We are offering many more options to the North American players when they start the game. Each character class is going to have many costumes and outfits available for selection.
The title is being changed for the West to remove the steep entrance curve that exists in the game currently, and to change the flavor of the name to be more interesting to the western marketplace.

Jonric: Who is the developer, imcGames, when was it founded, and where is it located? What prior titles have the key team members created?

Hak Kyu Kim: In April 2003, Sae Yong Kim and I co-founded imcGames, which is located in Seoul, South Korea. Before that, we had established another online game company, Gravity, in 1998, and developed a big hit, Ragnarok Online, which succeeded globally, and led the online game wave in Asia. With the experience of Ragnarok to build on, Sae Yong Kim and I co-founded the new studio.
 

Jonric: When did development of Granado Espada begin, and in what markets is it currently available? How successful has it been, and why?

Hak Kyu Kim: The development of Granado Espada started in April 2003, at the same time imcGames was established. In February 2006, we started our open beta service in Korea. From then until the end of the year, we also serviced both the open beta and the commercial launch in Japan, as well as the open beta in Thailand.

Granado Espada was the winner of the 2006 Grand Award for Best Game in Korea. Gamers highly valued the creative game system and appreciated the beautiful graphics, the dynamic action, the fast-paced gameplay, multiple character control system, the NPC creation, etc.
 

Jonric: What leads you to believe the game can be successful in this hemisphere? What is being changed to make the game more suitable for western audiences?

Grantley Day: Once again, I will fall back to the main feature in Sword of the New World Vis, multi-character control. However, the game also has other features that will make it stand out in the western market. SNW has some of the most amazing visuals I have seen in an MMO - and not just another clone of a current MMO, but rather something that looks new and different. Check the screenshots out.

The primary changes to the title are in character creation. We are offering many more options to the North American players when they start the game. Each character class is going to have many costumes and outfits available for selection. We are also making subtle changes to the control scheme so that players who have been playing other MMOs will be able to slip into SNW's control scheme and feel "at home". Additionally, we are adding a significant storyline to the title and revamping the whole quest structure. I believe that the players of 2007 expect great stories and interesting quests when they play their games.
 

Jonric: What will your revenue model be? Do you intend to offer any alternatives to monthly subscriptions?

Grantley Day: This will be a separate announcement in the near future. K2 Network is currently working on the best revenue and price model for the title; it's going to be compelling!