Korean developer Devsisters, the corporate behind main cell hits Cookie Rung Kingdom and Gingerbrave, has massive ambitions to get a foothold within the Western market.
We obtained the possibility to talk to Chris O’Kelly, managing director and “boss cookie” of Devsisters Europe at Devcom 2023 to get an thought of their masterplans.
Devsisters have loved nice success with Cookie Run, from its omnipresent branding on a wide range of gadgets, corresponding to ticket cubicles in Incheon, one in every of Korea’s largest airports, and branded snacks that includes the IP in nook shops throughout the nation, to their profitable collab with Okay-Pop supergroup BTS.
Now Devsisters has massive plans to increase their multimedia presence. There is a new bodily buying and selling card sport with main expertise contributing from franchises corresponding to Digimon and YuGiOh on the way in which, however even with that huge success in Korea, there’s an ambition for Devsisters to change into the subsequent firm to change into a significant presence within the West.
Why do Devsisters need to increase into the Western market? What do you assume the area has to supply?
“We consider that the IP, Cookie Run itself has a really broad attraction, I believe that the message that the IP brings could be very numerous and household pleasant, with a slight fringe of humour. We predict that we obtained it good in order that it’ll sit effectively with a western viewers as effectively. We additionally consider that it has the appear and feel that’s appreciated, should you go an excessive amount of into an anime sort model it’s going to have its area of interest, however I consider the Cookie Run ‘look’ per se and the story will attraction to a wider market. And we’ve already proved that by having success within the American market, and we need to double-down on the trouble to carry the IP to different Western markets.”
My ‘secret, evil masterplan’ is to make use of success within the Western market to leverage expertise in Europe for the event aspect of issues.
Chris O’Kelly
And also you consider in having bodily European places of work?
“We truly do three days every week on the workplace for the German workers, and we even have French workers which can be absolutely distant. Crucial factor is the native experience. Whereas you may also have that when working remotely, I can let you know post-pandemic there’s truly a bent for folks to understand an workplace and admire face-to-face work, particularly in a inventive atmosphere.
“It’s good to see the folks you’re employed with, generally. We love to do three days every week, particularly to begin, however we may go down to 1 or two days every week. To this point it’s a lot appreciated, particularly post-pandemic when everybody was so remoted.”
Inform us about new video games within the pipeline? What can we anticipate for the Western market?
“We even have six video games popping out later this yr, however I’ll deal with the 2 popping out primarily for the Western market. One can be Brick Metropolis, which may even be featured at Gamescom, which is a simulation, city-builder block-building sport. It’s a really ‘zen’, categorical your self sport.
“You possibly can create buildings, create any sort of construction that you simply like and share it with the neighborhood. And in addition see what different persons are constructing and purchase blueprints to increase your metropolis and degree up. There’s additionally a private avatar that you could customise, you’ll be able to go to different cities, you’ll be able to work together with different folks – it’s asynchronous, to this point, however it’s only a good contact and really feel.
“The subsequent one is Cookie Run: Witch’s Fort, which makes use of our greatest IP, Cookie Run. It’s a story-based informal match2/match3 sport. You unlock stars which you spend on a storyline, and unlock rooms within the Witch’s Fort which the cookies attempt to escape from.
“I’s sort of the origin story of Gingerbrave [which is set in the Cookie Run universe]. You employ Gingerbrave and all the opposite cookies you unlock in your degree as ‘superpowers’, so it’s like a particular increase that you simply refill and use. It has the good mixture of ‘you realize what to anticipate’, however we added our personal twist to it.
“We predict it’ll sit fairly effectively with the viewers, it’s obtained a big story aspect which can sit effectively with aficionados of the IP, however I believe the sport itself is a really stable match2/match3 sport, the place everyone will really feel at residence should you like that exact sport sort.”
And what are your ambitions for Devsisters in Europe, past these new releases?
“My ‘secret, evil masterplan’ is to make use of success within the Western market to leverage expertise in Europe for the event aspect of issues. Now that I’ve informed you about it, it is not so secret or evil!”