Atelier Mirage (CEO Song Gyeong-jin) has revealed its participation in the “2024 PlayX4 B2B” from May 23rd (Thursday) to 26th (Sunday) at KINTEX in Ilsan.
Atelier Mirage, a game development company based in Gyeongbuk Techno Park, comprises individuals with over a decade of experience in game development, including a CEO with RPG global release experience. Established in March 2023, the company received support from the “Gyeongbuk Game Startup Production Support Project” and embarked on its first project, the classic turn-based dungeon crawler RPG “Rune Tower.” The company strives to deliver works with artistic value through creative imagination and craftsmanship.
Rune Tower debuted in the One Store Beta Game Zone in September 2023, followed by a Closed Beta Test (CBT), during which feedback from over 140 users was gathered to improve the game. In November 2023, a pre-experience version was launched on the Google Play Store. Plans for domestic and global launches are set for 2024, targeting RPG gamers in their 30s to 40s in Korea, Japan, the United States, Taiwan, Thailand, and other countries.
Through the 2024 PlayX4 event, Atelier Mirage aims to promote Rune Tower, which is currently in the launch phase. It hopes to meet potential partners for global publishing and secure new networks.
Rune Tower is designed to quickly provide a high sense of achievement for users in their 30s to 40s who have childhood memories of classic RPG gameplay. Players can form optimal parties by combining characters and professions and enjoy endless dungeon farming.
Users must confront various types of monsters placed on each tower floor with a maximum party of six characters. With unique character traits, races, and freely changeable professions, players can strategically adjust their parties for each floor, gaining a sense of achievement through varied strategies. Additionally, by collecting rune word pieces given as rewards, players can enhance their equipment randomly, adding to the enjoyment of growth.
An Atelier Mirage representative stated, “The variety of characters can be purchased through a fixed purchase system via the character tree, appealing to global users seeking a fair in-game economy. Rune Tower is designed to provide a high sense of achievement with minimal stress through turn-based combat for those who love MMORPGs but have limited time, catering to users who find something lacking in idle RPGs. Moreover, the text-based combat system will evoke nostalgia for users in their 30s and 40s, making it one of the most familiar systems.”
Building on these strengths, Atelier Mirage plans to enter the domestic and global markets in Korea, Japan, the United States, Taiwan, and Thailand this year.
The representative explained, “Japan, as a traditional RPG powerhouse, is expected to have the most familiar user base with Rune Tower. In countries like Korea, there will be a demand primarily from busy professionals in their 30s to 40s who love RPGs but have limited time. With a large RPG market size in the United States, targeting users who have experienced JRPGs in the past can lead to good results. As for Taiwan, it has a game market that was the second most developed in the world in the early 1990s, so we expect users to feel nostalgic for the retro-concept RPG game Rune Tower.”
Atelier Mirage plans to complete the development of Rune Tower and launch it domestically in July 2024, followed by sequential global launches. Additionally, the company plans to participate in the Tokyo Game Show in August 2024 and G-STAR in November 2024.
The ‘2024 PlayX4 B2B,’ hosted by Gyeonggi Content Agency and KINTEX, is themed ‘More Than Just the Joy of Gaming’ and features exhibitions and experiences of new games from Korean and international game companies. Visitors can enjoy side programs like the retro game market, esports competitions, and cosplay events.