A very long time ago, well before history was recorded, the early humans lived alongside both spirits and dinosaurs. They learned to use the powers of the former to forecast the weather, alert themselves to danger and call the latter to fight at their side. Some even trained the creatures as pets, taking many types into their homes as companions. As one might expect, they all had their own personalities, ranging from cheerful to arrogant, calm, stubborn, optimistic, restless, brave and more. They also had different combinations of strengths and abilities. For instance, a hewbo did great damage in battle but was open to injury itself, a turtle excelled in defense and protecting party members and an ogros stood out for its special attacks. Owners could benefit from groups of beasts if they were all compatible enough to get along.

Stone Age 2 returns us to an era when primeval forces of nature such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and storms shaped the world. However, humanity wasn't helpless. When large numbers of people gathered together and exerted their powers in unison, they could turn inhospitable lands into verdant fields, and occasionally even receive gifts that mysteriously appeared from the sky. Developed by a Tokyo-based studio, DigiPark, the massively multiplayer game is the sequel to one that attracted a reported 11 million users in the Far East. The follow-up will be offered here in North America by regional publisher Aeria Games, which is currently taking applications from prospective beta participants. We've been watching and waiting to learn more for a little while now, so when the opportunity arose for us to question Producer Joshua "StoneAgeChiefJP" Bakken, we didn't hesitate to grab it.

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--Joshua Bakken: North American publisher Aeria Games' Producer
--Jonric: Writer

Jonric: To start with, was there a Stone Age 1? Who developed it, andwhat kind of game was it? When did it launch, and what degree of success did it attain?

Joshua Bakken: Oh yes, there was most definitely a Stone Age 1. Developed by DigiPark, and first launched in Japan in October 1999, it was pretty much a classic 2D RPG set in a prehistoric time with a modern anime look. The premise was basically going out and exploring the world while having some really cool dinosaur-type creatures as your companions.
Stone Age 1 subsequently launched in Taiwan, Korea and China. By March 2005, its registered user count had surpassed 10 million, and total sales reached over $260 million in 2006.

Some of the reasons I think the original Stone Age might have done so well could be:
- DigiPark's patented server technologies that allow low-speed, low-spec PCs to connect to the server stress-free;
- a charming watercolor- like graphics style not seen in previous games;
- the pet-training feature;
- pets send e-mail and items to their owners;
- the Charades system where players can communicate their feelings with gestures, not words;
- the UI feels very natural.

Jonric: As an introduction to Stone Age 2, what is its underlying premise? How do you see it being related to its predecessor?

Joshua Bakken: The underlying premise of Stone Age 2 is that you are a newly minted "Pal tamer" who is ready to leave his village and explore the world. Such individuals are special due to their ability to tame certain creatures and turn them into pets.

In relation to the first game, it actually takes place in a time before. However, it expands upon everything that made the original such a success - great art, pets and dialogue, fun adventures, mystery, danger... all that stuff. Another way it's related is that it expands upon the previous world and is now roughly four times larger in area.



Jonric: What would you list as game's high-level design goals, especially any that differentiate it from other titles, both current and upcoming?

Joshua Bakken: Regarding its high-level design goals, Stone Age 2 continues to expand upon the theme of communication - between players, characters and their dinosaurs, and even with people outside the game.

DigiPark actually describes Stone Age 2 as one big "communication tool" where all types are being pursued. For example, one new feature is that pets may write in diaries to express their feelings... and possibly send messages to your cell phone as well. We also have cameras that can be placed throughout the game to show players what's going on even when they're offline.

So, as you can see, while communication and interaction have always been big themes within the Stone Age franchise, they are greatly expanded upon now. They also help to differentiate this release quite well from any other MMO's out there today... and even those coming out in the foreseeable future.



Jonric: Please tell us about the developer, DigiPark. Where is it located, how long has it been around, and what else has the team created since its inception?

Joshua Bakken: DigiPark, Inc. is a Japanese company that was established in 1990. It's in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo now. In the beginning the studio developed a number of console games for the Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Game Boy and Game Gear platforms. It also made entertainment software for the PC.

