I was in veil for quite some time. I've been testing a long time ago, but it's hard to say it's a good game at the time. The development period was also quite long. The first announcement is the NC Soft Media 2008. At the time, it was released under the name "Metal Black: Alternative" and the game itself was quite different, but it has been developing for nine years.
I had a lot of shoulders on my shoulders. Mobile games have been announced occasionally, but NCsoft has been quiet in the PC online market for a while. MMORPG has been created steadily, but MMORPG is not a customized game that suits the taste of PC gamers recently. Naturally, MXM's shoulders were forced to become heavy.
And MXM showed up. It was not in Korea, but in the United States. NCsoft would have opened something first in the US because there would be something. Can MXM and NCsoft become new leaps? In Irvine, a little further down in LA. NCsoft visited North America branch. Three people in charge of the MXM service came into the conference room. There are only three Americans talking about games of Korean developers. It's a little unusual, but there's no one better suited to telling a game in North America. So the story began. How is MXM going now?
From the left, "Julian Hart", "Sean Olivokowski", "Dihedri Harris"
Q. Nice to meet you. May I ask you for your brief introduction first?
DIEDRY: Good morning! I'm Deirdre Hollis. People usually call it DD, and online they use a nickname called Sunshine. I'm working as a community manager for MXM. It has been three years since I worked at NCsoft.
Sean: I'm Sean Orlikowski. I am working as a brand manager for MXM and I have worked at NCsoft for the seventh year. I usually analyze marketing and feedback about games, and I also work as a spokesperson for game brands.
Julian: It's Julianne Harty. I work as a manager to manage e-sports areas for all NCsoft products, including Blade & Soul and MXM.
Q. First, I would like to ask why MXM was first served in North America. Is there any reason to serve a game developed in Korea first in North America?
Sean: I'm glad to see that games made in Korea first appear faster in North America. The reason why I started the service first in North America than in Korea was the game characteristics of MXM. MXM is a collection of various genres into one game. In addition to the basic 5 to 5 MOBA, there is a PVE mode similar to a dungeon crawler RPG, and a 3 to 3 PVP mode.
Dungeon crawlers PVE mode is always a popular genre in North America. Of course, MOBA is also going to be 5 to 5. I wanted to measure their interest in how North American gamers think that these various genres were merged. I also thought it was a good opportunity for Western gamers to show us a variety of options.
Q. So, is not the service for other areas other than North America been decided yet?
Sean: Of course I have plans to serve in other areas. North America is the first country in the world to launch, and we are gathering and delivering feedback from North America to further refine MXM. Specific news about the launch in other regions will probably be announced in your area in the future.
Q. I think there have been a lot of opinions since the launch. What feedback do you usually get?
Sean: I had lots of good feedback. Once, many users told me that they felt fresh about action-driven gameplay. I left a good impression on the 5-to-5 mode as well as the basic operation that moves with the WASD key.
DiDerry: Many users are interested in the tag feature to replace the master. I was also interested in the ability to align nodes for each master and upgrade weapons. The freshest idea for users is the Dredgion Bridge, a public community space used by all users. Here people talk about various topics about games.
Sean: In addition, the public community space was one of the hardest features in the MOBA genre games served in North America. Most of the MOBA games just exist with the launcher, and communication takes place through the friends list. And when the game is over, I go back to the launcher again. We wanted to create a space where users could see each other and talk. If you create such a social space, users will make fun of it. They boast skins, or dance to music. It was a pretty spectacular sight for us.
Q. What is the focus of the current service process?
John: We're getting a lot of community feedback. It's actually a bit of a hassle. We have to balance both PVE users, PVP users, and hardcore users while balancing the game. Now we are just launching the game and I think it is important to discuss the feedback of all the people we have received with Korean developers. Is it possible for a developer to know the opinions of the users so that they can further refine the game accordingly?
Q. When e-sports manager came together, it seems that e-sports of MXM is also considered, but what is the possibility of e-sports?
