South Korean MMO developer and publisher Nexon Corporation is best known for MapleStory, an online casual RPG aimed primarily at teens. The title, which was first released in South Korea in 2002, is currently distributed worldwide, and has an estimated 50 million users, including 14 million in South Korea alone. The game is free to download and subscription free, and generates revenue through microtransactions for items like clothing and weaponry.
The company began its expansion into the US market in 2005 as NXGames, though maple stroy mesos had previously been released by Nexon affiliate Wizet two years previous. In September 2006, NXGames became officially known as Nexon America. A month later, the company announced a partnership with MTV Networks, who will be promoting Nexon’s games through its “TV and digital media properties”, though further details are yet to be announced.
The parent company has also announced a partnership with Nintendo of Korea, with maple stroy mesos set for release on the DS in September of this year, though a worldwide release is yet to be confirmed. Asked to comment on this and numerous other queries related to the Nintendo partnership, a Nexon representative commented that the company is “not ready to discuss them at this time”.
Gamasutra spoke to Min Kim, Director of Game Operations for Nexon America, and asked about microtransactions in the Asian and US markets, and the benefits of this financial model.
When did Nexon move into the US market, and what prompted the move?
Nexon America officially opened its doors in September 2006. We quickly moved in after seeing the market opportunity with our progress of MapleStory.
The English service of MapleStory was a litmus test for us. With maple stroy mesos already serviced in the major Asian online gaming markets, Nexon needed to find the next market with appetite for the product. A global English beta of the product was released to test the viability of the product in the West and locate the next market for expansion.
For years, the industry has said item selling (microtransactions) would not work with the console driven North American market. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find similar adoption patterns in the US, as in Asia. Not only did MapleStory’s registrations take off; many players were purchasing Nexon Cash to access our virtual items.