Netmarble to release Arthdal Chronicles: Three Factions this month

The game publisher will release its first title of the year amidst a new environment following the implementation of new rules to protect gamers.

Netmarble F&C producer Jang Hyun-jin, left, and Jung Seung-hwan, Netmarble’s business head, at a roundtable interview to discuss their upcoming title Arthdal Chronicles: Three Factions, at Netmarble's headquarters in western Seoul. [NETMARBLE]

Netmarble is on the verge of releasing its highly anticipated role-playing game, Arthdal Chronicles: Three Factions, its first game this year, arriving amid tightened local regulations on the industry’s loot box system.

The massively multiplayer role-playing game (MMORPG) is a joint project between Netmarble and production company Studio Dragon inspired by a TV drama series with the same title with a a star-studded cast featuring Song Joong-ki, Kim Ji-won, Jang Dong-gun and Kim Ok-vin.

It revolves around a power struggle to conquer the Continent of Arth between three factions: Arthdal, Ago and Atlaga. The game’s monetization strategy incorporates a feature known as the "loot box system," which is an in-game lucky draw purchased by players that may or may not be favorable to their gaming situation.

Korean game companies have been largely criticized by domestic gamers for their lack of transparency regarding the model. In turn, Korea’s antitrust regulator rolled out a set of strengthened rules last month requiring game companies to publicly disclose information regarding loot box items within the services of mobile and online games, such as the probability data.

After the policy went into effect, some game companies such as Gravity and Wemade faced backlash from gamers for updating probability data information that did not match what they’d previously disclosed.

“Arthdal Chronicles strictly adheres to regulations regarding probability-based items,” said Jung Seung-hwan, Netmarble’s business head, at a recent roundtable interview held at the company's headquarters in western Seoul. “All probabilities within the game utilize the same table on both server and client devices so that there are no discrepancies between the actual and disclosed probabilities.”

The original TV drama series came under fire when it aired in 2019 for its attempt at a large-scale fantasy genre that was still a novelty in Korea, receiving criticism for its plot settings and costume designs reminiscent of the hit HBO series “Game of Thrones.”

“We thought this intellectual property [IP] and the universe it created was the perfect narrative to turn it into a game setting,” said producer Jang Hyun-jin of Netmarble F&C said. “Some gamers may be first drawn to the game because they know the original TV drama, but we focused more on cultivating the gameplay to expand our user pool.”

For instance, a wider variety of options are provided for players who want to obtain in-game currency — which may be acquired through hunting, fishing and cooking.

“Players may earn in-game cash in different ways through different circumstances,” Jang said. “To attract more users, we put special focus on camaraderie and teamwork among players. The game is not just about warring; players may gain important items and compensation in dungeon quests and the player-versus-environment game mode.”

Game politics is another entertainment factor that the creators promote. A powerful player may want to become a field boss to lead an army in war and gain substantial wealth and authority to rule over allied factions.

“An interesting element in this game is that in order for a player to become the field boss, one cannot rise to the top solely through strength,” Jung said. “Instead, leaders are elected through votes from their faction members, so in order to win the hearts of their members, the candidates must win public support by helping out weaker players or by uniting the large and small guilds that would be on their sides.”

Arthdal Chronicles releases in Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau on April 24.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]