`Seal-Online` Story-01(works 2003~2004)

Actually, before writing this development story, i hesitated for a long time.
To others, it could be nothing special.
But I could say like my game development history was divided with times before developing "Seal-online" and times after.
As much as that, the Seal-online is special game to me.

At first, I think i have to explain about the online game market circumstance in South Korea at that time and Grigon Entertainment which is a game development company.
In the late 1990's, South Korea encountered financial crisis and many economic policies performed by a government for overcoming this crisis. 
So by the overcoming endeavor, a venture fever was expanding in South Korea.

In game market of South Korea ,Starcraft of Blizzard and Lineage of NCsoft were a big hit at that time. And pc package game market almost fell and on-line game market rose by supplying of an information superhighway.
As a result, many people who was unemployed by financial crisis of South Korea started new business with internet cafe. And this circumstance made that many people started a new business with game development company.
So in the early 2000's, too many games were released. But the genre of released games was limited to RPG mostly. It was cause that a big hit of Lineage and Diablo inflated that.
But most of released RPG game failed in online game market. So game development companies tried to be different with other games.
In this circumstance of online game market. Grigon Entertainment released to the public Seal-online which has traits of cartoon rendering, combo system, gag concept and cute graphic.

Grigon Entertainment which develop Seal-online founded in 1998. And the company scouted `Mira space` and `Garam and Baram` company which were excellent game development companies.
And they were recognized with outstanding game development company after opening Seal online in 2003.
Finally, Seal-online was a hit. And it succeeded commercialization.
And they tried to develop other genre games while a stable service of Seal online. action RPG, sports and adventure game for X-Box 360, etc.
And they developed FusionFall through collaboration with Cartoon network.
But these games were not big hit or drop on the way of development.

So as a result. financial problem happened in Grigon Entertainment.
They tried to recover by selling the all copyright of Sealonline and Seal package game to the other company. But unfortunately. The company had to close in 2009 after 2 years since I left there.

`Ark Online` Story(works 2003)

There was a common saying in South Korea`s game developers field for a long time.
It was sci-fi games are failed certainly in South Korea.

Indeed, most game which was very popular in abroad could not succeed in South Korea or it was welcomed from only several maniacal users although Starcraft series of Blizzard was big hit.

So it used to be talked between game developers like this.
'Starcraft is just the Starcraft."
The word means it was not succeeded reason that the Starcraft was sci-fi genre.
That`s because Starcraft`s system and balance was excellent.

Anyway, most South Korea game development directors and leaders did not want to develop sci-fi game.
Because of this situation of South korea

Nevertheless, Digital Dream Studio which was my first company started to develop a sci-fi game in 2001.

The game was Ark On-line

But as i wrote in last posting, the company was failed in winter of 2002(that time, I worked for X-core team)
So, I had to be out of the company in 2002.
But I was suggested to join in Ark Online team soon from a former co-worker in the meantime, I was looking for new company.
They had reunion for completion of this game after Digital Dream Studio was failed.
I accepted the suggestion gladly because I had been impressive about this project from a long time ago.

Actually, this game`s base setting was an animation that Digital Dream Studio was making at that time.
According to my memory the view on the world was very interesting.
This world was on the back of very great robot`s god and the content was to look for one girl who could work the robot.

Full 3D animation `Ark`

But to conclude, unfortunately, I had to be out the company again, I could not take any pay for three month and the company also failed
Therefore, there was not many works Which is worth to put on my blog.

Currently, in meantime, I arranged Ark Online`s works, it was happened a desire suddenly which was to add and adjust design little bit on second image.

So i adjusted the design like this.

This is Ark online`s screenshot in 2003

`X-core`(John Woo Action Game)Story-03(works 2002)

This was Dyaf`s secret laboratory Which was final stage of this game.

I designed more than the half amount of laboratory`s place and object.

By the way, At that time, My company failed because of financial difficulty.

Therefore, unfortunately, this project also dropped at that time.

I like Sci-fi and action game, So although This game`s time setting was near future, I liked this game and I was proud that I participated in this project.

