nexon-america
Latest
Dungeon Fighter Online heading to land of comics and cosplay next week
Nexon is taking Dungeon Fighter Online to Comic-Con next week with a preview of the game, plus contests and -- surprise -- girls dressed in game-related costumes. We had a pleasant experience with the game at E3, so if you're attending and wondering whether or not you should go, we'd recommend stopping by to play a little.Oh yeah, those girls dressed in Dungeon Fighter Online costumes? They'll be handing out discs with five bucks of Nexon cash. Additionally, Nexon will be making daily presentations at 1pm where fans can learn more about DFO and it's arcade-y, hacking, slashing and looting ways. So drop on by, grab some loot (we heard game posters will be at the booth) and enjoy yourselves. We'll just be sitting here letting our envy slowly overtake us until we destroy an inanimate object in a fit of jealousy.%Gallery-65064%
Dungeon Fighter Online beta applications now open
Nexon's bizarre free-to-play MMORPG, Dungeon Fighter Online, mixes Golden Axe style side-scrolling gameplay with 2D cartoon artwork and massively multiplayer persistent RPG elements. You can try it for yourself on your PC by signing up for the closed beta on the official Dungeon Fighter Online website. Sign-ups end on July 6. Nexon will announce the dates of the beta at a later time. Meanwhile, feel free to read up on the various classes or Massively's hands-on impressions of the game from E3.[Via Big Download]
Combat Arms introduces 'Nut Shot' instant kill
Getting hit in the nuts isn't just for AFV anymore, as free online FPS Combat Arms has recently employed such a technique. Whenever a male player is shot, uh, down there, the words "Nut Shot" will appear at the top of the screen, next to a pair of shattered walnuts. Min Kim, director of Nexon America, told MTV Multiplayer that including this helps the game stand out from all of the other FPS titles on the market, allowing Combat Arms to be more "Jackie Chan" than "Bruce Lee," with the latter being used to label your more traditional FPS games such as Call of Duty and Counter Strike.If you're playing a female character, however, you're immune to the Nut Shot ... for obvious reasons. And if you're already playing as a dude, well, it's possible to change genders in the game. If Nexon doesn't come up with a female equivalent, we expect most players will stick to being girls.
Nexon America appoints new CEO
Nexon, creators of popular MMO titles such as MapleStory and Mabinogi, announced today that they've appointed a new CEO for Nexon America. Chris Remo reports for Gamasutra that Daniel S. Kim has been named as the CEO of Nexon's US subsidiary. Kim isn't new to the company, having already served as executive VP with Nexon's global strategy group in Korea, Gamasutra reports. Kim is stepping into the role previously held by Nexon America's former president and CEO John H. Chi, who is no longer with the company.
The Digital Continuum: Five criminally unused MMO settings
var digg_url = 'digg.com/pc_games/Five_Criminally_Unused_MMO_settings'; Conventionally, an overlooked setting or genre for MMOs is considered science fiction, but that's quickly becoming an invalid argument. Instead, a spotlight on some very specific IPs and settings left to collect dust was in order.The goal I set out with was to pick concepts that were both deserving but also not immediately obvious to every person. So I hope that after checking out what's after the break, you'll find at least one or two setting you may not have considered until today.
Nexon to close their Vancouver studio in economic wake
Originally reported by Kotaku and now verified by Gamasutra, Nexon is shuttering the doors on Nexon Vancouver, leaving 90 employees without jobs. The Vancouver group, also known as Humanature Studios, was unable to release one of their own games under the Nexon flag, but was involved in the development of Klei Entertainment's Sugar Rush title. The studio was headed up by Alex Garden, co-founder of PC developer Relic Entertainment (Homeworld, Company of Heroes.)Nexon is retaining their Los Angeles studio, keeping a base of operations available in North America.The company has confirmed the closure, saying that it was a difficult decision due to the dedication of the staff and all of their hard work, but necessary given the current economic conditions and the need to secure Nexon's core business.
Nexon unveils MapleStory's Crimsonwood Keep expansion
Big news for MapleStory players: Nexon America yesterday made public Crimsonwood Keep, a big expansion for the game. The expansion 31 adds new maps -- mostly to the continent of Masteria's Phantom Forest. Also added: "11 unique enemies, 12 extensive, story-focused quests and a collection of new weapons and objects."The platformer/MMORPG hybrid (which is particularly popular with pre-teens) is updated pretty frequently, but this expansion is a bit bigger than usual. Its launch coincides also with the opening of a new server (called Yellondale) and more Summer Break Events.MapleStory -- which originated in South Korea -- is a huge success story. The expansion-related press release boasts of 5.9 million North American players and 87 million users across the globe. Keep in mind, though, that such numbers are a bit fuzzier and less conclusive with regards to a free-to-play game than they would be for a subscription-based MMO which has a financial barrier to entry for new users, and guaranteed income per user for the developer and/or publisher.
