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E3 2010: Dragon Nest hands-on
Dragon Nest couldn't be more different from Vindictus, Nexon's other new title. Where Vindictus is all about "elegant brutality," Nexon describes Dragon Nest as "kinetic and beautiful." And though both games are lovely in their own way, Dragon Nest's style is more typical of what you'd expect from Nexon: The art is stylized, with a bit of an anime feel to it. Gameplay felt a surprising amount like Nexon's 2-D classic arcade-style MMO, Dungeon Fighter Online, though DN is fully 3-D and much more like what you'd expect of an MMO. But like DFO, DN's combat is fast-paced, full of flashy animations, and just a lot of fun. With every game we see from Nexon, it's clear that they're taking everything they've learned from previous development and adding it to their latest project. Though we haven't seen everything the game has to offer, Dragon Nest may be their most polished game yet. %Gallery-95665%
E3 2010: Vindictus hands-on
With as many demo stations as Nexon had available to show off their latest games -- Vindictus and Dragon Nest -- we could hardly pass by without stopping to play for a few minutes. And now we're going to try to pass the experience on to you, with words and pictures that don't quite do the game justice. But until it it goes live later this year (they're hoping to launch in the fall), this will have to suffice. So let's talk Vindictus. Vindictus is a free-to-play game of the likes we've never seen before. It's running on Valve's Source Engine and looks simply incredible. It represents a major departure from Nexon's usual stylized graphics -- Vindictus is as realistic as they come, with crisp graphics and clean animation. It's also a departure content-wise: Vindictus is joyfully violent, allowing you to hack away at monsters, smash almost anything element in the environment, and destroy your opponents with finishing moves. And, of course, to look damn good while doing it. It's "all about elegant brutality," Nexon tells us, and we have to agree. %Gallery-95642%
Nexon sharing E3 videos with fans
Nexon is celebrating its first time exhibiting at E3 by sharing the event with fans. Daniel Chin, community and content manager, explains that they want the fans to be a part of things: "We've got some of the best fans in the gaming industry and we didn't want them to feel left out of E3, which is an industry-only show, so we're going to hang out at the booth and shoot some of the exciting stuff going on during Nexon's first E3 experience." The videos will feature gameplay, interviews, audience response, and more to give fans a taste of everything going on with Nexon at E3. They'll be posted on the Facebook pages for Dungeon Fighter Online and Vindictus, as well as the YouTube channels for both games. The first video -- a sneak peek at setup -- is available now, and many more are on the way.
Nexon reveals Vindictus story with new video
Nexon's given fans a look at their gritty upcoming MMO Vindictus for a while now, offering a handful of screenshots and a trailer that showcases the dark, bloody style of the game. We've gotten a good idea of what the game will look like, but what's the story behind it all? What exactly are we fighting about here? If storyline is your thing, you'll enjoy the latest offering from Nexon: the lore trailer. Vindictus is the story of humans, their monstrous enemies, a black-winged goddess, and a mythical paradise. If the humans can defeat their enemies for good, the goddess will take them to the paradise -- but that's a long time coming and people are beginning to lose hope. This is where you come in, so follow along after the jump for a look at the trailer and the lore of Vindictus.
Nexon acquires controlling interest in GameHi
Earlier this month, Nexon acquired NDOORS Interactive, but apparently that's just the beginning of their acquisition spree. The company behind popular free-to-play titles MapleStory and Mabinogi has just acquired GameHi, makers of Dekaron among others. The deal reportedly took place for 73.2 billion won (nearly 60 million dollars in US currency), which looks to be higher than GameHi's overall revenue for 2009 (which was reported at 41.5 billion won). No word yet on how this will affect any services for GameHi's games. Considering the recent NDOORS acquisition, Nexon seems to be taking advantage of their dominant share to buy out several smaller free-to-play developers in both the Korean and American marketplace. All signs point to their acquisitions focusing on developers, which raises the question of whether Nexon is aiming in the direction of overarching companies such as NCsoft, with several owned studios working with the central company. It's food for thought, although the promise of the quick-approaching Vindictus certainly dissuades any notions that Nexon's own developers are sitting idle.