Then, around 1996, DigiPark started to develop RPGs that made use of the Internet. The team's first MMORPG was called LifeStorm; it launched in Japan in early 1998. In February 1999, the company published LifeStorm 2, which subsequently launched in Taiwan. A little later that year Stone Age 1 was released; it became wildly popular in China and was soon made available in Taiwan and Korea.

DigiPark is constantly working to become a major global entertainment provider, and Stone Age is currently its flagship franchise.

Jonric: When did development of Stone Age 2 begin? Has it gone live yet in other parts of the world, and how successful has it been?

Joshua Bakken: DigiPark started developing Stone Age 2 in 2005. The game began commercial service in Japan, and DigiPark has since licensed it to other places like Korea and North America. The latter is the company's first attempt at bringing any of its titles to a market outside Asia, so it is really looking to us to make sure things go off without a hitch.

Both markets outside Japan are still in beta so it's still kind of early to discuss success. However, with all the new features in Stone Age 2, along with the increased online word of mouth, internet roaming and information sharing, DigiPark believes it will grab an even greater number of users than the first one... which was over 11 million.
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Jonric: What are your intentions with respect to commercial service in North America, the revenue model you'll use, and the core audience you're targeting?

Joshua Bakken: My intention quite simply is to make Stone Age 2 the number 1 casual game in the North American market. Like all of Aeria's titles, the revenue model will be based on micro-transactions. Players have the option to buy digital items for their characters or pets.

It's tough to say what kinds of gamers comprise our core target market because I don't really think we have one per se. The phrase kind of implies I'll only be targeting a certain segment of the whole video game market, but honestly, I won't be. I think this game has mass appeal greater than anything we've seen in North America in a long time... possibly ever.

Now as far as why I think Stone Age 2 will be attractive to a mass audience, that's easy. It delivers exactly what I feel such a market is looking for - something cute and fun with an easy sophistication and quality. Our game is a quality product. Once people experience it, they can immediately tell the level of care that DigiPark took when developing it.
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Jonric: What do you regard as the most significant market opportunities the game will address to become successful here?

Joshua Bakken: I think the main opportunity is the possibility of creating the next pop culture phenomenon. I have that kind of faith in it. It has a unique feature set that none other I know can compete with, and I really have no problem whatsoever envisioning a time when the majority of people who casually enjoy games, pets and cell phones will have their free Stone Age 2 pets sending them messages.

The perfect example to illustrate this is when I was telling a total non-gamer friend about Stone Age 2. To be honest, she wasn't all that interested until I told her that her pet could send her messages through her cell phone. Then all of a sudden she was like, "Wow, maybe I would like that... anything to get someone to send me another message". She was actually really excited about that feature. Mark my words, all it'll take is a few people to start showing off to their friends how they're getting messages from their cute dinosaur pets... and there you'll have it.

Jonric: Since it's the obvious question to follow the previous one, what are the main barriers you feel you'll have to overcome?

Joshua Bakken: As far as barriers to success go, I see two major ones: marketing and the glut of poorly crafted games flooding the market. In terms of the former, we have to start small and go viral. The key is delivering a high quality, casual, fun experience for every single person who comes in contact with the Stone Age 2 brand. It doesn't matter if they play for 20 minutes a week or for 20 hours; we have to show them quality, charm and fun. The good news is I think we can deliver on that.

The other barrier, the surplus of mediocre titles, works against us in our efforts to get people to try Stone Age 2 vs. the slew of other free to play releases out there. But on the other hand, I think that exact same obstacle actually starts to work for us once players start to experience our offering, and then compare it to whatever else they've seen. Right now, nothing in the casual space even comes close to what our game is going to offer... and it will even be free.



Jonric: Would you care to expand on why you believe this title has a better chance of succeeding here than other Asian imports?

Joshua Bakken: Ha ha. I like how you group us together with the "other Asian imports", and the fact that you did goes right to what I was talking about before. Like it or not, there is a perception out there that everyone and their mother is jumping on the free to play bandwagon and trying to get something out. And the way I see things, a lot of it looks the same; it isn't of the highest quality, and isn't geared towards the casual audience the way Stone Age 2 is.

