Stellar Blade is a brand-new game developed by Shift Up and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation 5. Unlike the mobile gaming market, the country is no stranger to console gaming, but major gaming companies still have to penetrate it.
However, the negativity and doubt didn’t affect the developers’ productivity and game director Kim Hyung Tae’s creative vision. Shift Up is moving away from its homeland’s norms and is paving the way for console gaming.
Kim Hyung-Tae Reveals the Challenges of Developing Stellar Blade
In a recent BTS video on the official PlayStation YouTube channel, Shift Up revealed all the challenges the team faced in developing the AAA RPG game in a gaming market that is heavily dominated by mobile gaming. Still, Hyung-tae Kim stayed true to his dream.
The director shared the initial reactions and opinions of others the moment it was announced that Shift Up would develop a console game in collaboration with Sony and PlayStation, and the general feeling about the project was full of doubt and uncertainty. He said:
When I initially decided to create this game, many people felt we were out of our minds, because in South Korea, mobile gaming dominates the market and the console market was nearly non-existent.
The gaming community is looking forward to this title with an impressively high player count that is twice as high as Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The project was announced many years ago and it is exciting to see Shift Up take advantage of more powerful consoles compared to smartphones.
PlayStation bets on talent and seeks greatness, and it seems like this partnership is benefitting both parties involved and the gaming community. Stellar Blade could be the beginning of a new age for gaming in South Korea and Hyung-tae Kim and his team deserve the recognition.
Sony Believed in Shift Up’s Stellar Blade When Many Didn’t
The game’s ambitious nature has caught the attention of the community, most notably the realistic physics and provocative character design that the director chose to go with and does not see the controversy. Also taking notes from the popular Soulslike genre, the gameplay has appealed to the gaming community.
Many members of the team also shared their opinions and were extremely grateful to work on something new and different than other South Korean developers. The director closed the conversation by stating that Stellar Blade was a mission that he had to see all the way through.
I felt a sense of mission to do it now because it was now or never.
The bravery of Shift Up should be commended and is something the industry sorely needs. Sony just gave the developers the proper support that it needed and stood by them rather than questioning its vision.
The moral of Shift Up’s journey is that no matter the amount of doubt and lack of support from others, it should not affect a person’s dream or vision. Hyung-Tae Kim simply did not care and carried on with his head up high and the feedback has been amazing.
Are you excited for Stellar Blade? Let us know in the comments below!
