Chapter 160: The Arrival of the White Devil in Korea - (1)
The gaming industry in Korea experienced rapid growth from the release of the legendary "" (Shingum) in 1987.
While Japan and the United States saw gaming industry growth through console market developments, Korea's expansion was fueled by the proliferation of PCs. However, due to insufficient legal restrictions on illegal game software duplication, even outstanding masterpieces crumbled due to poor sales.
What's even more chilling is that almost anyone with a PC at that time had experienced these underperforming game software titles, making up at least half of the user baseif not a thirdwho could've purchased genuine games, potentially preventing the collapse of Korea's packaged game industry.
"Arc Tonesia Story" remained a sad memory for me, contrary to its cheerful and grand story.
The illegal replication of games was largely attributed not to consumers but to the retail stores responsible for intermediate distribution at the time. Driven by immediate gains, they recommended illegal copies to users instead of selling legitimate ones.
When I first saw the introduction of "Arc Tonesia Story" in a famous PC magazine during my childhood, I thought Korea had finally released a masterpiece comparable to Japan's Dragon Warrior or Final Frontier.
No, I dare say it had better graphics and gameplay than Japanese games of that time. The "Symbol in Count" battle system, transitioning into a simulation RPG system upon combat initiation by encountering monsters in the field, was a groundbreaking combat style, combining two genres.
The moment I witnessed a knight riding under the blue sky, starting his journey through the open plains in the opening scene, I stood frozen in front of the game store.
"I can't believe such a game exists."
It wasn't just about console games. Moreover, it was in Korean, a language I could understand. It sent shivers down my spine just at the touch of my fingertips.
But there was a problemI didn't have a computer back then.
Not just me, but none of my friends had one either. Computers were luxury items, especially the 286 PC, costing around 2 to 3 million won per unit, a substantial sum by the standards of that time. Moreover, the internet wasn't widespread, limiting a home PC's capabilities to basic graphic work and simple document tasks.
Despite the government's efforts to install computer labs in every school nationwide and promote the proliferation of PCs with the slogan "One PC per Household" as part of Korea's future development in technology, a single PC was still more expensive than the monthly salary of an average office worker.
Yet, despite the exorbitant cost, there weren't many things one could do with a home PC, making it almost as extravagant as a gaming console in the eyes of adults. And buying such an expensive item for an 11-year-old kid like me? Well, we weren't rich.
Still, I somehow managed to scrape together enough money to buy the "Arc Tonesia Story" game package. Unlike the usual family software, the package was huge, resembling a thick spellbook from a fantasy world, with an impressive illustration of a personified sun in the middle.
I did buy the game package against all odds, but I couldn't play the game. I vividly remember poring over the manual inside the package until I turned 13 and finally had the chance to try it out.
However, when I finally played the game after hoarding it like a prized possession for two years, there was another obstacle waiting for methe never-ending stream of bugs.
Particularly severe were the bugs that hindered battles in the simulation RPGsometimes enemies or even my character got stuck between trees, rendering movement impossible. Some events even crashed to DOS as soon as they began, making every moment of gameplay nerve-wracking.
There were moments when I forgot to save, and if the game froze or crashed, I felt an intense frustration that made me want to punch the monitor.
"Did they fix all those bugs?"
&
The next morning at work, Hayashi approached me.
"Sir, this game is incredible. Despite it being a demo version, the quest to retrieve the stolen sacred staff and the unique battle system resembling an SRPG are captivating. I thoroughly enjoyed playing it. However..."
I felt uneasy and interrupted Hayashi's last words.
"However...?"
"It's a mess of bugs. I'm skeptical if they've done enough debugging..."
I had a feeling...
"But if they can just fix those bugs properly, I believe it has the potential to be a great game."
"Really? Team Leader, can I give it a try too?"
With Hayashi's strict praise, some of the development team members began showing interest in "Arc Tonesia."
Eventually, during a calm morning, the second development team copied the demo version of Arc Tonesia and enjoyed playing it together.
"This is fun, isn't it?"
"Especially the character Passman? It's so hilarious! I'm loving this anti-piracy vibe."
"Hehe. Oh, these scattered humor codes in between suit my taste."
Indeed, a good game transcends borders.
Moreover, Arc Tonesia's gameplay was easily digestible on the handheld device Laon, if not more immersive than when played on a PC.
That afternoon,
During lunch with Kawaguchi, I brought up Arc Tonesia, sent from Korea's Mantra.
"If there's such a great game, why not release it on Laon?"
"But, there are some technical issues. Given the poor development environment, it's somewhat challenging to commercialize a console version."
Unlike patchable PC games, bugs in console games could be fatal. If a bug halted the story progress, it might lead to recalling all the sold cartridges.
In fact, during my time at Mintendo, I've witnessed several instances where a company sank due to a recall caused by an unplayable bug.
So, I made up my mind.
"Kawaguchi, could I take a short trip to Korea?"
"What!? No, Junhyuk. I understand work, but what about the wedding?"
Oh... right. I got carried away with old memories and didn't realize the wedding is just two weeks away...
>
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