Nexon reports last year's revenue up 56 percent
The free-to-play model is increasingly popular in the MMO industry, and the powers that be at Nexon say there's a good reason for that -- in their case, at any rate. The free-to-play publisher has announced its revenues for last year, and it was very good news: "...worldwide revenues increased 56 percent last year, growing from 450.8 billion won [359.7 million USD] in 2008, to 703.6 billion won [561.4 million USD] in 2009. Additionally, Nexon America posted a 31 percent increase in revenues in 2009, as for the first time, non-Korean contributions accounted for the majority of Nexon's global revenue." Nexon's CEO, Daniel Kim, says that their handling of the free-to-play model as applied to "very outstanding games" is responsible for their success: "Here at home, we have been able to fend off the tough times and continue growing our revenues while adding more and more players to our games. Going forward, Vindictus, Dragon Nest and Dungeon Fighter Online represent the next generation of free to play games that should appeal directly to gamers in North America."
Nexon releases new Vindictus screenshots
Nexon's upcoming MMO is drawing a fair amount of attention thanks to its style and content. Vindictus is about as different from Nexon's standard sugar-coated MapleStory fare as you can get, and it's making many gamers take notice. The recent Vindictus trailer showed us a rough and gory world with nary a cute friendly dragon in sight. Instead, it's heavy on blood, fire, and heavy weaponry. The latest information from Nexon gives us a further peek at the game with a series of screenshots depicting Fomors. Fomors are boss monsters that players will encounter in Vindictus. "From gigantic polar bears to skeletal princes, Vindictus will offer players new challenges and monsters to battle." Take a look at the gallery for a look at the latest addition to our look into Vindictus, scheduled for launch this fall. %Gallery-93052%
Nexon acquires NDOORS Interactive
It's not quite as stunning as the earlier announcement regarding Turbine and Warner Bros, but for the free-to-play world a big shakeup has taken place. Nexon, known for MapleStory, Mabinogi, and the upcoming Vindictus among others, has acquired a controlling share of NDOORS Interactive, known principally for Atlantica Online. The deal was announced in Korea late Monday evening, with Nexon explaining that they had acquired 67% of the company's shares including those of the former chairman, Seung-Mun Kwon. Nexon CEO Su-Min was quite pleased about the acquisition, stating that the addition of the technical expertise and experience of the NDOORS team would help with the company's long-term plans and global expansion. There's no word yet on what this will mean for the operation of Atlantica Online in the US and elsewhere, although it's reasonable to assume that Nexon would likely consolidate their operations. We'll have more for you on this story as it develops and as further details come to light.
Vindictus is not your kids' Nexon
Nexon. The name probably conjures up brightly-colored free-to-play MMOs like their hits Maplestory, Mabinogi, or perhaps Dungeon Fighter Online to many people. But for those of you who missed our coverage of the Vindictus reveal at GDC 2010, then it's time to change your thinking. While the story is set as a prequel to Mabinogi, this game shares very little else with its cousin -- as the shiny new site that Nexon has just opened evinces. Vindictus, described by Nexon America's Vice President, Min Kim, as "kind of like 300, except with sexy girls kicking the crap out of stuff as well. So, it's better than 300," is chock full of dark visuals, daring fights, and adventure. To better show off what players can expect in this upcoming f2p title, they've also released an updated video featuring some pretty freaking awesome-looking fights and locations, if we do say so ourselves. What does this type of brutal, bloody MMO signal for Nexon's future? If we had to guess, it would probably involve even more people checking out their games than before. Check out the updated Vindictus trailer behind the break, or go have a look at the cool new site, and see if you don't agree.
