Epic Games announced in October that it had signed its largest technology licensing deal to date in Korea with the addition of Neowiz to its roster of Unreal Engine 3 licensees. Neowiz started development on Bless in 2009. The MMOG team has grown to 150 developers who are creating a fantasy world with 10 different races on two opposing realms fighting for superiority. Epic opened its Korean office in 2009 and has signed smaller deals with local developers in the interim.
Analysis
Korea has represented a tantalizing market for game technology makers. There is a rich pool of MMOG developers making games for Korean and overseas consumers. Until now, most Korean developers have relied on cheaper solutions either made in-house or purchased from lower-cost game engine makers. By choosing Unreal Engine 3 Neowiz is signaling it is taking Korean MMOG development to a more competitive level. If the company can take the game beyond impressive visuals and capitalize on the complex framework that UE3 provides, Bless may be able to break away from the pack when it comes to how gamers outside of Korea view the MMOG. UE3 has a big enough brand cachet with core gamers that the mere use of the engine could encourage some players to give Bless a second look.
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