‘Dincom’ is a game developed by Australian solo developer James Bendon for 5 years and released as early access in July 2022. It is characterized by a good combination of growth, immersion, sandbox fun, and open world adventure elements in an Australian setting. To date, approximately 700,000 copies have been sold and it is receiving ‘overwhelmingly positive’ reviews.
Krafton is developing ‘Dincom Mobile’ using the ‘Dincom’ IP through its development subsidiary 5MinLab (CEO Park Moon-hyung). Users who enjoyed the original game welcomed the news, but were also concerned. It is also our hope that Krafton will be able to capture the unique charm of ‘Dincom’ well on mobile devices.
CEO Park Moon-hyung was confident that ‘Dincom Mobile’ is a game that will make users’ dreams come true. And for the users waiting for ‘Dincom Mobile’, I stood in front of the camera with the game for the first time. Currently, CEO Park Moon-hyung and 5min Lab are focusing on the development of ‘Dingcom Mobile’ with plans to launch it in the fourth quarter of next year.
▲ (From the right) 5MinLab CEO Park Moon-hyung, Lee Yun-jae and Dinkum Mobile AD
I am curious about the background of how Krafton and 5Min Lab developed ‘Dincom Mobile’.
CEO Park Moon-hyung = We think of ‘Dincom’ as a pioneering life simulation game full of things to see, do, and create. The life simulation genre is very popular, but I don’t think there is a mobile game that satisfies users. So, we started developing a game to satisfy the dreams of users through ‘Dincom Mobile’.
Krafton is developing games with the direction of ‘Scale-up the Creative.’ In fact, creative games appear like miracles in the world. It is very difficult for us to create it artificially. That’s why we seek out and discover creative games, respect and develop them, and present them to gamers around the world. ‘Dincom Mobile’ is also a game that originated from this direction.
In the meantime, we had a good relationship with James for a long time and talked a lot. His game development story is also similar to that of Eric Barone, a solo developer famous for ‘Stardew Valley.’ As soon as he graduated from college, he developed the game he wanted to make, had his girlfriend help him, and continued development by funding it himself.
It was around January 2023 that Krafton discovered ‘Dinkum’. From then on, he wanted to work with the original author. Afterwards, I invited James to Korea or we went to Australia and talked about various games. We brought ginseng wine to Australia, drank it together, and talked about various things about ‘Dinkum’. And a contract for the mobile version was signed in October last year and work began in earnest.
As a project, ‘Dincom Mobile’ is not initially a plan to import great games and provide aggressive services. Although it is well-structured and fun, we believe that we will improve the game by collaborating directly with the original author. We also had a lot of consensus with James about this direction, and developed the topic with his consent. ‘Dincom Mobile’ is being created through this process.
▲ ‘Dincom Mobile’ developed as a spin-off from the original work
We are developing ‘Dincom Mobile’ separately from the original work. I think of it as a unique worldview and IP. It is a kind of spin-off concept. This part was discussed well with James. Because James himself wants to finish the original ‘Dincombe’ with his own hands. So, while ‘Dincom Mobile’ follows the original work, it deals with the world view by assuming a situation in which time has passed in the background.
Since 700,000 people have played the original game, there are already 700,000 islands in the world. The mobile version tells the story of the user becoming a new pioneering member and pioneering a new island. What was special about the original was that although it was a life simulation, it included good combat. We will make the most of the fun of battle in the mobile version and improve it into a multiplayer version.
What’s interesting about ‘Dincombe’ is that Australia is in the southern hemisphere, so the concept that we generally think of ‘if you go south it’s warm, and if you go north it’s cold’ is the opposite. I think the things that come from these differences are very interesting and fun elements. So, we are trying to develop these aspects further in the mobile version.
The art is cute overall. The character of the art seeks to highlight the characteristics of Australia’s minerals, animals, and plants. The art is still in its early stages, but preparations are being made so that users can enjoy the fun of decorating. I want to make it a game full of fun where you can decorate your character, your house, and your island. The scenery and light change according to the difference between day and night and weather changes, and we plan to create a game so that you can enjoy your time leisurely in such an environment.
The multiplayer elements will be easier to enjoy than the original. We plan to expand multiplayer so that you can easily meet up with friends and other people to enjoy the game. For example, you can easily meet other people in town, chat with them, and go on a motorcycle trip together. We plan to add various multiplayer elements, such as sometimes going on dangerous adventures and sometimes inviting friends to your house to enjoy home fights.
