We find out a bit more on the latest massively multiplayer online game to make its way to the West from South Korea.

There's no doubting the appeal and influence of massively multiplayer online games nowadays in the West, but in terms of numbers, we're still a long way behind South Korea. World of Warcraft may boast 8 million subscribers, but Ragnarok Online has 25 million worldwide.

That game's creator, Hakkyu Kim, has since created a new title, which is soon to be published in the US and Europe by K2 Network. Sword of the New World (Granado Espada in South Korea) is set in 17th-century Europe and is based on historical events surrounding the exploration of the Americas. To find out more about the title and what we can expect in terms of gameplay, we took some time out with Grantley Day, vice president of product development at K2 Network.

GameSpot UK: Asian MMOs rarely find mainstream success in Europe. Why do you think Sword of the New World Vis will buck this trend?

Grantley Day:Sword of the New World Vis's multicharacter control, which is a concept familiar to hardcore gamers who love titles like Neverwinter Nights 2, will help players appreciate how revolutionary the title is, and we believe this will be one of the key factors that will help Sword of the New World Vis: Granado Espada buck this trend. Second is the visual appeal. Often Asian MMOs lack the finesse of western MMOs; however, Sword of the New World Vis is an amazing-looking title, and players will notice this the minute they enter the world.

GSUK: Who are you aiming Sword of the New World Vis at? Players of other MMOs or people who haven't yet been bitten by the MMO bug?

GD: Sword of the New World Vis is aimed squarely at people who are familiar with MMOs. The pace of the title is fast, the diversity is massive, and the skill required to play starts easy and ramps up as you get more acclimatised to the concept of playing a team of characters with the multicharacter control. No doubt there will be people who haven't yet been bitten; however, we don't believe it's our target market.

GSUK: How does cooperative play work in Sword of the New World Vis, given the multiple character control system?