easy to say today lost ark It’s always going to be a huge success in the West because it’s breaking everyone’s records. But before this success became a reality, fans were shouting that there was a market in the West for this amazing, content-heavy ARPG — and no one seemed to want to listen.
That is, until Amazon Games came along to take on the daunting task of localizing this massive game into four languages and launching it properly in the West. The gamble paid off, with Lost Ark quickly becoming Steam’s biggest release of 2021 — and its biggest ever — with 1.3 million concurrent players in just three days.
Setting aside some of the missteps that a launch of this magnitude is bound to encounter, The Lost Ark’s journey to the west begins with some caveats and unanswered questions. For example, The Lost Ark is only available in certain countries, not the usual list you’d expect when you think of a release in that part of the world.
The Lost Ark is also out of reach for some of the other countries typically lumped in with the EU crowd. The Middle East is completely out of the picture (including North African countries with good pings to EU servers), which are usually included in these releases.
We asked Soomin Park, head of franchises at Amazon Games, to clarify some of these geographies for us, and dive into their thoughts on some of the longest-running questions that many players have been dying to ask since Lost Ark launched.
“It’s a publishing rights issue; Smilegate RPG is the developer of the game and owns the IP, and Amazon Games is partnering with Smilegate RPG as the publisher of the Western game,” Park told us via email.
“This partnership allows us to bring the game to selected regions in North America, Europe, Oceania and South America, but does not allow us to release the game globally or in all regions where the game was not previously available.”
Considering Diablo 3’s console success — which itself inspired other, less popular ARPGs to jump in — the console’s fate of The Lost Ark remains a mystery. Neither Smilegate nor Amazon mentioned seeing the game’s potential on Xbox and PlayStation, and Lost Ark’s controller support on PC is spotty at best.
Park’s answer was elusive. “If Lost Ark on consoles is something fans really want, then I think it’s something both parties will consider!” he revealed.
Regarding Diablo, there’s always been this unspoken rivalry between Blizzard’s games and just about every other good ARPG game. Lost Ark was definitely part of that conversation, and the development team was aware of it before the game came to Westward. While Smilegate and Amazon didn’t comment on these comparisons, they know Lost Ark can fill a void in a rapidly changing market.
“We definitely think Lost Ark has a chance to establish itself as a major player, as evidenced by the game’s success so far,” Park said.
“One of the unique things about Lost Ark is the sheer amount of content that allows you to play as much as you want. If you just want to have a single RPG experience and beat the story, it’s easy to do so. A consistent aspect of the game is that the most important thing is , combat is designed to suit the needs of the player, whether you’re playing solo or in a team. Lost Ark definitely tickles ARPG fans’ minds, and also implements the MMO aspect so well that it appeals to the Kind of fans.”
Aside from ARPG combat, Lost Ark does have a wealth of features. Some of them are rooted in their MMO pedigree, while others are inspired by survival games. You can continue cutting trees, crafting, building settlements, and more. But do I have to do this?
“In Lost Ark, there’s a way for everyone to play, from experiencing the single-player campaign, character customization and class-based gear upgrades, to a deep storyline spanning the waters of Arkesia,” explained Park.
“New content updates are also released regularly. So yeah, if you’re here for the action and the fight, then you’ll be happy [with] Just the content of the story. But don’t be afraid to try some more MMO-focused features. “
The biggest question about Lost Ark’s transformation into a global game is why it took so long to get there. Park said Amazon knew the game was in high demand and saw an opportunity.
“The demand was there, Smilegate spent years refining and refining the core game experience, we worked together to adapt it to a whole new audience, and now millions of players are experiencing the game for the first time,” recalls Park.
More broadly, Park added, entertainment is no longer regional. The Korean media, in particular, has produced several hits globally over the past few years, and the game needs to catch up.
“I think there is a growing trend towards globalisation of content across all entertainment media, and the interest in international experiences allows us to experience cultures from all over the world,” they noted.
“Korean pop culture like music and TV is gaining popularity in the West. Gaming is a natural evolution of this trend.
“Action RPGs also have significant gaps – Lost Ark is best at giving ARPG fans what they crave, while combining the richness of a full MMO with social engagement and an ongoing end-game experience. Games require The best of both types of features turned into very compelling loops.”
If you’re still on the Lost Ark train (or you’re about to get on it), our Lost Ark Course Guide is informative on where you can get started and how to build them.