So those are the main reasons why I think Stone Age 2 will succeed where those others may not. In the end, success will be about having a quality product and getting it out to a broad and welcoming audience. I feel the closer you can get to hitting that mark, the better your chances will be... and I think ours are very good.



Jonric: What's the overall setting in which Stone Age 2 takes place? How much of a backstory is there, and what's the nature of the central conflict?

Joshua Bakken: The overall setting for Stone Age 2 is a really cool, fairly innocent, pre-historic one. I love it. There's really no backstory or central conflict, so to speak. When you create a character, you get a little pet and from there, it's all about deciding what to do next. Do you adventure across the huge world? Train for duels? Go capture more pets? Breed them? Enter them in tournaments? Do you craft items? Party up with others? Form a guild? Customize your den? Do you seek out quests? What do you do?

Jonric: How would you describe the look or style embodied in the game's overall art direction? What's distinctive about it?

Joshua Bakken: Well, I showed a friend of mine, who happens to be a licensing pro, some of the Stone Age 2 stuff and he dubbed it "anime meets the Flintstones". And I actually kind of like that description. To me, the game looks almost hand-illustrated, and then painted with watercolor, which I think is quite distinctive. It's pretty awesome, and I think DigiPark's artists really outdid themselves.
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Jonric: In overview, how does Stone Age 2's gameworld differ from those of other titles? How large is it, and how varied? What are some notable elements? How much is instanced?

Joshua Bakken: Overall, the gameworld isn't incredibly different from those of other 2D MMOGs aside from the uniqueness of the prehistoric theme. You basically have villages, and from there, you can find dungeons, ruins, mountains, jungles, deserts, snow, undersea villages... the moon. Oh wait; maybe it is a little different. Haha.

I think the concept of prehistoric people possibly traveling to the moon, walking on rainbows and pouring magical water on giant bamboo shoots then riding them like elevators might be a little notable... but maybe that's just me.

The world is pretty large; however, it's not boringly so. I think it's just about perfect for a casual MMOG because right about the time when the average person would want to get to a new village, there it is. As for what's instanced, pretty much every dungeon and encounter... so you can say bye-bye to kill stealing.

Jonric: What options do players have when they create their characters? What steps are involved, and what key decisions come up at this time?

Joshua Bakken: In keeping with a casual mindset, character creation is also pretty straightforward. Basically, you choose one of 48 different character skins, half for each gender. You then pick your home village where your den will be located.

From there, you name your character, choose eye and mouth designs, then spend some points on a few stats such as Speed, Strength, Energy and Spirit. You also get some elemental points to spend in the areas of Fire, Earth, Water and Wind.



Jonric: How does the advancement scheme function? Is there a system of skills? Do they decay? Can choices be reversed?

Joshua Bakken: A lot is centered on pets. So while the leveling system is pretty much your standard experience-based type, things like skills are reserved for the pets. Your character gets stronger as you level it up, but it's really the pets you are building in Stone Age 2.

Once your character gains a level, you can spend newly acquired skill points on different attributes. Pets, however, can get skills. Skills do not decay and there are ways for players to reverse their choices.

Jonric: What type of combat system has the team chosen to use, and what important, interesting or unusual features does it incorporate?

Joshua Bakken: The combat system in Stone Age 2 is a straightforward, turn-based "click and watch" type. The way it works is that you click on one of your characters, then an action to perform. Next, you simply click the enemy, and sit back to watch what happens.

It's your classic, turn-based RPG combat system. This type was chosen for its ease of use. It can be navigated solely by left-clicking the mouse. Pretty much everything in Stone Age 2 was designed with ease of use in mind, and this element is no different.

One difference, though, is that during combat, you can choose to let your pets use their own AI, which is kind of interesting. If you decide to let them do so, they will actually start to learn strategy on their own, which can lead to better and more automatic attack combos when they're grouped with some of your other creatures.

Originally come from IGN
This post has been modified on Jun 26 , 2008 11:59:51 PM by lsw666.