Joystiq

Nexon America's pre-paid card empire

Mike Schramm — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 10:55:00 EST

Nexon America CEO Daniel Kim tells an interesting story about how his company created one of the biggest phenomena in gaming retail lately: The pre-paid card. Nowadays, you can find rows of pre-paid cards for Nexon's microtransaction-based games like MapleStory or Vindictus lining the shelves of any 7-11 or Target. But a few years ago, both Target and its customers had to be sold on the idea.

Kim and his company came up with a way to teach customers how it worked, right inside a browser-based MMO. "We had a quest in-game, to go to Target in-game, to the section where they had the game cards," Kim says. Target kept the cards not in the gaming section, but in the music section alongside iTunes gift cards. "So three months leading up to the actual release of the card, we actually had a quest in-game to go get allowance from an NPC, go to the Target store, go to the music section, go find a CD card."

The training worked. "Day one," says Kim, "the cards were released, they were sold out in so many stores. They called us and said, 'We gotta print more cards.'"

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Nexon America's pre-paid card empire originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Preview: Vindictus

Mike Schramm — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:30:00 EST

2010 marked Nexon's first appearance ever at an E3, and that says quite a bit about both the company and the free-to-play business model it's adapted for MMO action titles. The South Korean company was showing off three different games at the show: the recently released 2D action MMO Dungeon Fighter Online, an upcoming 3D fantasy MMORPG with a casual bent called Dragon Nest, and this one, Vindictus, an action RPG using a heavily modified version of the Source engine to provide a little physics-based hacking and slashing fun.

While the look of these games is very different, they all have the same origin (free-to-play titles with lots of microtransactions, originating in South Korea and translated over to North America for Western audiences), and the same problems. They all have excellent premises and even some good design ideas, but they just don't have the polish, especially when compared to popular Western games, to make the experience shine.

Gallery: Vindictus (E3 2010)

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Preview: Vindictus originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dungeon Fighter Online launches in North America

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 10:55:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Nexon's MMORPBEUG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Beat 'Em Up Game) has finally made its way to North American hearts, minds and internets. After racking up more than 200 million players overseas, the free-to-play, genre-defying Dungeon Fighter Online is now available to download at no cost through Nexon America's site.

If you're curious how an MMORPBEUG actually works, you can check out a whole gaggle of trailers over on the game's YouTube channel. Basically, it handles like Final Fight, only with a Diablo-esque user interface, and a Ragnarok-inspired art design, and World of Warcraft-esque character specialization trees. Yeah, it's all over the place.

Dungeon Fighter Online launches in North America originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dungeon Fighter Online beta applications now open

Jem Alexander — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 06:00:00 EST

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]

Dungeon Fighter Online beta applications now open originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Combat Arms introduces 'Nut Shot' instant kill

David Hinkle — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:20:00 EST

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.

Combat Arms introduces 'Nut Shot' instant kill originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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