Stellar Blade is looking to be a huge success for the South Korean game developer and Sony Interactive Entertainment. The ambitious atmosphere and design of the title were partly influenced by director Hyung-Tae Kim’s passion for James Cameron and his creative vision.
Despite working on different formats of storytelling, Cameron’s work was able to inspire other creatives like Kim and encouraged him to do something bold and daring. Shift Up leaped from mobile gaming to console and has much to prove to the gaming industry.
Stellar Blade Director Is a Huge Fan of James Cameron
Hyung-Tae Kim is a man of culture and is deeply fascinated by the manga Alita: Battle Angel which was later adapted into a live-action film that perfectly blends and showcases the technological achievements made. Cameron both wrote the script and served as producer of the film and the themes are similar to Kim’s upcoming video game. Kim created an artwork that served as a tribute to the unique art style and character design of the manga series.
✦【#StellarWeek :INSPIRATIONS】✦
Kim Hyung-Tae core inspiration for #StellarBlade was the cyberpunk series Battle Angel Alita also known as GUNNM, described it as "the best manga of my life"
He created a fantastic artwork as a tribute, infused with his style ✨ pic.twitter.com/me4ZftxW7F
— Stellar Blade/ #NIKKE /Destiny Child/ 🙏 + 🎲 = 🍑 (@ShiftUpWorld) April 23, 2024
Both the movie and video game have many similar concepts like a strong female protagonist and a cyberpunk environment, and the fact that Kim’s first major triple-A video game made for console uses these concepts is a testament to Cameron’s influence on him.
Mobile gaming is more popular in South Korea and major gaming companies with flagship consoles have yet to penetrate that market but this could all change through the success of the collaboration between Sony and Shift Up. Kim and his team had received their fair share of doubts and skepticism from fellow developers in the country for deviating from what was already established.
After an early demo of the game was leaked on PSN by accident, PlayStation has given PS5 users a chance to play the official free demo and the numbers were way higher than anticipated that it even overcame the high stats of Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Cameron’s work served as an inspiration that Kim surpassed on a multitude of levels.
James Cameron Inspired the Stellar Blade Director
Kim has a great eye for detail and knows how to grab the attention of the general public with his provocative character designs. Both Eve and Alita are two strong women and do not get enough credit for it, the entertainment industry has shrouded the image of female characters but the efforts of Cameron and Kim are slowly making a difference.
The entertainment industry could use more creative visionaries like Hyung-Tae Kim and James Cameron to pave the way and develop a unique world or universe with a strong and appealing protagonist. Kim thought the film could have done better and his upcoming video game will serve as his way to make a point and polish what he believed was lacking.
What is your favorite James Cameron movie and will you be picking up Stellar Blade on day one? Let us know in the comments section below!
