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THE INTERVIEW
Through my translator Andrew Lin, I asked the IGS floor representative to speak with the game designers of Fong Shen. Almost as soon as we had asked we received, as he told us to wait while he scurried to introduce us to Kau Yang and Lover Lin, producers of IGS’s online and arcade divisions respectfully.
Seeing that we could not hear each other, we decided to go upstairs which would have been simple enough had it not been for the gauntlet of Taiwanese gamers we had to pass through. In the 7 minutes it took us four strangers to walk about 250 yards were brutalized but bonded. We were literally but lightly panting as we made it to the escalator, on which we got a good look at the beast we had mastered.
JH: Hen chao! (So noisy!)
KY: Hen duo ren! (So many people!)
Chuckling, we made it up to the second floor and into a restaurant closed to the general public. Over some tea and cakes Insert Credit interviewed Kau Yang about Fong Shen and none other than Lover Lin about Rock Fever and Arcade Cabinets. We then fielded questions they had on American gaming, the differences between American and Taiwanese gaming, and the state of gaming in general. This Q and A session was given in Guoyu, the standard Mandarin Chinese of Taiwan.
Kau Yang: Producer, conceptual designer of Fong Shen.
Insert Credit: Who did you have in mind when you created Fong Shen?
KY: First and foremost, the Taiwanese gaming community was kept in mind in so the theme of the game was chosen from Chinese history. There were originally 3 themes for the game: Romance of the Three Kingdoms (San Guo), Journey to the West, and lastly Fong Shen. Too many people had done Three Kingdoms, and so the decision was between Fong Shen and Journey to the West. I suggested Fong Shen which was ultimately chosen.
IC: What do you think are the advantages or disadvantages that Fong Shen faces in the Taiwanese market?
KY: Its Chinese theme, which is important to the gamers here and in mainland China.
IC: How long did it take to create?
KY: Three and a half years.
IC: Wow, that’s a long time.
KY: (A knowing nod and expression that seemed to say, “you’re telling me”)
IC: What was the inspiration for the game in regard to the game engine and aesthetic?
KY: Fong Shen’s gameplay was intentionally different from the standard style of Korean PC Online game, which is based on a Diablo engine and uses Western landscapes. So while this does not offer anything groundbreaking, it is our own proprietary system.
Aesthetically, the IGS artistic house did it all on their own, and we established a theme that was purposefully cute. Again, this was done with the tastes of the Taiwanese gamer in mind. We didn’t want it to be like Diablo.
The architecture juxtaposes the classical Chinese architecture with that of the modern or avant-garde style. It's cool.
IC: What makes the gameplay unique?
KY: The gameplay is complex in that it incorporates a set of gods that accompany your main character, which is a human of 4 different professions, Warrior, Medicine Man, Sorceress, and Bannerman. The gods derive from extensive research into Chinese mythology and history, and give your character magical powers that vary according to the god.
IC: That’s very cool, so there are a variety of combinations that give the gameplay a lot of complexity.
KY: Right, during combat once you take a hit, the god also takes damage, and after a certain number of hits he will leave you, stripping you of your magical powers.
IC: Sounds awesome, but why do they fight?
KY: The story of Fong Shen features two warring religious sects, but the actual game play takes place 200 years after the great war between these sects.
IC: Recently, some online games in Taiwan and S. Korea utilize a real-time, 24/7 online network? Is this true of Fong Shen?
KY: No, Fong Shen runs on set times. So your character only changes when you are logged on.
IC: Internationally, Japanese and then American videogame developers garner the most respect among the gaming community. As a Taiwanese game developer, how do you feel in the eyes of the world?
KY&LL: Working at IGS we have always been low-key, and we’re comfortable with that status and our position here.
KY: One thing that I should mention is how the videogame industries are distinct within East Asia. South Korea and Taiwan are the newcomers in the East Asian gaming scene. South Korea is a latecomer, later than Taiwan, yet the government subsidizes the capital required for the game developers, which is an advantage. In Taiwan it’s more purely capitalistic without government subsidies. In Japan, they have schools to teach all elements of game design and production. The producers usually know something about programming as a result, whereas in Taiwan the programmers and producers are separated in their skills. Programmers are technical while producers like us are the creative minds. Without these comparative advantages, our projects take longer to realize.