▲ James (left) who came to Hapjeong and enjoys camping in Australia (right)
I’m curious about the appeal of the ‘Dingcom’ IP that I newly discovered while developing the game.
CEO Park Moon-hyung = The first thing I noticed when I looked at the game was that it was very detailed. Life simulation games range from light to core, but ‘Dincom’ has a light appearance. But when I looked at the game, it was very detailed. For example, the world worked in detail, such as how crops would change depending on temperature and the environment would change depending on luck. Additionally, the change in the sun was not simply an external sign, but the way light was expressed differed depending on the location. The shape of the shadow changes. From the developer’s perspective, it was surprising that it felt like a simulation with added details to a casual feel, rather than the game being made based on a certain situation.
While watching ‘Dincom’, I learned once again that details are a very important element in creating a life simulation game. What I thought was a simple issue was actually very complicated. I felt that this was a game in which James put a lot of effort into it. If we had tried to develop a game like this from scratch, I think it would have been much more difficult. We feel fortunate to be able to develop ‘Dincom Mobile’ on the foundation created by a great creator named James.
This is an IP that the original author has a lot of love for. How is the coordination going on?
CEO Park Moon-hyung = James wanted to play a completely different version of his ‘Dincom’ made by someone else. So he agreed to create a mobile version containing all of 5 MinLab’s thoughts. We talked a lot while staying in Australia for 3 days and 2 nights, and rather than saying “Don’t do it!”, James responded by saying “I think your direction is interesting, so I’m looking forward to it too.” So, although ‘Dincom Mobile’ is a different work from ‘Dincom’, it is being developed in a way that respects the original work.
▲ “Dincom Mobile, in a form that is different from the original but respects it”
If it is developed as a spin-off and a separate game, users who liked the original may have animosity towards ‘Dincom Mobile’.
CEO Park Moon-hyung = An important task is how we treat fans of the original work. 5MinLab’s basic goal as a studio is to create a global IP. So, we are thinking very carefully about how fans of the original work treat the IP and how ‘Dincom Mobile’ should be remembered by them.
First of all, we consider James’s wishes to be the most important. And our important task is to satisfy users who want to enjoy games on mobile and fulfill their dreams. Therefore, we approach it from the perspective of considering the important points of the original work as heritage and saving what needs to be saved.
However, there are times when James self-deprecatingly says that he does not like the original art. In that respect, rather than following the original, we redesigned it in our own way. While sharing our roots, we want to show our unique colors.
The characteristics of NPCs and animals and plants are based on Australia. Therefore, there are many users who strongly argue that the characteristics of NPCs and flora and fauna should not leave Australia. For example, the North Pole should not appear in the game. However, there are also users who want arctic elements. We may not be able to satisfy everyone, but we are trying to develop ‘Dincom Mobile’ while respecting the original work.
▲ Collection of ‘Dingcom Mobile’
How did you approach the art?
Lee Yoon-jae AD = James asked “Follow your dreams” regarding the ‘Dincom Mobile’ art. So we drew the art we had in mind and showed it to them, and they said they liked it. The thing I paid most attention to in art was diversity. Our task was to help users empathize as much as possible, including through emotional expressions and clothing. This is because, from the user’s perspective, it is important to make the character feel like it is truly theirs when decorating it.
Art is basically 3D, but we plan to utilize a 2D feel when developing keywords such as narrative or records. An important thing in the game is the ‘Pioneer Journal’. The concept is to record an island, and through this process, the possibility of adding a 2D presentation was created.
Looking at the existing games developed by 5MinLab, I wonder if they can make a good life simulation.
CEO Park Moon-hyung = If we were to criticize ourselves, we might think that 5MinLab makes games of all genres without any principles, but our development philosophy and direction are clear. The goal is to create IP based on unique gaming experiences. So, if our direction is right, we don’t care much about genre. So I tend to take on a lot of challenges. We thought that the core fun of ‘Dincom’ matched our direction, so we started development.
▲ Interface with ‘Dingcom Mobile’ unique art
Due to the nature of life games, there is ‘repetitive play’ involved. On PC, it was easy to play repeatedly even if it was annoying, but wouldn’t it be difficult on mobile?
CEO Park Moon-hyung = How to transfer repetitive play, also known as ‘labor’, to mobile is a topic of great concern. Personally, I think that life games are a genre where the fun disappears if you completely remove this type of play. Repetitive play can be painful, but the results can also be valuable.
