Karen here! I’m a technical artist, software developer and founder of Old Hara Studios in Cary, NC. This is the first post documenting the process of developing our game, Waves of Jeju: Return of the Haenyeo. It’s so exciting to finally be sharing some details after months of brainstorming and initial concept development! I’ve been focused on developing software for clients for the first year and a half or so of doing business, and now I’m very happy to have the opportunity to create something entirely new.
During the pandemic, I had more time on my hands since I was working from home and no longer stuck in traffic for 2-4 hrs/day. People were protesting, the sky was literally orange with wildfire smoke, and I couldn’t stop thinking about social and environmental justice issues. I decided to completely shift the focus of my career and start a business to use my technical skills and try to help address some of the problems that were bothering me. For the first time, I came across the genre of solarpunk fiction, and felt so relieved to find some hopeful ideas about the future. I read Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower and Kim Stanley Robinson’s Ministry for the Future, and wondered why there weren’t more games and films with this more positive, yet realistic outlook.
Just before the COVID-19 hit, I adopted two Jindo mixes from the streets of Jeju Island in Korea. I wondered how they would have survived on Jeju in the future when climate impacts are much worse, and thought it’d be neat to play a game from the perspective of a dog in VR. What does it feel like to have to learn to beg for food to survive? To get the zoomies or chase squirrels? To be so vulnerable due to changes in the environment that are completely outside of your control? To rely on a human for your basic needs? I have so many questions…
Over the next year and a half or so, I started thinking more and more about what kind of story would make sense for a game about a stray dog on Jeju and what kind of climate and environmental justice solutions might make survival possible. After my first trip to Korea in 2023, I learned about the amazing culture of resilience and sustainability on Jeju and read a book about the island’s free divers called Haenyeo for the first time. I was absolutely fascinated with the women and their inspiring roles as both stewards of the sea and providers for their families. I thought it’d be so neat if the dog in the game were adopted by one of the Haenyeo divers. You can check out the book here: Jeju Island: Reaching to the Core of Beauty.
So far I’ve completed some rough concept art, storyboards and initial prototypes for Meta Quest and PC to start informal user research and validate core game features. I’ve begun sharing the idea with friends and colleagues over the last couple of months and have been amazed that a team has started forming on its own, without much effort on my part. It’s very motivating to see others interested in the project and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes!
We’re currently self-funded and I’m in the process of applying for grants to help develop the game over a period of at least 1-2 years. Old Hara Studios will become a worker-owned cooperative where everyone working on the project will be a member and have ownership in the business as well as ability to vote on decisions. The game will be built in collaboration with Korean game developers and artists, as well as the local community on Jeju island. We’re also considering putting together crowdfunding campaigns for the game as needed, and will share details on that as we move forward.
If you’re interested in signing up to help playtest the game, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at hello@oldharastudios.com. Thanks for your interest and we’ll be sharing more updates soon!
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