IC: You mentioned your audience in Mainland China, is that the main source of revenue for IGS?
KY: No, we actually make more money in Taiwan, not so much in the PRC because Taiwan has so many more online PC users. We’re expanding into the PRC in August.
IC: Have you received the go ahead for a sequel or another online project?
KY: Nothing from the top yet, but we do have ideas and plans. Right now we are working on expansion packs, which will add more gods and professions.
IC: Hsieh hsieh, thank you very much Kao, we look forward to playing and reviewing Fong Shen.
KY: Gracious nod and smile.
Lover Lin
Lover Lin: Producer of IGS’s arcade projects.
IC: Hello Lover (restraining urge to grin).
LL: Hello
IC: First of all we at Insert Credit are big fans of yours. You have a substantial hardcore fan base in the US, so much so that your games are targets for emulation. Any plans to expand?
LL: There are two ways we can expand into the United States. First we can directly create a PC version of our arcade games. Or we can go directly to America with the cabinet.
As for the emulation, there are over 200 IGS arcade games but very little emulation because our protection is very good, but also because the hackers realize that our company could not survive with emulation.
(Editor’s note - listen to the man, don’t put him on the streets!)
One game that might enter into the US market is Gladiator, a 4 level fighter using hand to hand but mostly weapon combat.
IC: If Taiwan is so online gaming oriented, where do the sales from the cabinets come from?
LL: There are only a few arcades in Taipei, say in Sogo mall, but most of them are south of Taipei.
IC: How does Rock Fever compete against games like Beatmania?
LL: Rock Fever is competing well against Beatmania because BM is more complicated and uses ambient and techno pop that Taiwanese gamers aren’t really into. Again IGS designs with the Taiwanese and PRC (People’s Republic of China) market in mind, so we play music that Taiwanese gamers are accustomed to. In Taiwan Beatmania and similar Japanese cabinets are waning in popularity. Rock Fever EX Solo is only 70 percent complete though, so it’s still got a little ways to go.
IC: Cool, well let me ask if there are any questions you may have for us?
KY&LL: (Glance at each other with mutual smile) Yeah.
LL: (Wry expression) Why is Mortal Kombat so popular when King of Fighters is not?
IC: Actually, King of Fighters really is popular, but I know what you mean, Mortal Kombat gets a bigger name and reputation because of the violence. America has a much more violent popular culture than Taiwan. Are you guys big fighting fans?
LL: (Nods his head and talks directly to me) You like Capcom?
IC: Oh yeah, well, I loved Street Fighter 2, and then the series slid quite a bit. The Alpha series is great, you know Alpha?
LL: (Fervent nod and smile) Yes.
Editor’s note (Bear in mind we didn’t quite speak the same language, or know what name we had for the games we mutually loved. It was cool to see we both had a bonafide love of the games)
IC: Yeah, I didn’t like EX series.
LL: A different team worked on that series.
IC: True!
LL&KY: Which console is the biggest in America?
IC: Playstation 2, then Gamecube and XBOX at a close tie for second. Do you play console games or online PC games more?
LL: Well we grew up with console games, so we’ll always have a very special connection with them.
IC: Us too. Which RPGs are your favorites?
LL&KY: Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy.
IC: What do you think of the Enix and Square merger?
LL: (\Reluctant sigh and shaking of the heads) It’s all because of the bad economy these days.
LL: (Looking at this watch) We’ve got to go now, we have another appointment.
IC: Thanks so much guys,
LL: Wo shi gao xing.
KY: He wants to tell you that he’s very happy.
IC: The pleasure is mine.
AL: Hey, he says if you want to avoid the crowd, go around the crowd on the edges, and then hook in.
KY&LL: Wave goodbye and take off for the IGS booth.
We then walked out of the restaurant and fled across the hall to avoid the bill. Fortunately, we didn’t have to pay anyway, but it must have been funny to see this odd couple run across the second floor of the Taipei World Trade center. Life is beautiful.
Click here to visit IGS’s website. Also check out Josh's review of IGS' Rock Fever EX Solo and impressions of Fighting Club.
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