<s>
was	O
a	O
massively	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
online	I-Application
(	O
MMO	B-Application
)	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
VerX	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Namco	O
Bandai	O
Games	O
exclusively	O
for	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Based	O
on	O
Namco	O
's	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
video	O
game	O
series	O
,	O
specifically	O
the	O
1985	O
direct	O
sequel	O
Dig	B-Device
Dug	I-Device
II	I-Device
,	O
up	O
to	O
four	O
players	O
were	O
tasked	O
with	O
defeating	O
each	O
of	O
the	O
enemies	O
on	O
a	O
large	O
,	O
randomly-generated	O
island	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
idea	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
began	O
in	O
2004	O
by	O
director	O
Kazutoshi	O
Mori	O
,	O
who	O
wished	O
to	O
create	O
online-focused	O
remakes	O
of	O
older	O
Namco	O
games	O
and	O
compile	O
them	O
into	O
a	O
service	O
,	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
Namco	B-Device
Museum	I-Device
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
head	O
designer	O
,	O
Haruki	O
Negi	O
,	O
wanted	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
appeal	O
to	O
a	O
more	O
casual	O
audience	O
,	O
specifically	O
children	O
and	O
newcomers	O
to	O
the	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dig	B-Protocol
Dug	I-Protocol
Island	I-Protocol
was	O
a	O
massively-multiplayer	B-Application
online	I-Application
game	I-Application
based	O
on	O
the	O
arcade	O
game	O
Dig	B-Device
Dug	I-Device
II	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Up	O
to	O
four	O
players	O
were	O
tasked	O
with	O
clearing	O
an	O
island	O
of	O
enemies	O
;	O
these	O
being	O
Pookas	B-Application
,	O
red	O
tomato-like	O
enemies	O
with	O
goggles	O
,	O
and	O
Fygars	B-Application
,	O
red-winged	O
green	O
dragons	O
that	O
could	O
breathe	O
fire	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
could	O
create	O
their	O
own	O
avatars	O
or	O
even	O
select	O
ones	O
based	O
on	O
characters	O
from	O
other	O
Namco	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
including	O
Mappy	B-Application
,	O
The	B-Application
Tower	I-Application
of	I-Application
Druaga	I-Application
,	O
Valkyrie	B-Application
no	I-Application
Densetsu	I-Application
and	O
Wonder	B-Application
Momo	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dig	B-Protocol
Dug	I-Protocol
Island	I-Protocol
was	O
first	O
conceived	O
in	O
2004	O
by	O
Kazutoshi	O
Mori	O
,	O
who	O
worked	O
for	O
Japanese	O
online	O
game	O
developer	O
VerX	O
,	O
a	O
subsidiary	O
of	O
Vector	O
Corporation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
online	O
version	O
of	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
was	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
first	O
of	O
these	O
,	O
beginning	O
development	O
in	O
2005	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mori	O
and	O
the	O
development	O
team	O
created	O
five	O
possible	O
gameplay	O
concepts	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
which	O
being	O
an	O
eight-person	O
multiplayer	O
version	O
of	O
Dig	B-Device
Dug	I-Device
II	I-Device
-	O
this	O
idea	O
was	O
the	O
most	O
well-received	O
of	O
the	O
bunch	O
,	O
leading	O
the	O
team	O
to	O
incorporate	O
it	O
into	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Haruki	O
Negi	O
was	O
assigned	O
as	O
the	O
project	O
's	O
designer	O
,	O
who	O
wanted	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
appeal	O
to	O
a	O
more	O
casual	O
audience	O
,	O
namely	O
children	O
and	O
newcomers	O
to	O
the	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
franchise	O
,	O
being	O
made	O
to	O
be	O
easily	O
accessible	O
and	O
simplistic	O
in	O
nature	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2009	O
,	O
VerX	O
began	O
to	O
permanently	O
close	O
Dig	B-Protocol
Dug	I-Protocol
Island	I-Protocol
and	O
the	O
sister	O
game	O
Tancle	O
,	O
itself	O
based	O
on	O
Namco	O
Bandai	O
's	O
Tank	O
Battalion	O
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