Nexon's new western targeted MMOG Sugar Rush in closed beta
Nexon America's Min Kim dropped a hint in late May that an upcoming MMO title was in development in their Vancouver studio. The big secret is Sugar Rush, a new casual based MMO romp and stomp with coin collection mixed into the fray. It is the first MMOG from that studio that is intended specifically for North American audiences. While Sugar Rush is free to play, it will sustain development costs via a microtransaction model "item mall" similar to many other free to play MMOs. The game is currently in closed beta and Nexon America is not accepting applications at this time, but we hear it may launch in the very near future. The development team working on Sugar Rush is based in Vancouver, Canada and includes former Electronic Arts Worldwide Studios Group vice president and creative director Steve Rechtschaffner, as well as studio Klei Entertainment. Headed by Jamie Cheng, Klei Entertainment previously developed and published Eets, a 2D puzzle game for PCs which was later revamped for Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade.It will be interesting to see how Sugar Rush does in North America. MapleStory is unquestionably highly successful. It put Nexon on the global radar and shocked the naysayers when MapleStory earned 29 million dollars in revenue -- not bad for a free to play MMOG! The whole western and eastern MMOG market juxtaposition is fascinating; many have shunned a lot of eastern games in discussing the western market and vice-versa. A video from the closed beta showcasing game play is after the jump. Let us know what you think.
The top 20 most influential people in the MMO industry
If you've ever searched the web for a comprehensive list of the biggest and the best in the MMO industry, Beckett Massive Online Gamer magazine has done it for you in a recent article entitled "Top 20 Influential People in Massively Multiplayer Video Games of 2007". The top half of this list should reveal no surprises for you, including such industry celebs as John Smedley, Scott Hartsman, Raph Koster and number one on the list: Rob Pardo. But the bottom half of the list may contain a few names you don't yet recognize. Interestingly enough, NCsoft makes an appearance four times on this list with James Phinney of ArenaNet, Richard Garriott and Starr Long of Destination Games and Jess LeBow of Carbine Studios.This list highlights the most talented people in the industry and how they've influenced the future of MMOs, as determined by Beckett. You can find more details on each of their stories in the printed issue itself (Issue #13 for July-August) which hit newsstands on May 28th.
An ION 08 interview with Nexon America's Min Kim [Updated]
In a recent interview at Ten Ton Hammer, Nexon America's Min Kim spoke out about some of the company's plans for upcoming games, including their online FPS entitled Combat Arms which will be entering closed beta next week. He also talks a bit about another upcoming MMO title being produced by their Vancouver studio, but details are still not available.In addition, Min Kim speaks at great length about some of the existing titles they have have available in Korea, that they're hoping to port to the North American audience, including the wildly-popular Korean title KartRider. To garner interest with North American players, Min Kim realizes that the audiences are different, and social competition is where it's at. No other information was said about KartRider's introduction to North America, but he says more details will be available soon.Update: Though we initially listed both Audition and KartRider as games Nexon was looking to bring to North America, Audition has been available to North American audiences for some time now, complete with a catalog of familiar songs!
New FPS/MMO enters closed beta
From Nexon America, the publisher of the wildly successful MapleStory, comes Combat Arms, a new free-to-play online first-person shooter which shares many qualities of both an MMO and an FPS in one. With persistent worlds, customizable characters (and equipment) and the opportunity for players to track their performance against others in the Combat Arms community, the game should prove to be a contender for those seeking something new in the free-to-play market.The game will be entering the closed beta phase on May 30th, which will be available for one week exclusively through FilePlanet. According to Nexon America's vice president of marketing Min Kim, "Competition in video games among friends is always fun, but Combat Arms takes it to another level by letting gamers frag for free. Combat Arms delivers all the great socialization elements found in other popular Nexon Games and presents them in one of the most popular gaming genres in North America."
Mabinogi lives!
On March 27th, Nexon America will launch the North American version of Mabinogi, the wildly popular MMO that has, until now, been commercially available only in Asia. This launch will bring a whole host of new features, including the opening of the Nexon Cash Shop, where players can get their hands on microtransaction-enabled items to enhance their 'Fantasy Life'. While Mabinogi will still be free-to-play, upgrading to one of three monthly fee packages will also allow the player to participate in the mainstream storyline, which will advance through each generation of the game.Additionally, today's the last day for players to enter one of 3 contests to win fabulous prizes. The first contest goes to high level players, to reward their ongoing participation in the game. The winner will receive a GeForce 9600GT 512MB DDR3 video card, with 20 other winners receiving 14,000 in Nexon cash. [Thanks, Robert!]
Austin GDC: Live at the Minho Kim keynote
If you haven't heard of Minho Kim, I'll forgive you -- I hadn't heard of him either until the name showed up in the list of keynote presentations at the Austin Game Developers Conference. Kim is Nexon America's director of game operations, and while Nexon hasn't made a big impact in North American markets, their free-to-play, micro-transaction driven online games (the best known of which is probably MapleStory) are a hit in Asia and Europe. Kim's keynote launches the final day of the conference with a discussion of micro-transactions. Joystiq is on-site waiting for festivities to begin, so keep reading for a play-by-play.
