Q. Please give a brief introduction to Neowiz, where you are currently working. (Work atmosphere, strengths, etc.)
Neowiz was established in 2007 and has left a considerable mark on the Korean game industry. Neowiz operate a famous game portal P-mang, and produce or service PC games and mobile games of various genres. There are also some of the leading game developers in Korea or executives from Neowiz. Neowiz is active in new challenges, and has been actively investing in indie game development and services. If there are students who are preparing for indie game development by starting a business, it would be a good way to consider providing services through our company. Neowiz has a corporate culture that emphasizes 'Work and Life Balance'. There is an atmosphere that does not notice the use of annual vacation. Also, there are remedies such as family days and recharge vacations, and even within the development team, horizontal communication and a transparent evaluation system are thier strengths. In my experience of working for 3 years, it is evaluated as a 'company that cares about its employees'.
Q. Could you tell us about the job you are responsible for and a moment when you feel proud while doing it?
I'm in charge of the combat planning. The main task is to plan various actions and directing, such as a character that the player directly controls in the game wielding a sword or using magic, and collaborate with the relevant departments that produce FX and animation, and edit the results of the work as editors or scripts. It is the role of assembling and composing through. As the game is currently in live service, it analyzes reports coming through the user community and applies countermeasures. Problems such as job balance are a part that users are sensitive to, so it is a task that has taken a big part in recent years. I feel thrilled when the class I planned (job in the game) can be played according to the initial plan, or when the newly updated skill receives good reviews, and when the new skill works as expected in the game.
Q. Do you have any attractive points of the job you are in charge of and know-how to develop your usual job-related abilities?
Combat planning can be seen as being in charge of the part that gamers directly accept as honorable mention because it envisions and creates the behavioral patterns and skills of the characters who can be called as the main character of the game. The fact that you can receive quick feedback is an attractive point as well as a burdensome part because the gamers react immediately. Combat planning for action games reflects the sense of action and know-how importantly. As a player, how do I feel about the content I create? It requires a lot of thought and research on how sensory parts such as speed and responsiveness will be accepted. Even if it claims to be a realistic action, it is often exaggerated from reality. It is more helpful to observe the expression and directing know-how of content such as movies and animations, including other action games, rather than reality.
Q. Do you have any personal goals or aspirations that you would like to achieve in the future?
It is planned to add a new character class for the project I'm currently in charge of. The process of creating a completely new class (job) in the game is a lot of work and burdensome because I have to reimagine every part from one to ten. I think. Personally, I have experienced system planning, level design, and battle planning until now, but in the near future, I have a desire to challenge myself in a completely new field of game planning or development management.
Q. Is there any memorable episode from your time at Chung Kang University of Cultural Industries?
Back in 2001, when I entered school, it wasn't the time when I could have access to such a wide range of popular culture contents as now. The cultural contents that I could come into contact with, when I first came to seoul from countryside, were game magazines, PC rooms, and comic books. In a media-related class at school, the professor showed the Japanese animation 'Devilman', and by my standards, it was a very violent video, so I got a culture shock that 'this kind of content also can be accepted by the public'. In a way, it can be said that it was an opportunity to broaden the scope of my perception. At the time, Chung Kang University of Cultural Industries had students from all over the country with a passion to create their own content.
Q. Lastly, would you like to say a word to the students who are studying for the Chung Kang University of Cultural and Industries, or juniors who are currently studying?
The planning stage is the beginning stage of creating a single content, and the hands of several people, including artists, programmers, and QA personnel, are added to the actual completion. Game designers, like conductors, must coordinate different opinions and actively respond to changing situations in the process of creating their own content. Keep in mind that delivering a plan is only a starting point, and actively communicate with fellow developers to progress towards completion. Your thoughts are not always right, but you should always have affection for your plans and your own games. Sometimes, when it gets to difficult times, affection diminishes. In times like these, if you look back on the days when you first aimed to become a game developer at Chung Kang University of Cultural Industries, you will be able to recharge your initial mind.
