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Kart Rider open beta (finally) begins in North America
South Korean racing phenomenon Kart Rider has finally entered its public beta phase in North America, with its colorful official website allowing players to sign up and download the game client (Windows only).For those not in the know, Kart Rider is a cel-shaded racing game heavily (and we mean heavily) inspired by Nintendo's Mario Kart series. Players purchase upgrades and cosmetic features for their characters, and go online to race and compete. The Kart Rider client is completely free, and the developers, Nexon, earn all their revenue through virtual item purchases on the official site. The revenue model must be working for them, as Kart Rider is one of the most profitable games in South Korea, directly competing with Blizzard's mega-hit Starcraft. We'll have to wait and see if the game can make the same kind of impact in the States.
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.
Maple Story: 2D side-scrolling MMORPG is DS-bound
Who says DS can't handle an MMORPG? South Korean publisher Nexon has finally confirmed its bringing a version of Maple Story to Nintendo's handheld. Unlike standard sprawling MMOs, Maple Story is a side-scroller with chibi-style visuals and an emphasis on shopping. Peep this ridiculous teaser trailer.Maple Story will debut on DS this September. Nexon has yet announce plans to release the game outside of South Korea.[Via DS Fanboy]