If I could develop again a game among those I could not complete games, I would want to select a this game

A Warehouse of the laboratory

A underground of laboratory

A underground of laboratory`s back side

A control device of laboratory 

A lobby of laboratory and elevator`s inside

Objects of laboratory-1

Objects of laboratory-2

Objects of laboratory-3

Objects of laboratory-4

Objects of laboratory-5

B block of laboratory`s inside wall-1

B block of laboratory`s inside wall-2

`X-core`(John Woo Action Game)Story-02(works 2002)

The church stage of X-core provided a new experience to me.
At that time, My art director demanded gothic style church. but I did not have knowledge of that.
so I went Myoung-dong church that is most famous gothic style Building in South Korea on weekend. And I sketched the building inside and outward form while participating a worship.
Because it was difficult to search suitable pictures through a internet at that time.

The outward form of Myoung-dong Church

The inside of Myoung-dong church 

So, I drew the church of X-core like this.

Inside of the church

stained glass of the church

An outward form

As you know, there is not a dome in a gothic style building.
But a design team demanded this.
it was the reason why the inside of dome was a stage`s boss place.

The inside of dome(baptism place)

Alex who was main character of X-core was attacked from a helicopter of outside.
So i had to design the rather unreal form`s building.

This is 3D data image which was made by co-worker at that time.

`X-core`(John Woo Action Game)Story-01(works 2002)

Sometimes regrets remain while developing games. This XBOX project was one of them in my memory.
This game`s title was X-CORE, But members of this project called the title `John Woo Action`. Because this project collaborated with John Woo who was very famous movie director in the world.
I worked for this project as main environment concept and props designer for the first time.
So I was proud of participating in this project.
But in the winter of 2002, my company which was Digital Dream Studio had to close because of financial difficulty.
Therefore, unfortunately, this project was also dropped at that time.

This game system was similar with Devil May Cry by Capcom and Max payne by Remedy Entertainment.
And the time setting of this game was near future.
Dyaf Which is a secret terrorist organization is situated in a movie studio DMS. So in order to defeat Dyaf, Zygot was established by government.
Alex who is a main character of this game is a member of Zygot. He infiltrated into the movie studio DMS in disguise as an actor for examination of Dyaf`s plot.

This gmae starts on ths base story.
This game consist of five places. Movie studio, church, factory district, grounding aircraft and secret laboratory.
But this project was dropped after making three stage(movie studio, church, secret laboratory)

These are images which drew of the movie studio DMS


 Inside of movie studio

Inside wall

Movie set moving equipment

Ceiling of movie studio

 Main control device

Camera and lighting of future

Forklift of movie studio

As you can see, the graphic form of this game is completely different with `Hammer boy` which is my former project.  I had to adapt a new graphic form. At that time, this was a big challenge. But at this time, I think it became my big asset.

This is 3D data image which was made by co-workers at that time.

'The Hammer Boy' Story-05(works 2001)

Basically, game concept artist role is visualizing formal plans or director`s talks into images through concept artist`s imagination.

And the visualizing`s direction is managed by art director.

So, it is difficult to draw the suitable visual image at a time with the direction of art director.

So, sometimes concept artist has to draw many times with one theme.

Therefore, concept artist has to be open minded about retakes of art director.

I think these images is good examples.

These images are captain`s room of flying ship as cut scene of `The Hammer Boy`

I drew a luxury room at first.

But art director wanted it to be like in the normal room of a ship

Finally, i drew this captain`s room until satisfying art director(top`s work is final confirmed image)

By the way, I remember that captain`s room was very simple case

In order to get three buildings confirmed I had to draw about twenty buildings of `Sleeping city stage`.
But this was a good case. because these three buildings appeared in the game.

These are flying ships and I had to draw also about twenty ships as idea sketch at that time.

But I could not satisfy the art director.

So these flying ship did not appear in the game.

Sometimes, It happens to concept artist in game develop process.

Then, I shall close my story of `The Hammer Boy` while releasing several contents.

This video is funny content which breaking into the captain`s room because of  a collision of other flying ship after Mangchi fell into captain room.

In this video. you can see a sailor pooping.

Like I wrote before, I feel that the quality of drawing is so low after looking at these images which I drew in 2001. So I`m not confident to put these images on this blog. But these have become an important part of my history as concept artist and this game is my first game which I participated. So I am proud of this game.