Running Many Games at Once: A Survival Playbook

At a recent game‑development conference, the head of a major Korean studio shared why his company keeps several projects alive at once. He emphasized that this isn’t a clever strategy but simply a way to stay alive in an industry that never stops moving.

The Origin of the Philosophy

• Early Lesson: In his youth, he played an old online game where grinding for a rare item taught him the satisfaction players feel from reward systems.
• Core Idea: What matters is the underlying idea of reward, not copying a single quest.

Korean vs. Western Development Models

• Korean Reality: Online titles often live long after launch because teams must continuously add content and fix balance.
• Result: A new project can’t wait until the old one finishes—otherwise, releases would be years apart.
• CEO’s View: Running many projects is a necessity for growth, not a portfolio trick.

“Genre Mix” Explained

• Not Experimentation: The mix is less about trying new styles and more about applying lessons from role‑playing games to other types.
• Shared Core: Even shooters or niche titles share core ideas of player growth and long‑term motivation.

Market Dynamics

• Shift: The market now favors smaller, passionate audiences.
• Risk: Big blockbusters require huge budgets; niche titles face high failure rates.
• Strategy: Parallel exploration helps the studio learn what works and what doesn’t.

Leadership Style

• Role: The CEO acts as a guide, not a do‑er.
• Approach: Sets broad goals (target audience, service strategy) and lets production teams own day‑to‑day decisions.
• Trust: Believes that trusting people is key to keeping multiple projects moving smoothly.

Collective Knowledge

• Benefit: When one team solves a problem, others can learn from that solution instead of repeating the mistake.
• Outcome: This collective knowledge becomes a company asset, even if it means some inefficiency.

Resource Management

• Challenge: Centralizing functions (e.g., UI design) can cause bottlenecks when many projects need the same team.
• Solution: Keep each project relatively independent to avoid competition for scarce resources.

Broader Industry Perspective

• Diversity: The world has grown, and gamers’ tastes are more varied than ever.
• No Single Formula: Success requires learning from real play, not ready‑made answers.
• Need: The industry’s biggest need is experience.

Closing Thought

The current trial and error feels painful, but it builds a better future for game makers everywhere. The more projects they run now, the richer the knowledge pool will become later on.