Having already seen success in its native Korea, Legend of Master 2 Plus has made its way to Western shores on iOS, thanks to the work of US publisher Nsurfin.

But the question is: will Western mobile gamers be so keen on a hardcore retro RPG Grinbacked by in-app purchases?

We asked Nsurfin's VP of publishing Kenneth Ryu.

Pocket Gamer: Can you give us some background on Nsurfin?

Kenneth Ryu: Founded in 2011, Nsurfin Inc. develops and publishes mobile games and utilities for both iOS and Android.

With headquarters in Silicon Valley, Nsurfin offers small local developers a way to reach millions of users across the globe and improve their return on investment.

We have so far published three mobile games, including Legend of Master 2 Plus, and will introduce more along with our own titles.

How did you come across and choose to publish Legend of Master 2 in English?

We knew the Legend of Master series had been successful in the Korean market, and we contacted the developer as soon as we heard that it was looking for a partner to introduce the game to the world.

Apart from most Asian RPGs, we believe that Legend of Master 2 Plus will appeal to users in the US and Europe with its game quality and the westernised visual style.

Who's the Korean developer and how well known is the Legend of Master franchise in Korea?

KnetP is a well-known mobile RPG developer in Korea, and the Legend of Master series had been on the top for many years in the RPG segment throughout all Korean mobile carriers.
Legend of Master 1 and 2 each recorded more than 2 million downloads solely in Korea.

Do you think it will do as well in the US and Europe?

Thanks to the internet and mobile connectivity, people, especially younger generations, are exposed to different cultures more easily than ever before.

There are a growing number of people who are interested in Asian culture and want to try its mobile games. Just as World of Warcraft and Diablo III have been huge hits in Asia, lots of Asian MMORPGs such as Nexon’s Maple Story are performing well in the Western market.

This PC gaming trend will apply to the mobile gaming as well. In this sense, Legend of Master 2 Plus certainly has potential to appeal to users in US/Europe.

Along with the westernised graphical style and fantasy storylines, Nsurfin’s localised marketing and quality of customer support will lead users to enjoy it by adopting cultural diversity.

Is there any particular reason it's called Legend of Master 2 Plus?

'Legend of Master' implies the purpose of the game. We had this game for feature phone and redesigned the interface for touch-based smartphones and tablets. 'Plus' represents this advanced UI upgrade.
Legend of Master 2 is a premium title with in-app purchases. Does the hardcore audience want IAPs?

Sure. Most IAP users are those who are ready to try hardcore games in a variety of genres and styles, and Legend of Master is a real hardcore RPG for them to play.

In fact, there were a large number of hardcore maniac users who were really into the game in Korea.

What's next for Nsurfin?

We'll be launching Legend of Master 2 Plus on Android soon, and will offer several localized versions of the game.

We are also developing our own mobile game which will be available next year, and in the meantime, we'll try to build our customer community by supporting our developing partners in the global market.
Thanks to Kenneth for his time.