Sudden Attack is a fast paced free-to-play shooter that has already captured the attention of a lot of Asian players. FreeMMOGamer shows you what all the fuss is about.

FreeMMOGamer: Please introduce GameHi to us.

GameHi is a game company found in 2002 that develops online games of different genre such as Dekaron and Sudden Attack, servicing in Korea and other countries. We focused on service within Korea until last year, but since 2008 we have been focusing overseas service with four branches abroad. Other than the two games, we are planning to introduce new games like Mechanic Action Metalrage.

FreeMMOGamer: Could you tell us about Sudden Attack’s achievements?

After starting the open service in 2005, Sudden Attack has been at the top of popular Korean games for about 4 years. There have been many FPS games before Sudden Attack, of course, but I want to point out something. Whereas FPS games were mostly played by manias before, Sudden Attack led FPS as a popular genre, having 1 in 4 people signed up as users.

Outside of Korea, we started service in Japan in 2006. Japan has such a strong market of console-based games. There was no market for online games, especially FPS genre. However, Sudden Attack newly established “Online FPS” genre in Japan, and has been the first in that genre. Currently, we are expanding our service to Taiwan, Vietnam, and even North America.

FreeMMOGamer: What is a strong point about Sudden Attack?

It’s not a game for manias. Anyone can play the game easily and enjoy playing it. We minimized the preparation process. We also chose server format that allows players to join a game that already started unlike other games. Also, we introduced the first underwater warfare in FPS game and introduced voice chatting. We update the game weekly with many features. Most of all, we pay attention to users’ opinions and we apply them to game patches and content developments.

FreeMMOGamer: There is a high number of female users?

Sudden Attack, unlike other FPS games in Korea, has high percentage of female users. Sudden Attack also has many e-Sport fans and players. There are female professional teams as well. They have participated in Taiwan launching promotion, and we constantly have female leagues, though on irregular basis. I think it’s due to Sudden Attack’s simplicity and action-filled content. We hope to attract users that were not familiar with the FPS genre before.

FreeMMOGamer: Games with optional fees are still foreign to North American users?

Making a game partially not free could certainly lower the learning curve for beginning users. This could contribute to expanding the user population. For example, games with optional fees that have been servicing in North America such as Knight Online or Maple Story have been successful. Unlike console games, I believe optional fees method is fitting to online games where there are constant updates. And Sudden Attack has the advantage in that part.

FreeMMOGamer: Please tell us about how items are organized in Sudden Attack in detail.

As for weapons, number 1 and 2 are primary weapons, number 3 is melee weapon, and number 4 is special weapon. Users can also purchase character items that decorate the character, or items that let users change his/her ID or reduce the respawning time. Since the game is in first-person perspective, users tend to show off their character to others rather than self-satisfaction. Sudden Attack’s item policy is not focused on weapons that directly influences the game balance, but rather is focused on convenience items. This lets beginning users to start playing without frustration, and it also allows longer game life cycle for users.

FreeMMOGamer: We heard Sudden Attack has many ways or marketing in Korea. Could you tell us a few?

Sudden Attack currently has absolute usages from people in their 10s-30s in Korea. We also have e-Sports tournaments using Sudden Attack and many promotions. This does not only limit advertising Sudden Attack itself, but creates new kinds of revenue.

For example, singer Rain, who is not only a top star in Korea but who also started his career in North America, comes out as a character in the game. Within the promotion period, his new song was used as the background music in the waiting room, and his face and the new albums appeared inside the game map. IGAs (In-game advertisements) feature not only Rain, but food/drinks or resorts. The IGAs effectively increase the revenue.

FreeMMOGamer: Is there a new business direction for GameHi?

Online games in South Korea have become more than just personal entertainment. Users meet new people within the game, and have been initiating a new culture. If there is enough number of users, an online game can be used as a new media or a tool.

Besides the star marketing I’ve mentioned above, there is a survival shooting game place in In-je, Korea, that reproduced one of Sudden Attack’s popular map, “Warehouse.” The Disneyland or the Universal Studios created a new industry based on their movies or animations. I believe this sort of movement could help establishing a healthy gaming culture as well as becoming a new industry in its own.

FreeMMOGamer: Is there anything that you are focusing in globalizing?

We prioritize technical aspects such as stabilizing the server. After that, we analyze the users’ play habits. We play the game with the users and analyze how the users play the game, and what items they mainly use. This analysis decides the future schedule and added contents, so it is important as well.

FreeMMOGamer: Please introduce GameHi’s new game to us.

We have mechanic shooting “Metalrage.” Unlike usual FPS which focuses on individual combat, this game focuses on team play among the 8-person team. The 8-person team does not perform a simple dogfight, but performs a strategic battle based on the formation and map terrain. Besides Metalrage, we are preparing Project H and Carcass Online. We’re planning to showcase exciting action-based games.

FreeMMOGamer: What is GameHi’s future plans?

Dekaron and Sudden Attack have expanded to 6 and 7 countries, but we still have long way to go. GameHi is managing four overseas branches including Japan, Taiwan, China, and North America. We’re planning to actively expand overseas from this year. Also, Metalrage that debuted in Korea this year is also going to be showcased to users abroad starting from Japan. Since mechanics games already have many fans, there is a high expectation for our game. We will do our best to present GameHi’s knowhow in its best form.