Pearl Abyss Expands Beyond Black Desert

Since the launch of Black Desert Online in 2014, Pearl Abyss has been closely associated with its flagship MMORPG. However, the company has been working to expand its business, establishing offices in North America and Europe, and launching Black Desert Online on consoles and mobile devices. Recently, Pearl Abyss announced plans for three new games: Crimson Desert, DokeV, and Plan 8. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz at the Game Developers Conference, Pearl Abyss North America CEO Jeonghee "JJ" Jin explained the reasoning behind this expansion. "All products have lifecycles," she stated. "We believe Black Desert can continue for ten or 20 years, but we wanted to create new and interesting IPs." The company also believes in the power of content, and instead of acquiring third-party titles, they focused on creating their own IPs that could serve the company for years to come. Crimson Desert, initially conceived as a Black Desert sequel, has evolved into a game with an original storyline set in a separate world. The gameplay will also differ from its predecessor, with a focus on single-player-driven gameplay. When asked about the decision to focus on single-player games, Jin replied, "We don't have a philosophy about whether games-as-a-service is better or not. We pursue games as a community, whether single-player, multiplayer, or MMO. Games bring players together to form a community around the content." The company learned a lot from Black Desert's live operations and hopes to apply those insights to new titles, creating better ways to serve the community. DokeV is another departure for Pearl Abyss, an open-world action adventure that draws comparisons to Pokémon and targets a broader audience than Black Desert. The game's name is derived from dokkaebi, mythical tricksters from Korean folklore. Given Pearl Abyss' global aspirations, Jin was asked if she noticed an increased appetite in the West for media and stories rooted in other cultures. She replied that incorporating Korean folktales and culture into the game was a natural decision, although it raised some concerns. "There were voices of concern that nobody would understand it, but we can tell that story and make them understand because it's an interesting story," she said. Jin remains optimistic about the gaming industry, citing its diversity and the fact that different titles become big hits every year. She is also unconcerned about declining consumer spending on games, pointing out that metrics often overlook adjacent elements like YouTube or Twitch streaming. "The market is getting very diverse," she stated. "15 or 20 years ago, it was easier to predict where the market was going. Now, we see different titles become big hits, and MMORPGs that were niche are becoming bigger than at launch."