Anyone of any age can enjoy driving games. There’s something exhilarating about driving in an environment where you can throw all caution out of the window – especially when it can be a chore in the day-to-day. We guess this is why the Fast and Furious movies are so popular, too. Throw in cute characters and collectable powerups to blow up your friends and the appeal is clear. Pulling up next onto the scene is not another Mario Kart, but KartRider: Drift.
Crazyracing KartRider was a free-to-play multiplayer arcade racer, released on PC in South Korea in 2004. It has since become a phenomenon in Asia, where it has amassed over 380 million players and a huge esports scene. While KartRider did get a beta in America, Drift is developer Nexon’s most determined effort yet to bring the series to the West.
From cross-platform play to in-game monetisation – not to mention the choice of development technology – Nexon had a lot to consider when producing KartRider: Drift. We’ve been talking to Hoon Park, the game’s executive director, about recreating KartRider for a whole new generation, and indeed a whole new hemisphere.
Part of KartRider’s original appeal came from it being an arcade racer on PC when the best of those games – most obviously Mario Kart – were often only found on console. Park agrees that “there is certainly a gap in the market in terms of kart racing games on PC and non-Nintendo consoles. Of course, we hope KartRider: Drift can help fill that void while offering players the most enjoyable and robust experience possible.”
But don’t get it twisted. Although the characters look cute and the environments serene, the competitive experience is essential to KartRider and always has been, as its esports pedigree proves. It’s not about being like Mario Kart, or any other driving game.
“KartRider: Drift differs from competitors in many ways, chief among them the technical skills required to truly become proficient in the art of kart racing. Drift offers modes for players of every level, but raises the skill cap through Speed Mode, challenging players to develop a knack for drifting without relying on power-ups or items seen in other kart racers. This is part of the reason why KartRider: Drift has become so popular among competitive players and become such a successful esport in Korea.”
Given this huge fan base, it’s understandable that global cross-play was a key goal for Drift from from the start of the project. It will help Nexon serve KartRider’s existing Asian audience and to court a new one simultaneously.
“Our hope is that players worldwide will enjoy and experience KartRider: Drift together. This is the reason why cross-play functionality was intentional from the start of the development process. KartRider: Drift is a game that is very easy to pick up and enjoy with friends and we feel that global matchmaking will only make it easier to play and compete with all new and existing fans of the franchise across the world.”
This focus on cross-play was one of the biggest reasons Park cites for using Unreal Engine 4 to make the latest incarnation of KartRider. “From the initial development phase, we decided to use Unreal Engine to ensure support on multiple platforms helping us achieve cross-play functionalities on PC and Xbox One. Unreal was updated with knowledge gained via actual servicing of various games such as Fortnite, which has helped implement global cross-play. Furthermore, the integration of an Unreal Engine dedicated server and AWS Gamelift [an Amazon server hosting service] enabled us to further proceed without issues.”
The Nexon team already had some experience in Unreal, which helped when it came to planning. “There are numerous developers with Unreal Engine experience at Nexon, which allowed us to avert encountering numerous foreseeable trial-and-error [situations],” Park says. A lack of cross-platform experience, “particularly in developing the most optimal UI/UX that satisfied both console and PC platforms,” was a larger worry. “In terms of technical issues, we also had slight difficulties in designing server architecture to support online cross-play targeting global users.
“Nonetheless, through implementation, we were able to gain both experience and knowledge to overcome any issues that may arise in the future.”
As with many modern games, monetisation is, as ever, an important question. The original KartRider was free-to-play and sold virtual items in-game, such as vehicles and skins. A common practice now, but groundbreaking back in 2004. KartRider: Drift will again be free-to-play with in-game monetisation, but beyond this, the details are yet to be nailed down.
“For now, our monetisation strategy hasn’t been firmly decided,” Park says. “There have been discussions about a Racing Pass system, which would minimise microtransactions. Our current concentration is making the best possible game for players, and that includes our commitment to building an environment that is not pay-to-win and we are holding firm on maintaining this for the customisation features implemented in KartRider: Drift.”
Nexon is aiming to build a universal experience with KartRider: Drift. Anyone at any age the world over can get in on the fun. Although, kids: if you play KartRider, please don’t take anything you learn in the game onto the road. Blowing people up is illegal.
KartRider: Drift is out this year. Unreal Engine 4 development is now free.
In this sponsored series, we’re looking at how game developers are taking advantage of Unreal Engine 4 to create a new generation of PC games. With thanks to Epic Games and Nexon.
