Ken Chan:
Believe it or not, Acclaim was once a great brand. Howard's, our CEO, vision is to bring the greatness back into the brand. We didn't think the way to do this was to rehash old titles so we're taking the new focus. Multiplayer online games are where the most fun is going to be in the foreseeable future, that is definitely where we want to be.

Ken Chan:
I totally agree that we’re going to be held to a much higher expectation given the old Acclaim’s history. However, I hope that consumers understand that we’re not trying to do the same old thing better; we’re going to be exploring new territory and aiming to set the bar as high as possible. Finally, the main difference is that our products are organic and will be continually improved. I think the public will be more understanding because we’re going to include them in every step of the way.

gamebunny:
I know it’s a bit early for 9 DRAGONS details but is there anything about the game you can share with us to whet our appetites?

Ken Chan:
I'm really excited about this game, it's an Asian martial arts inspired theme, so that itself is just very exciting. Almost every MMORPG out there has a monk or monk like class and I think that's really a nod towards the martial arts. I don't know why someone hasn't done it sooner. The game itself will be rich with cultural artifacts that have real Asian roots. For example, instead of mana, the game talks about Chi, or the energy that martial artists believe is in our body. A lot of the game is based in reality and I think that makes it very rewarding to fans of martial arts. There will be over 400 unique martial arts styles and about 500 different weapons. How cool is that?!

Ken Chan:
We really want to bring the best games out there to our consumers, regardless of origin. Frankly, the Asian MMO industry is light years ahead of us here and they're really good at whipping up that secret sauce that makes these games so fun. Mmm, such good sauce, maybe we'll make our own but sometimes it's easier to get it pre-packaged.

gamebunny:
Why do you think they're so far ahead of us? Does it all come down to a mass of Internet Cafes and extensive Broadband access? Do you think we’ll ever catch up or even surpass the Asian market when it comes to online gaming?

Ken Chan:
I have to confess, I wish I knew the Korean secret sauce that has made online games so mainstream there. You’re right though, no doubt Internet Cafes and Broadband played an important part to it. However, we’ve had internet cafes and our broadband numbers are getting up there as well, so why haven’t we gotten there? 

I think a large part of it is a supply side issue. The industry went down a slippery slope towards the Hollywood model, that is, big budgets, big splashes and formulaic content. As long as we continue to cater to a narrow demographic (which, don’t get me wrong, is very lucrative), there will always be a lack of supply for a more general audience. Someone has to start taking some risks and create content for the rest of the public. Once that happens, games will be a more acceptable form of entertainment. The stigma will go away; the bad press should decrease (no offense to present company). We’ll definitely get there and we’ll definitely be bigger, more creative and more fun than the Asian market but it’ll take steps. 

I know this is going to sound ridiculously self-serving but I believe Acclaim can nudge us toward this goal. We’re bringing some good content over here and eventually, we’re going to figure out the sauce that works for the U.S. market and then we’ll really shake things up.

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