Nexon
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2007) |
- Nexon Corporation should not be confused with KRU Interactive (Formerly Nexon Inc.)
| File:Nexon logo.SVG | |
| Industry | Game developer and Publisher |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1994 |
| Headquarters |  Seoul, South Korea |
| Website | http://www.nexon.com/ |
Nexon Corporation (Korean: 넥슨) is a Korean Gaming corporation, and a developer of online games and MMORPGs. Its headquarters are located in Seoul, South Korea.
History
Nexon Corp. published their first title, Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds, in 1996. In 1999 Nexon released Dark Ages: Online Roleplaying which was loosely based off the Korean game Legend of Darkness, using the same server technology. The North American version of Dark Ages was developed by David Kennerly
Nexon Corp has also released a few unsuccessful games to the North American audience in beta form which have since been dropped. They include Elemental Saga, QuizQuiz and Elancia. QuizQuiz never left beta stage in North America but was later released through the Japanese division of Nexon, Nexon Japan in an Japanese version. QuizQuiz has since evolved into the exclusively Korean and Japanese online game Q-Play, while Elemental Saga was eventually canceled. It was really regrettable, as Elemental Saga was one of the most popular game. There is no doubt that there still exists many players who sought to find Elemental Saga on official and private servers after many years of it's cancellation. Nexon has several games exclusively available to Korean players such as Elancia and Crazy Arcade.
In 2003, Nexon created a hugely successful game called MapleStory, which eventually had clients in Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Southeast Asia, North America and Europe and many other places. Nexon then bought out 51% of the shares in Wizet and now control MapleStory.
It has produced several online video games, primarily MMORPGs and online action games. Most games have used a 2D perspective, including side-scrolling, top-down, and isometric perspectives. Newer 3D titles are currently being published. Although most games are available for free, various gameplay enhancements can be purchased.
Partnership with Nintendo
NEXON announced that they have made a partnership with Nintendo,[1] though they will continue games for the computer as well. Together, they are currently working on MapleStory DS for Nintendo's handheld console, Nintendo DS.
NEXON Cash
Commonly referred to as 'NX Cash' or just 'NX', the NEXON Cash system was one of the first systems to use the Virtual Asset Sales(VAS) model. The Nexon Cash system was first introduced in the Korean version of MapleStory. The NEXON Cash system allows users to purchase NEXON cash with real money. The NX cash can be used to obtain virtual game items that other users normally wouldn't have. You can buy cards with 5,10,25,or 50 dollar values. Players can use this virtual cash to buy items for their characters in games that support a "Cash Shop." The NEXON Cash system has appeared in other games to generate additional funds for their company and keep their games free to play.
On January 11, 2007, NEXON America announced the release of NEXON Prepaid Cards. The prepaid cards contain amounts of 10,000 ($10 USD) or 25,000 ($25 USD) NX currency that can be redeemed for NX Cash. As of September 17, 2007 the prepaid cards are available in North American Target stores, 7-Eleven stores, Duane Reade, and recently, CVS/pharmacy, Best Buy, and Rite Aid stores in the US. In Canada, the cards are available at Future Shop, Shoppers Drug Mart, Best Buy, and 7-Eleven.
News
- October 2005 - Nexon Corp. publishes Global MapleStory under the name NXGames from Wizet.
- March 2006 - Nexon America hires a CEO named John Chi and will be starting a major marketing campaign.
- June 2006 - Nexon disclosed it is set to launch a game portal service in the U.S., with the company planning to unveil "Audition," a hit online dance game enjoying phenomenal success in Taiwan and China as well as in the home market.
- June 7, 2006 - KIPA (Korea IT Industry Promotion Agency) listed Audition Online to be launched in America.
- August 25, 2006 - According to an interview published on GameSpot Korea, an PC English version of Mabinogi is under development/translation for North America market. Estimated release is scheduled for late 2007.[2]
- November 3, 2006 - Alex Garden, co-founder of Relic Entertainment, joins Nexon and will run Nexon's North American game development studio, Nexon Publishing North America.[3]
- July 27, 2007 - Nexon Corp. announces a partnership with Valve Software to publish Counter Strike Online in Asia.
- December 19, 2007 - Mabinogi announced in the North American market by Nexon America.
Company Divisions
NEXON America
NEXON America first started as NXGames in October 2005. By partnering with Wizet, NEXON America cosigned and acquired publishing rights of MapleStory in North America. On November 2, 2006, NXGames began marketing their business as NEXON America and dropping the NXGames name. On November 9, 2006, NEXON America had announced its partnership with MTV Networks to promote NEXON games and enhance the Neopets services.[4] NEXON has also announced that they will market MapleStory, Kartrider, Mabinogi, and Audition Online with MTV Networks. NEXON America currently leads the American Online Gaming Industry with the North American MapleStory version recently reaching almost the 5-million player mark.[citation needed]
NEXON Europe
NEXON Europe is one of the new online game portals in Europe. NEXON Europe first opened in April 9, 2007, when NEXON Europe released the Open Beta of MapleStory Europe. On May 31, 2007, NEXON Europe officially released MapleStory Europe and opened the cash shop. The release also marked the official grand opening of MapleStory Europe and the game will be removed from its beta stages. The addition of other games has not been confirmed yet.
NEXON Japan
NEXON Japan is one of the most successful online gaming companies in Japan. NEXON Japan was first started with MapleStory, which turned into a synonymous online game.
NEXON Korea
NEXON Korea is one of the South Korea's gaming industry's larger companies.[citation needed] NEXON Korea started with Kingdom of the wind in their lineup. NEXON Korea received a large influx of users migrating to the Korean version because of the Tespia Test Server and their more up-to-date patching. To combat this, NEXON Korea now requires a Korean Social Security Number to register.
NEXON Games
Release History
See also
References
- ^ "Nintendo to invade Korea; teams up with MMORPG dev". Destructoid. 2006-12-26. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
- ^ "마비노기, 북미 진출 노린다" (in Korean). GameSpot Korea. 2006-08-25. Retrieved 2007-02-09.
- ^ "'Warhammer' Creator Joins Nexon". The Korea Times. 2006-11-05. Retrieved 2007-02-19.
- ^ "MTV Networks and Nexon Partnership". Nexon Notice Board. 2006-11-09. Retrieved 2007-02-09.