Julian: MXM is a great game for making e-sports because of its competitive nature. A simple 5 to 5 game (using the Titan Ruins battlefield) could be enough e-sports, but we're seeing more. As far as e-sports are concerned, they are just as competing as competitors in the game. In other words, the audience should also have fun. The game aspect of MXM makes it easy to find fun. It is a wonderful thing to see the mastermind tagging the battle down to the point of death and barely overtaking the fight. For Western gamers, including North America and Europe, I think MXM can be a prospective e-sports game. Q. What is the focus of the current service process? John: We're getting a lot of community feedback. It's actually a bit of a hassle. We have to balance both PVE users, PVP users, and hardcore users while balancing the game. Now we are just launching the game and I think it is important to discuss the feedback of all the people we have received with Korean developers. Is it possible for a developer to know the opinions of the users so that they can further refine the game accordingly? Q. When e-sports manager came together, it seems that e-sports of MXM is also considered, but what is the possibility of e-sports? Julian: MXM is a great game for making e-sports because of its competitive nature. A simple 5 to 5 game (using the Titan Ruins battlefield) could be enough e-sports, but we're seeing more. As far as e-sports are concerned, they are just as competing as players in the game. In other words, the audience should also have fun. The game aspect of MXM makes it easy to find fun. It is a wonderful thing to see the mastermind tagging the battle down to the point of death and barely overtaking the fight. For Western gamers, including North America and Europe, I think MXM can be a prospective e-sports game. Q. What is the focus of the current service process? John: We're getting a lot of community feedback. It's actually a bit of a hassle. We have to balance both PVE users, PVP users and hardcore users while balancing the game. Now we are just launching the game and I think it is important to discuss the feedback of all the people we have received with Korean developers. Is it possible for a developer to know the opinions of the users so that they can further refine the game accordingly? Q. When e-sports manager came together, it seems that e-sports of MXM is also considered, but what is the possibility of e-sports? Julian: MXM is a great game for making e-sports because of its competitive nature. A simple 5 to 5 game (using the Titan Ruins battlefield) could be enough e-sports, but we're seeing more. As far as e-sports are concerned, they are just as competing as players in the game. In other words, the audience should also have fun. The game aspect of MXM makes it easy to find fun. It is a wonderful thing to see the mastermind tagging the battle down to the point of death and barely overtaking the fight. For Western gamers, including North America and Europe, I think MXM can be a prospective e-sports game. We are getting a lot of community feedback. It's actually a bit of a hassle. We have to balance both PVE users, PVP users and hardcore users while balancing the game. Now we are just launching the game and I think it is important to discuss the feedback of all the people we have received with Korean developers. Is it possible for a developer to know the opinions of the users so that they can further refine the game accordingly? Q. When e-sports manager came together, it seems that e-sports of MXM is also considered, but what is the possibility of e-sports? Julian: MXM is a great game for making e-sports because of its competitive nature. A simple 5 to 5 game (using the Titan Ruins battlefield) could be enough e-sports, but we're seeing more. As far as e-sports are concerned, they are just as competing athletes in the game. In other words, the audience should also have fun. The game aspect of MXM makes it easy to find fun. It is a wonderful thing to see the mastermind tagging the battle down to the point of death and barely overtaking the fight. For Western gamers, including North America and Europe, I think MXM can be a prospective e-sports game. We are getting a lot of community feedback. It's actually a bit of a hassle. We have to balance both PVE users, PVP users, and hardcore users while balancing the game. Now we are just launching the game and I think it is important to discuss the feedback of all the people we have received with Korean developers. Is it possible for a developer to know the opinions of the users so that they can further refine the game accordingly? Q. When e-sports manager came together, it seems that e-sports of MXM is also considered, but what is the possibility of e-sports? Julian: MXM is a great game for making e-sports because of its competitive nature. A simple 5 to 5 game (using the Titan Ruins battlefield) could be enough e-sports, but we're seeing more. As far as e-sports are concerned, they are just as competing athletes in the game. In other words, the audience should also have fun. The game aspect of MXM makes it easy to find fun. It is a wonderful thing to see the mastermind tagging the battle down to the point of death and barely overtaking the fight. For Western gamers, including North America and Europe, I think MXM can be a prospective e-sports game. Is it possible for a developer to know the opinions of the users so that they can further refine the game accordingly? Q. When e-sports manager came together, it seems that e-sports of MXM is also considered, but what is the possibility of e-sports? Julian: MXM is a great game for making e-sports because of its competitive nature. A simple 5 to 5 game (using the Titan