We are researching how to make it easier to play on mobile while still allowing repeat play. Another way is to reduce the number of operations. On a PC, it’s easy to use a keyboard and mouse, but on mobile, this process can be inconvenient. So, we are also thinking about simplifying things so that users touch as little as possible on mobile devices. For example, what used to take 4 clicks with a mouse can now be done with 2 touches. Some people might find the reduced operation inconvenient, but personally, I think at least that much should be included.
It was possible on PC, but there seems to be hardware limitations on mobile.
CEO Park Moon-hyung = As someone who was born into programming, I believe in optimizing when necessary. First of all, creating a fun game is more important than optimizing it. I think I should make it while keeping the fun parts of the original as much as possible, but fix the parts that were confusing from my point of view. For example, the part where crops change depending on temperature is simplified. It is a kind of systematization. So, we are developing games from an organization perspective rather than optimization. And the company itself is confident in its engineering, so it doesn’t consider optimization a big problem.
I understand they are actively recruiting. I am curious about the type of talent related to ‘Dincom Mobile’.
CEO Park Moon-hyung = First, we want a developer who has experience creating life simulations. And I think people who have created PC MMORPG quests or content, or have experience designing levels, would be a good fit for us. We also need to develop combat, so we want people with relevant experience. Although there may be experience in each and every one, the most difficult part is that there are very few developers who have comprehensively created them.
Separately, 5MinLab greatly prefers people with experience in indie game development. It would be nice to develop an original idea and even launch it. 5MinLab’s game development is not a top-down method. It is a format where the game is divided into parts and each part takes the lead and works like a director. We hope that developers who want this method will join ‘Dincom Mobile’.
5Can you briefly introduce what kind of company MinLab is?
CEO Park Moon-hyung = I think transparent communication is very important. And it is a game company that is very active in providing open feedback. He tends to develop noisily, and is looking for someone who is self-directed in the process. If you have taken the lead in developing a game, I think you would be a good fit for us. In the case of other game companies, discussions with other parts are often done through the team leader, but we do it directly. It is not unusual at 5min Lab for planning team members to communicate directly with programming team members.
AD Yunjae Lee = If you think about it from an art perspective, it is not easy for general game companies to actively communicate with other job groups. I think that if I join 5Min Lab, I will be able to communicate in various ways with all job groups and expand my knowledge.
▲ “I greatly prefer indie game development experience.”
How is combat play applied? It’s a life simulation combat game, so adjustments will be needed.
CEO Park Moon-hyung = Basically, we will not deviate from the casual line. However, there is quite a bit of action in the original as well. The grammar of a basic action game is applied. James also said he originally wanted to make a game like that. The underground dungeon in the game also provides a raid-like experience. In ‘Dincom Mobile’, combat is considered to be about the ability to distribute roles among users. At the same time, we are still making combat prototypes to see what we can do to avoid going beyond the casual line.
I can’t imagine raid’s ‘tank dildo heal’ concept being included in the ‘Dinkum’ IP.
CEO Park Moon-hyung = Personally, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Since the concept of ‘Tandil Hill’ itself is easy, we are experimenting with concepts that can be added. Of course, the important thing is that the approach is casual. As a result, we hope that many users around the world will use ‘Dincom Mobile’. We dream of having more than 100 million users. Because we think so broadly, combat is also developed with that goal in mind.
What do you think of the multiplayer structure of ‘Dincom Mobile’?
CEO Park Moon-hyung = Basically, the structure of ‘playing on my island’ is maintained. We plan to develop the game so that it can be played as a single player, but then turn into a space where you can meet other people when you go on an adventure. You can naturally meet people and leave raids.
Previously, there were restrictions such as having to create a separate server, enter an IP, or be a Steam friend. In the mobile version, anyone can enjoy multiplayer comfortably. Inviting friends to your island is as simple as applying. Furthermore, I am imagining a structure where my friends eat the food I made.
I’m curious about how the charging structure will be implemented.
CEO Park Moon-hyung = There are a lot of concerns because it is still in the early stages. The important thing is that we will not separate content based on charging. For example, there will be no business model that requires money to be invested in order to play a specific game. First of all, we are considering the decorative elements within the game as a business model. Or, you are considering a product that saves time.
Previously, large domestic game companies released large mobile life simulation games, but they ultimately failed. Are there any improvements in ‘Dincom Mobile’ from past games?
CEO Park Moon-hyung = There are things to learn from the good aspects of successful games like ‘Animal Crossing’ and ‘Stardew Valley’, but there is also a lot to learn from failed games. I’ve been thinking about the reasons for the games being discontinued, and I think the reason is that the life simulation was solved too MMORPG-like. Life simulation and MMORPG are different from each other. Self-realization is important in games like ‘Dincom’, and the MMORPG genre is based on competition.