GDC10: Massively's picks for the best of GDC
GDC 2010 has come and gone and as we recover from the insanity a bit, we thought it would be the perfect time to reflect on our favorites from last week. Although the Game Developer's Conference isn't usually made to be as flashy as E3 or PAX, it is mostly catered towards students looking to break into the industry, panels and summits interesting to only other developers and a few demos. This in mind, we compiled a short list of what made the biggest impact on us, pertaining to MMOs. Although there were plenty of other exciting demos, booths and panels, we're keeping these awards strictly to MMO-related topics. Follow along after the jump for our complete list.
Nexon MMOs not coming to Mac or consoles any time soon
There's been quite a bit of talk coming out of Nexon from the time of the GDC -- revealing two games, more news on the venerable MapleStory, and even a developer initiative announced shortly before the conference. But if you were waiting for the other shoe to drop, there is one after a fashion, because the company still has no plans to develop anything for the Mac or for consoles. Both Vindictus and Dragon Nest are apparently popular choices for players to request on consoles, but according to Nexon America vice president Min Kim, neither one is planned for development for the console platform. Kim went on to explain that his company's base of operations in Korea meant that Mac support was a distant afterthought at best -- the market for non-PC games in Korea is minimal. Of course, in both cases he said that the support is something they would like to expand to eventually, but for now there's just not enough reason to expand. Which is sad news if you're one of the many users who prefer a fruit-based computer, especially with more and more games expanding to be playable on any platform. [Thanks Tracey!]
GDC10: Dragon Nest hands-on
Ever since the Diablo franchise hit it big with gamers across the world, competing companies have attempted to replicate Blizzard's addictive click-and-loot gameplay with varying degrees of success. There's just something satisfying on a primal level when you wipe out entire armies of monsters with a mere 2,142 mouse clicks. Mega-MMO publisher Nexon (Mabinogi, Dungeon Fighter Online) is bringing over another contender in Dragon Nest, a fast and furious dungeon crawler (minus the Vin Diesel, unfortunately). At GDC 2010, we were fortunate enough to nab a hands-on with Dragon Nest, a title could almost be considered a sibling of Nexon's Vindictus. Both games are action-oriented, twitch-based and include cutting through swaths of enemies for the glory of your inventory. However, while Vindictus is serious in tone and looks, Dragon Nest goes for a "cuter" feel. In markets where Dragon Nest and Vindictus exist simultaneously, such as Korea, each can co-exist peacefully while not undercutting one another. Of course, Dragon Nest is more than a cute face and a mouse waiting to be worn out -- hit the jump after the gallery to chew through this colorful game with us. %Gallery-118909%
GDC10: Massively's day 4 roundup
Day four of the Game Developer's Conference is in the books, and was one for the books as well. Massively managed to score a number of interviews, hands-on features, and we even got our mug in front of the cameras at one point during all the craziness. As you're aware by now, there is still much more to come from our trip to San Francisco, so take this opportunity to catch up on any stories you may have missed. The future of Champions Online Massively set to appear on live Internet TV Massively's interview with Dungeons and Dragons Online An in-depth look at Black Prophecy Nexon's Vindictus revealed Vivox's Monty Sharma interviewed NCSoft speaks on Aion 1.9 Massively's interview with DC Universe Online Be sure to check back tomorrow for our final day coverage as well as a wrap up of all our favorites from the show.
GDC10: Nexon's Vindictus revealed
I'll admit to being somewhat of a Nexon fanboy, and someone that considers them to be in the toy business rather than in the MMO business. They manufacture joy in my eyes. Bright, shiny joy. But the recent announcement of their new title "Vindictus" shows us a game that we are not used to seeing from Nexon. While it will follow the same business model that other Nexon games do, it promises to be a "sexy" game: a game that will make players feel like a hero. It promises to be more of an action game, or as Nexon America's Vice President Min Kim put it when he sat down with us for an interview, "an mmoACTIONrpg, epic, fierce and intense." Want to know more? Want to see the killer trailer? Join us after the jump. %Gallery-88064%