Ruins battlefield) could be enough e-sports, but we're seeing more. As far as e-sports are concerned, they are just as competing athletes in the game. In other words, the audience should also have fun. The game aspect of MXM makes it easy to find fun. It is a wonderful thing to see the mastermind tagging the battle down to the point of death and barely overtaking the fight. For Western gamers, including North America and Europe, I think MXM can be a prospective e-sports game. Is it possible for a developer to know the opinions of the users so that they can further refine the game accordingly? Q. When e-sports manager came together, it seems that e-sports of MXM is also considered, but what is the possibility of e-sports? Julian: MXM is a great game for making e-sports because of its competitive nature. A simple 5 to 5 game (using the Titan Ruins battlefield) could be enough e-sports, but we're seeing more. As far as e-sports are concerned, they are just as competing athletes in the game. In other words, the audience should also have fun. The game aspect of MXM makes it easy to find fun. It is a wonderful thing to see the mastermind tagging the battle down to the point of death and barely overtaking the fight. For Western gamers, including North America and Europe, I think MXM can be a prospective e-sports game. The game aspect of MXM makes it easy to find fun. It is a wonderful thing to see the mastermind tagging the battle down to the point of death and barely overtaking the fight. For Western gamers, including North America and Europe, I think MXM can be a prospective e-sports game. The game aspect of MXM makes it easy to find fun. It is a wonderful thing to see the mastermind tagging the battle down to the point of death and barely overtaking the fight. For Western gamers, including North America and Europe, I think MXM can be a prospective e-sports game.
Q. What are your current efforts to create MXM's e-sports culture?
Julian: First, we applied Observer mode at launch. Observer mode is essential for watching other people's games and it is very helpful for the community to open a small contest or to create an atmosphere for e-sports. I saw a similar case in 'Blade & Soul' and now I am looking through MXM.
Many are excited about the opportunity to compete in new games. But they need a stage to start a systematic approach to this game. Several community groups wishing to host the competition have already asked us for help, and I think the Observer function will help them. Of course, the effort we are making in e-sports does not end with observer mode alone.
Q. The developer is in Korea, and the service is in North America. Are there any inconveniences in the community?
DIEDRY: We have a very good teamwork team and always communicate with Korea. We have producers, and there are producers and developers in Korea. Every two days we are meeting and communicating in any way every day. MXM is always a priority project, and collaboration with the Korean team is seamless.
Sean: In a way, I'm lucky to work with you on the other side of the globe. After we sort out what we need to do during the day and deliver to the development team, it's time for them to start their day with Korean time. The development team starts working on the feedback we give. And when we go to the office the next day, we are waiting for answers to new builds, updates, and solutions to our problems and questions we have. Distance does not make communication difficult. Rather, I have a 24 hour team that I can go back to.
Q. Is there an offline event for North America's gamers who enjoy MXM?
Sean: Community users who want to host their own tournament have contacted us. We fully support the activities that the community wants.
DIEDRY: We are actively encouraging community-led activities. And the MXM community is very interested in games and very active in recommending to others. If the community comes along, we will provide ideas and support for them. There is passion, but there is no know-how. Later, we plan to host our own events and competitions, but now we want the community to go ahead. Community users who wanted to host their own tournament were contacted. We fully support the activities that the community wants. DIEDRY: We are actively encouraging community-led activities. And the MXM community is very interested in games and very active in recommending to others. If the community comes along, we will provide ideas and support for them. There is passion, but there is no know-how. Later, we plan to host our own events or competitions, but now we want the community to proceed with the week. Community users who wanted to host their own tournament were contacted. We fully support the activities that the community wants. DIEDRY: We are actively encouraging community-led activities. And the MXM community is very interested in games and very active in recommending to others. If the community comes along, we will provide ideas and support for them. There is passion, but there is no know-how. Later, we plan to host our own events or competitions, but now we want the community to proceed with the week.
Q. There are holidays and national holidays in each region, and there are national events. Do you plan to organize special events for each region?
Sean: In fact, gamers are more satisfied with the quality of skins and decorations than with certain holidays or national events. If it's a really cool skin, it's not necessarily Independence Day. This does not mean that the Independence Day event is held in the United States alone, but if the content you prepare for any holiday or anniversary is cool, it will be well received in any area. MXM is a global game, with players in every region in mind.
