Free-to-play giant Nexon and fructose corn syrup magnet 7-Eleven have been working together for almost a year now via selling Nexon pre-paid cards at a number of the highly popular convenience stores.  Things just got a bit more interesting this past Monday, when Nexon and 7-Eleven unveiled an in-game Slurpee/game code cross promotion.

Titled “Where U Play For Free!”, the cross promotion features Slurpee cups that feature graphics from Nexon’s popular titles; MapleStory, Mabinogi, Combat Arms, and the upcoming Sugar Rush.  Partakers of über sugared icy goodness will receive a Nexon game DVD when ordering up a 22-oz. or larger Slurpee, including all 4 games featured on the specially branded cups.

Ok, so far so good…7-Eleven is promoting Nexon via a free-to-play game giveaway, but what’s in it for 7-Eleven?  Ah ha! Glad you asked.  Here’s where things get really interesting.  Each Nexon branded Slurpee cup has an exclusive game code that may be entered in any one of Nexon’s titles to redeem custom 7-Eleven branded in-game gear.  Mabinogi features 20 in-game Slurpees that recover 100 HP each.  The MapleStory code will provide double XP for 90 Minutes, and the Combat Arms code will provide players with a 7-Eleven Cap and Supply Case that contains a free weapon.  If this isn’t brilliant enough, the game code ALSO provides 7-Eleven customers the opportunity to participate in the closed beat of Sugar Rush.  That’s a heckuva cool way to get in on a beta that’s scheduled for an early ’09 release.

“We’ve seen great success with the Nexon pre-paid cash cards and this partnership further solidifies 7-Eleven as a premier gaming destination,” said Brad Haga, 7-Eleven’s senior product director of services. “Free-to-play games are more popular than ever in North America, and with Nexon, we can deliver a dynamic experience for our customers looking for great entertainment.”

Now let’s take a step back to have a better look at what’s going on here.  Nexon has been leading the free-to-play charge in North America for quite a while now, and has obviously made great headway.  A strategic partnership with a non-game related brick and mortar store has been a brilliant move.  At a shop where you might stop to pick up some milk on the way home, grab a quick bite on the go, or quench your thirst (I might even have a reason to buy a Slurpee now), why not pick up a pre-paid game card to fuel your free-to-play compulsion?  Great move in itself.

Now add the branded cups, in-game virtual item redemption codes, including access to a closed beta, and in-game branded merchandise?  Someone slap me and wake me up, as this has got to be one of the best moves of the year.  If this campaign is even remotely successful, I could imagine retailers lining up around the block to get their message branded in in-game virtual items.  Racing game?  Great.  How about redeeming an Exxon cap after purchasing $20 of gas or more?  Exxon could then sell pre-paid gaming cards right next to those pre-paid phone cards.

The Nexon/7-Eleven cross promotion is a stellar example of how virtual worlds, and their associated real world marketing and advertising opportunities are becoming more and more visible and valuable to the entire business.  Do I want to see every mom and pop joint with a redeemable in-game code?  No.  Do I want to see great forays into realizing and recognizing the real-world financial possibilities for the sale, trade, and consumption of virtual world items and services? Absolutely!

Related articles

• Nexon Teams With 7-Eleven For Slurpee Goodness [MapleStory]
• Nexon and 7-Eleven promote in-game Slurpees

Tags: Brad Haga, cash cards, Combat, combat arms, convenience stores, cross promotion, free to play, Mabinogi, maplestory, Nexon, partnership, pre paid cards, slurpees, sugar rush

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 13th, 2008 at 3:22 pm and is filed under industry news. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.