the first time that the developer is working on plans to release their new MMORPG in Europe and the USA.
The CEO did not say when Western fans will gain access to the game. However, he emphasized that Lost Ark should come to the West in an “advanced” or “matured state”. This means it will have to leave at least the open beta phase, which it is currently in.
Why is the decision happening now? Smilegate hinted months ago that they are considering bringing Lost Ark to the West and are observing the market. However, there have been no concrete, definitive confirmations until now.
As one of the reasons for his decision, the CEO mentioned the current changes in regulations in the Chinese market. Since early August 2018, the “State Administration of Radio and Television” in China has imposed strict rules regarding the release of new games in China. This authority is also responsible for the approvals of games in China.
According to the official statement from the Chinese government, these regulations are intended to protect children. This includes, for example, strict limits on daily playing time or denials of licenses for game releases in China.
Why is the Chinese market so important for Smilegate? It is not surprising that Smilegate is getting nervous in light of the new laws. Over 80% of the developer’s total revenue comes from their earnings in China. Lost Ark was a game that cost the developer Smilegate a lot of money and time. It was worked on for seven years and is estimated to have consumed approximately 90 million dollars in development costs.
Therefore, the developer company wants to now turn its attention to the global market and the countries in North America and Europe with Lost Ark, the CEO said in his speech. He believes that Lost Ark has all the necessary elements to be successful globally.
Meanwhile, Korean players are enjoying the open beta of Lost Ark:
Long-awaited MMORPG Lost Ark finally here – This is how players react