Q. MXM is a mixed-genre game, but it still feels like a work by an Asian development company. Was there any difficulty in overcoming the emotional disparity that could be somewhat out of line with Western gamers?
Sean: There was no difficult process. MXM is a work created by us and the Korean team. We received feedback from various regions through testing and made the best decision based on the feedback we received from users around the world. I can not say that the development team is great. It is not easy to turn this much feedback into a cohesive game. The development team has done well so far. Users in North America love MXM and I think they will continue to love it.
Q. As of the official release of the game, what is your goal as a service team?
DIEDRY: From a community standpoint, It captures attention so new users can continue to enjoy the game. We need to provide the best experience and always communicate with them. It's not really easy. We collect all the feedback and communicate it to the developer so that they can think about it. What users want is not always a good experience for them. Even if there is something you want in the short term, it can hurt gameplay if it is added to the actual game.
In the long run, they will help secure the core user base and help them enjoy MXM in a variety of ways. For example, there will be an e-sports tournament. Our top priority is always to help players and fans enjoy MXM.
Sean: We are in the process of preparing a number of content updates for gameplay. We will add about 6 to 9 new masters each year, and we will show new skins and new PVE mode in the next few months. Starting next month, we will start a 5-to-5-rank game pre-season so gamers can experiment with how to play games in regular season. For example, there will be an e-sports tournament. Our top priority is always to help players and fans enjoy MXM. Sean: We are in the process of preparing a number of content updates for gameplay. We will add about 6 to 9 new masters each year, and we will show new skins and new PVE mode in the next few months. Starting next month, we will start a 5-to-5-rank game pre-season so gamers can experiment with how to play games in regular season. For example, there will be an e-sports tournament. Our top priority is always to help players and fans enjoy MXM. Sean: We are in the process of preparing a number of content updates for gameplay. We will add about 6 to 9 new masters each year, and we will show new skins and new PVE mode in the next few months. Starting next month, we will start a 5-to-5-rank game pre-season so gamers can experiment with how to play games in regular season.
Q. I'm talking about gameplay, MXM is a game that seems pretty difficult for beginners. What are your efforts to make new users adapt to the game?
DIEDRID: MXM has a fairly comprehensive in-game tutorial. In the game, you can see a lot of information through tooltips. Through our collaboration with the development team, we've put a lot of effort into intuitively reaching gamers with the variety of signals and HUDs they see in-game. For example, if you press the exclamation point in the UI, a new tab or window will open allowing you to access multiple content, allowing you to access other PVE and PVP modes. Titan Ruins offers two tutorials to help you learn the game systematically.
Sean: Outside the game, I uploaded a series of videos that allowed new users to see and learn. 'Meet the Master' series features characters, strengths and weaknesses, fake methods and tips. The new series, 'How to be a Master', takes a closer look at the more specific MXM features such as 'Node' and 'Titan Incanate'. It also plays games with users every week through live broadcasts. We know that MXM can be inevitable because of the combination of various characters and combinations.
Q. PVE and PVP play are balanced, Are all of these elements required? Do those who want only PVPs have to make PVE content as needed?
Sean: Not at all. There is only one thing that is relevant, but only if you collect the necessary elements to unlock some characters. But those masters can also be bought through 'X Coin', and you can get X Coin just by playing the game. Nothing must be done. No matter what mode you play, you can get free money to buy your character by earning experience and raising the level. Even if you only play mini-games all day, you get the experience and the money to buy the characters. We do not force certain modes.
Q. I would like to ask the players who are currently enjoying MXM and those who are thinking about playing MXM.
Sean: I'd like to tell the gamers thinking about playing MXM (laughs). If there was something in common with the press tour, reporters and users, MXM would have a very different feeling when playing it and when it was not. It is a game to give. Many people think it's just another MOBA to us, but it's a much more fun game than we thought.
DIEDRY: In addition, MXM is not just a MOBA. If you have very large PVE content and you do not like PVP content, you can enjoy the game. MXM has far more elements than simple MOBA. There is also in-depth RPG content for those interested in RPG. MXM is a free game anyway. If there are any hesitating people, I would like to tell you to try it yourself.