And I RAN, I RAN so far away...
Alright that was pushing it a little I know. But, MMORPG.com
has an interview with Steve Tsao, President and COO of IP Interactive about
RAN Online:
Steve Tsao and his company are had at work importing RAN Online to the North
American market from its Korean-roots. RAN Online is an MMORPG set in a contemporary
university setting with a distinct anime-style.
MMORPG.com: Lately we’ve seen a lot of MMORPGs being imported from Asia
to a North American market. One of the biggest hurdles is simple translation.
How have you addressed this to make sure RAN is accessible to the North American
market?
Steve Tsao: My background in gaming is from the United States, so I am very
particular about the quality of translation for the English speaking market.
The Philippines is the third largest English speaking country in the world.
The translation for RAN Online will be done in the Philippines, unlike many
of the other games which are done by an automatic Korean to English translator.
In fact, the #1 reason for our close beta process is to refine the English
for RAN Online
MMORPG.com: The game is of an anime-style, but the setting is contemporary.
This is a hole in the MMORPG market right now. What are some of the challenges
with this setting?
Steve Tsao: RAN is the most successful modern day MMORPG in the world today(000k++
of PCU’s throughout Asia). The players are faced with challenges they
may encounter in real life. Instead of delivering a new set of magical armor
to the dwarf guard tower, the players are tasked with quests such as clearing
the school yard of bullies, or helping the teacher clean up the school. The
challenges are showing the players this is a fun and exciting environment,
even without the dragons around every corner that they’re so used to.
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