From fantasy, action to science fiction and adventure, 4:33 Creative Lab, a Korean mobile game publishing company, introduced a variety of mobile genre games for 2016 at its media event in Seoul on Tuesday.
With cinematic storylines and soundtracks, high-quality 3-D graphics and realistic sound effects of bullets and ancient sword fighting, a total of 18 games will be launched on a quarterly basis, starting with the long-awaited “Lost Kingdom” next week.
“Lost Kingdom” is a fantasy action role-playing game about an epic battle between gods and monsters developed by 4:33’s partner Factorial Game. It was first previewed last year at the G-Star gaming convention. Orlando Bloom, a Hollywood actor who starred in fantasy action trilogies such as “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “The Lord of the Rings,” is the model of “Lost Kingdom.”
4:33 CEO So Tae-hwan unveils the game company’s new business partnership platform for global growth at a press conference in Seoul. (4:33)
The company said its new games, which include action “Open Fire” and “Phantom Strike,” not only seeks to provide an enhanced entertainment experience to gamers but also ignite a “retro feel” of console games, and epic and stylish gun and swordfight ballet movies and animation.
“Shooting RPG ‘Special Forces’ by developer Dragon Fly will make players feel like they are playing a console game (of the 1980s),” Yune Kyung-ho, vice director of 4:33, told the press, noting that the game will be released in the second quarter of 2016.
Fantasy and action RPG “Red Stone 2,” for instance, will be like watching an animation, and players will have to implement distinctive and competitive strategies while playing “Phantom Strike” to battle evil forces through stylish gunfight action as seen from Hong Kong’s action auteur John Woo’s movies.
“These games like ‘Lost Kingdom’ seek to entertain players who can get a kick out of playing in groups in a highly competitive (virtual) environment,” Yune said.
Lee Han-soon, chief game designer of Action Square, which created blockbuster sword fighting hit “Blade” for Kakao gaming platform published by 4:33, will launch a new game version tentatively named “Blade of Three Kingdoms” by June.
“The purpose of this game is to push players to ‘challenge, construct, collect and conquer’ while facing an army of enemies alone through spectacular action,” Lee said.
“Phantom Strike” first-person shooter game. (4:33)
4:33 also unveiled its new business platform aimed at further strengthening its collaborations with game developing start-ups both at home and abroad.
Based on its previous hit games such as “Hero” by Thumb Age and “Blade” by Action Square made under a collaborative environment with its partners, 4:33 launched the “4:33 United” partnership platform to further spur investment in and development of a variety of genre and art games by local and foreign start-ups.
Under this “United” ecosystem, 4:33 will provide its expertise in technology, marketing, quality control, and financing and investment, while enabling its partners to concentrate on generating value through creative games for the global markets.
“Through this ecosystem, we will invest and create third, fourth Thumb Age and Action Square that can successfully create new games and compete overseas,” said So Tae-hwan, CEO of 4:33.
By Park Hyong-ki (
hkp@heraldcorp.com)
