Interview: Jonathan Belliss, Product Manager For Perfect World International
The open beta for Perfect World International, Perfect World Entertainment's free-to-play Chinese Mythology-based MMORPG opened a couple of months ago, and frankly, we find the concept of releasing a Chinese Mythology MMORPG in the west a rather mystifying concept, considering how alien the themes and stories are to most gamers here.
As a result, we decided to talk to Jonathan Belliss, Product Manager For Perfect World International, about why they chose to release the title here, as well as go into depth on the title's development and design.
Perfect World was originally a Chinese MMORPG. Why bring it out internationally?
Jonathan Belliss: When Perfect World hit the free-to-play scene in China, it created quite a splash, really setting the standard for many other free-to-play games to follow. Local success soon became global success, and we decided that it was time to let the Americas have a taste of Perfect World.
While the game’s origins are definitely Chinese, its outreach definitely transcends ethnic and cultural boundaries; sort of like really good Chinese food. And trust me, you’re not going to find a place that serves a meaner free-to-play dish than Perfect World International.
But is it not a rather a difficult sell? Aren't the Chinese mythology themes rather obscure from a western perspective?
JB: I would have to disagree on this one. Quite the contrary really, as I believe that having a game that stems from Chinese mythos is an easier sell to our audience. The whole dragons, minotaurs, fairies, orcs and elves has been hashed and rehashed over and over. How about something fresh? How about something new?
Part of the fun in an MMO is running around and exploring the world. Personally, I’d much rather explore a mystical world full of adventure and lore that I’ve never been acquainted with rather than the same mythology that’s been spun one too many times.
How was the title developed?
JB: Perfect World was developed in China several years ago. The engine was developed in-house, and the first iteration of the game was actually subscription based. After being released in China and receiving critical acclaim, the company made a conscious decision to convert the game to a free-to-play model, and it has experienced phenomenal growth ever since.
How much work are you doing to make it understandable for a western audience?
JB: We have done a tremendous amount of work in order to make Perfect World International more understandable for the Western audience. This list includes countless hours of work done by our localization teams as well as our QA teams.
The game’s fun factor lies in its content, which we didn’t have to modify too much for the Western audience. Though slight adjustments were made, we kept the majority of it the same.
Other than by theme, how does the world differ from other MMORPGs?
JB: There are so many unique features that really accent Perfect World International and make it stand out amongst a lot of other free-to-play games in the market. Of course one of our most prevalent features is our character customization system. Just like any other MMORPG we offer a list of templates for players to choose from, but these templates are merely starting points. After selecting a template you can go in and customize every single aspect of your face. You can sculpt the bridge of your nose, or the shape of your eyebrows.
Are there any unique socialization aspects?
JB: Players can socialize through a number of features in Perfect World International. Players can join parties up to a size of six; they can also form guilds. In guilds, they can compete against other guilds to own territory within the game world. These territory wars are huge 80 vs. 80 battles that include the use of siege weapons, and building of defenses or towers.
How is the game design balanced with the free-to-play/microtransaction design?
JB: Just like any other free-to-play game, Perfect World International sells a large variety of cosmetic items that are primarily related to your visual appearance. Now in terms of statistical bonuses or functional items, the real bonuses of these items are really not that substantial. There are of course items that make the game more convenient, but by no means are they necessary in order to enjoy the game. This is one of the core design philosophies behind the cash shop -- just because a user spends money, it does not mean that they should have a decisive advantage over someone who does not. Ultimately, the cash shop’s purpose is to balance the playing field between those that would have more time to spend vs. those that have more money to spend.
Another feature that really makes our game unique from other micro transaction based games is our Auction House. Players can purchase micro transaction currency and then go directly to our auction house and sell that currency for in-game coins. This has two primary functions: one is to make our cash shop more accessible to non-paying users; the second is to cut out the middle man and shut out gold farmers.
How popular was the title in Asia?
JB: Perfect World International has over 50 million players worldwide with a large chunk of that population residing in Asia. In terms of micro transaction payments there, I can say that it is doing very well.
How do you see it doing in the west?
JB: I see big things for Perfect World International. It’s no secret that the MMORPG market has been experiencing tremendous growth thanks to games like World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XI. Parks Associates recently conducted a study and found that 14% of gamers currently not playing MMORPGs would be interested in playing them if they could for free, while only 2% of gamers from the same group were interested in playing an MMORPG requiring subscriptions. So while we are definitely interested capturing the existing Western free-to-play market, there is definitely a larger market that we’re hoping to introduce to the concept of free-to-play.
