South Korean developer Pearl Abyss is continuing to update Crimson Desert weekly, consistently delivering new features and addressing community wishes, as no other game powered by modern game engines like their own BlackSpace Engine does. With the rapid pace of updates, the community has started to wonder when they will start slowing down, but any fear of this happening imminently seems unfounded, as Pearl Abyss PR and Marketing Director Will Powers confirmed to Dexerto during Summer Game Fest that updates will continue for "as long as there is demand."
"This is a model that gamers aren’t used to, of a premium game giving consistent and free content post-launch," Powers said, highlighting how this is also a sort of marketing tactic. "Having continued support and continued content both rewards your community and the people that have invested time in it, as well as doing free marketing without having to spend it elsewhere. So you’re spending it on adding more content to the game instead of spending it on advertising."
However, continuing to market Crimson Desert after its launch is not the primary driver of this initiative that sets Pearl Abyss apart from every other major game development studio. It's paying back the community.
"Without the community, there is no Black Desert. Without Black Desert, there is no Crimson Desert. So the whole goal of the company is to take care of the community, because without them, there is no company. We live and die by our fans," Powers said.
With this approach, Pearl Abyss is challenging the entire AAA space. While some developers delivered significant updates over time for their massive open-world premium games, like CD Projekt Red did with Cyberpunk 2077, the vast majority do not. As Pearl Abyss will continue to update Crimson Desert as long as there is demand, it will be interesting to see if other major studios will follow suit and if they will be able to keep the same weekly release schedule Pearl Abyss is. They likely won't, but there's no denying that the bar has been raised.
With story improvements aiming to address the game's biggest shortcoming and a DLC expansion on the way, it will be very interesting to see what else Pearl Abyss will add to Crimson Desert to continue paying back the community. As I found the game to be an engaging experience even at launch, I am excited to see what the future holds for a game that is breaking every expectation.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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