Game Market 1983

Chapter 79: The Mantra Computer

"Dragon Emblem? But this...?"

The reason Mr. Ito was so surprised by the familiar Dragon Emblem logo was one thing.

Is this the Korean version?

"This? Is it really in Korean, just like it says on the package?"

"If you have doubts, give it a try."

With slightly trembling hands, the store owner inserted the cartridge into the family's console.

Yuki, with a puzzled expression, looked at the TV screen with the Dragon Emblem cartridge that had come out of my bag. After a moment, when she saw the phrase "Dragon Emblem" in Korean under the familiar title logo, Mr. Ito exclaimed as if he were about to faint.

"It's... in Korean!! It's in Korean~!! Am I dreaming right now?"

Seeing the store owner jumping around like a little child, I also felt like I was repaying the kindness of my childhood.

In fact, thanks to this store owner, I discovered the true joy of the Dragon Warrior series and even received "Ys 2 Special" for free, claiming it was a game he had made, though looking back, I wonder if I unknowingly beta tested it for free due to bugs during gameplay.

"I was a little disappointed that the fact that the creator of Dragon Emblem is Korean wasn't known, and they didn't release it in Korean. But seeing Dragon Emblem in Korean like this feels refreshing. But did you do the Korean localization yourself?"

"Of course..."

I replied to the store owner and then, after briefly looking at Yuki, slowly continued, "Because I made Dragon Emblem."

However, the first to react to my response was not the store owner but Yuki. It seemed that she was able to interpret short sentences somewhat due to her study of Korean.

"What did you say!!?"

"Junhyuk made Dragon Emblem for real?"

"Yes, it's true. Sorry for keeping it a secret."

"Then, did you clear the game all at once during the event back then?"

"Well... since I designed the levels, I could clear it one way or another."

"Oh my goodness."

Yuki stared at me with a vacant expression, and the store owner had the same reaction.

"Are you really the developer of Dragon Emblem?"

"I'm sorry for the late introduction. My name is Kang Junhyuk. Currently, I work for Mintendo. The most recent game I released is..."

"Psych Battle?"

"Yes, that's right. You seem to know it well."

"But I didn't know it was a game made by a Korean developer from Mintendo! I even went through the trouble of buying this title all the way in Japan!! Oh my goodness... how can someone like that visit our store... Wait, let me find a pen to get an autograph..."

The store owner, in an excited voice, started looking around for a pen and paper.

"Uh, you don't have to go that far..."

"By any chance, are all thirty cartridges inside Dragon Emblem?"

"Yes, that's correct. Localizing Psych Battle was challenging, which is why it's not in Korean."

"I see. That's a bit disappointing, but just the fact that Dragon Emblem is in Korean is a blessing. But is this by any chance the character deletion system...?"

"Of course, it's in there, but it's a new model with the ability to recover data using the cartridge itself."

"I see. But how should I purchase this?"

"In fact, I didn't come to see the store owner for a used purchase transaction."

"Then...?"

"Store owner, do you happen to have any thoughts about trying your hand at the first-ever game publishing in Korea?"

"Publish...? What do you mean?"

...

My plan was simple.

First, I would work with the owner of the Mantra Computer store, who had some childhood connections, to initiate the first game publishing business in Korea.

Game publishing involved localizing games released overseas and reselling them for the Korean market, and at that time, Korea's gaming industry was struggling due to a surplus of developers, with little hope of success even if games were localized.

Korean gamers had to play games in Japanese, and at best, some were able to enjoy English-subtitled games. It wasn't until the Super Family era that Korean-subtitled games like "Taekwondo" or "Dragon Ball Super Butoden 3" made their first appearances. So, the store owner's heartfelt reaction to Dragon Emblem being in Korean was far from excessive.

"So, are you suggesting that we localize games from Japan and release them in Korea?"

"Yes, that's correct."

In fact, this idea was not my own; it was a business model that the store owner had thought of in 1991. Back then, a group of amateur developers in Team Mantra, which was more like a programming hobby club, had obtained the license for the game "Princess Make" from Kainakis in Japan and successfully localized it.

"Actually, Junhyuk, although not as skilled as you, I have some younger siblings who know how to program."

Yes, I had come here with those programmers in mind. I quietly listened to the store owner's words with a sly smile. Yuki, who didn't understand Korean, seemed to sense that we were discussing business and quietly waited for me to finish.

"To be honest, the business you've proposed is interesting, but there are some concerns."

"What concerns do you have?"

"First, the Korean market is the issue. The market itself is in poor shape, and even if we localize games, we can't guarantee that they will sell as well as expected."

"Of course, I'm aware of that."

"In such a situation, do you think there's a software company that will readily offer licenses to us?"

"At least one place."

"Would it be Pentagon Soft?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Come on, you're joking, right? A company that sold 1.5 million copies in Japan and the USA, the creators of Final Frontier, would they really offer licenses to Korea, where it's uncertain if even a thousand copies will sell?"

"I have some connections with high-ranking people at Pentagon Soft."

"No matter how high-ranking they are, I doubt they would provide support to that extent..."

However, the store owner, who noticed my smile, asked with a hopeful expression.

"Do you happen to know the CEO?"

"Well, it's similar."

Actually, I am the CEO...

Yuki either didn't understand our conversation very well or was puzzled, as she alternated glances between me and the store owner. But now the store owner's expression had shifted from surprise to fear.

"You don't have to worry about the capital for the business. I can support it until we gain enough recognition."

"That's right. Last night, my late father said that good things would happen in his dream, is something like this really happening..."

The rest of the conversation went smoothly.

The store owner decided to recruit developers he knew and gather experts.

"If things go well, can we potentially sign contracts with other companies besides Pentagon Soft? For instance, with Phoenix and their Dragon Warrior series, or Capcom and their Ys series?"

"Of course, it's possible."

If you offer enough money, there's nothing that can't be done. Money is the solution to everything in this world.

Although it would be a considerable financial burden, I wanted to make it happen, even if it meant overcoming some difficulties.

I wanted to realize the Korean localization projects for many masterpieces I enjoyed in my childhood.

Perhaps with this small action of mine, the future of the gaming industry could be turned upside down...

"So, where should we start now?"

A new beginning is accompanied by excitement and anxiety. The store owner asked me with a slightly trembling voice.

In reality, Mantra Soft, created by the store owner and his colleagues, disappeared from the gaming industry in 1998, after the release of "Princess Make 3" due to illegal copying by Korean users.

In the end, his hopes that good games would be recognized by users were shattered after several disappointments. Since then, I couldn't find the store owner anywhere.

After briefly glancing at the store owner's face, I spoke up.

"Do we currently have any game magazines in Korea?"

"No, if you mean PC magazines, we have those, but there are no dedicated game magazines yet."

Well, to the best of my knowledge, the first game magazines in Korea only started appearing in the 1990s, so it might be a bit early for that...

But conveying accurate information to gamers is precisely the role that modern media should play.

Let's start from there...

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