‘Dincom Mobile’ was structured with self-realization at the center. If you actually play the game, it will have a strong single-player feel. In some ways, it may have the same feel as ‘Genshin.’ The multiplayer element is what allows you to play the game for a long time. A natural connection between single-player and multiplayer is an important design goal.
In addition, the amount of content that users who play life simulations basically want from the game is different from other genres. When you look at users who say, “There’s nothing to do,” it’s common for them to already have over 100 hours of playtime. When servicing such games, the company must also consider server costs. Server costs must be kept low to create a sustainable game. When you think about server costs, you have to consider strong charging, but that is not possible in the life simulation genre. If you look at games that have been discontinued, server costs are probably one of the main reasons.
I’m curious about how the overall cycle of ‘Dincom Mobile’ flows.
CEO Park Moon-hyeong = In the beginning, I was thinking about decorating my own island and then going on an adventure and feeling the sense of pioneering. The ‘license’ system is applied within the game, and the higher the license level, the more places you can go. The structure is to fill out the encyclopedia without knowing what dangers there are on a new island. Go through this process not alone, but with others in multiplayer. There are many islands at launch, and the plan is to increase the number of islands as the service continues.
▲ Several islands with diverse environments appear.
Is there also PVP like ‘Long Vault’?
CEO Park Moon-hyung = This is an area that needs further development, but for now, we will never go to a PVP game like ‘Long Vinter’. (Laughs) The main goal is to exclude PVP elements as much as possible and create a game with a cooperative atmosphere. However, the competitive factor is a concern. Depending on how to distribute the items obtained by hunting together, the atmosphere can be either competitive or cooperative. Although there are concerns, the basic direction is cooperation.
How are you planning the creation of the building and the atmosphere of the background?
CEO Park Moon-hyung = The building is arranged in its completed form like the original. It is not like other life games where you have to build separate doors, walls, or ceilings. I am thinking about how to strengthen the decorative elements here. James, the original author, had the same concerns. It is said that there is a lot of user feedback regarding the decoration of the building.
Yunjae Lee AD = The landscape was basically a reference to Australia between 1950 and 1970. It’s not stately, and I’m thinking of a warm village with slightly more vivid colors than American retro pop. In conclusion, it depicts a warm landscape that blends well with the Australian nature, which will be the main stage of the game.
▲ Construction in ‘Dincom Mobile’ is as easy as the original.
There are many users who like the timing of ‘Dincom’.
Yunjae Lee AD = There are animals in the game that can be tamed, and there are animals that cannot be tamed. Basically, you can give animals or other help that can attack enemies instead of the character. Although not all distinctions have been made clear yet, we are planning in this direction. We also consider interaction with the animals we travel with to be important, so we prepare cute scenes such as sleeping or swimming next to the characters. Even in the game, we placed great importance on detailed expressions, and the appearance also changes slightly, such as the eyes becoming meek or the tail curling.
CEO Park Moon-hyung = James, the original author, also wanted to develop the timing further. Did he want to ride a crocodile… Taming is probably the element that will be developed the most from the original.
▲ Tamed dingo (left), the details of the eyes and tail have changed.
Are there any plans for UGC, such as allowing users to design their own clothing?
CEO Park Moon-hyung = I want to apply it someday. However, I am not confident of including it in the released version. Still, I think it is an element that should be included in ‘Dincom Mobile’ at some point. Furthermore, I want to allow users to create their own underground dungeons like ‘Mario Maker’. It’s not an easy topic, so I don’t think it will be included at the time of launch due to priority.
I’m curious about what other users can enjoy other than combat.
CEO Park Moon-hyung = I believe that interaction between users is important in multiplayer. So… I want to create a lot of social action. If I leave the food I made somewhere and another user eats it, only that much of the food disappears. While I am looking at the map, other users see me holding the map. We are considering various activities, such as allowing people to gather around a bonfire at night and play ensemble. I want to take advantage of those details, and we will create as many things as we can together.
There are many users waiting for ‘Dincom Mobile’. You may be an existing ‘Dincom’ fan. Is there anything you would like to say to users who will be happy to hear the development news?
CEO Park Moon-hyeong = We are making games while considering the extent to which users’ dreams can be realized. We will definitely provide a good experience to users who wanted to play games like ‘Dincom’ on mobile. As long as you wait, I will repay you by creating a very enjoyable game.
