The success of Crimson Desert continues to get more and more feel-good as time goes on.
Pearl Abyss CEO Heo Jin-young announced that every single employee at the studio received a bonus payment of five million KRW (about $3,400) to celebrate the game’s five million copies sold in just about a month, according to Korean news site MTN.
“I express my deep respect and gratitude for the hard work of each and every one of you who created a product that the world is enthusiastic about, and I am paying a celebratory bonus for achieving five million sales to all employees who have silently fulfilled their roles in their respective positions,” Heo said.
The open world action game has been a critical and financial success, even after an initial lukewarm reception period. Pearl Abyss has been hard at work with multiple substantial updates since the game launched last month, and the five million copies sold can be attributed to that as much as anything else.
“Our journey does not end here,” Heo said. “The potential we confirmed today will be the most powerful driving force to overcome any challenge we face in the future.”
The success of Crimson Desert has become such a point of pride for Korea that even Prime Minister Kim Min-seok sang its praises recently, saying that (translated) “this accomplishment serves as a crucial turning point, demonstrating that the domestic game industry can expand and leap forward across diverse platforms, including consoles.”
“The government will also take responsibility and provide active support,” Kim said. “We will create an environment where K-games can shine as a pillar of K-content.”
I have to give big props to Pearl Abyss for doing the right thing here and taking care of the people who helped make the game such a hit. It’s a shining example of how things should be done in all corporate settings when success is found, but especially game development. I hope publishers and studios in the West follow suit.
