Nexon: Q1 revenues up 59 percent

May 5th, 2011

Free-to-play/Microtransaction based games maker Nexon is reporting that it’s North American business unit, Nexon America, grew a healthy 59 percent in year-over-year first quarter revenues. Traditionally a slow season for the gaming industry, Nexon has beat the odds, making this growth particularly notable. The secret sauce behind Nexon’s impressive showing? A steady release of new content, resulting in increased user engagement and sales of microtransaction based items.

“Our success is the result of our ability to deliver engaging content that our players find valuable, whether they are playing for free or purchasing items in our games,” said Daniel Kim, CEO of Nexon America. “The substantial growth we are experiencing in North America is a reflection of how well Nexon is doing globally. We are growing our traditional MMOG business as well as expanding into other platforms such as the mobile and social games, which will help to expand our global reach and the number of people playing our games.”

In addition to their currently available Atlantica Online, Combat Arms, MapleStory, Vindictus, Dungeon Fighter Online, Mabinogi, and PopTag!, Nexon plans on a second appearance at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, and will showcase Dragon Nest, Nexon’s yet-to-be-released offering, as well as Vindictus. Dragon Nest is slated for a summer release for free-to-play PC gamers in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. According to Nexon, the title will combine fast-paced action alongside an engaging storyline and a the distinctive Nexon art style. Naturally, the title will be free-to-play, and microtransaction supported.

Likewise, as we recently reported, Nexon is teeing up a Facebook version, MapleStory Adventures, of the long running MapleStory franchise. And while Q1’s numbers are certainly impressive, with a Facebook launch of a perennial favorite, as well as a new “full” game, Nexon’s Q4 numbers should be poised to be off the charts.

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Nexon North America reports a 42 percent jump in Q4 revenues

January 28th, 2011

Nexon America, the North American publishing arm of Nexon global, is reporting a healthy revenue jump of 42 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010. Nexon is pointing to a strong showing in December, when Nexon reports a 60 percent increase in revenues YoY when compared to 2009’s revenues.

Nexon North America’s microtransaction based revenue generators include their highly successful FPS Combat Arms, classic MapleStory, Vindictus, Dungeon Fighter Online, Mabinogi, and PopTag! While now available for consideration on the “classics” list, Nexon’s one-that-started-it-all, MapleStory continues to drive revenues and expansion at Nexon North America, as the “Big Bang” expansion was a large driver of late 2010 revenues, bringing in not only a host of new players, but perhaps more importantly, pulling back lapsed players. As a point of reference, in mid-December, Nexon reports a massive 136,000 concurrent MapleStory players, a number that shattered the title’s previous record, in fact, nearly doubling the former record.

“It was a tremendous fourth quarter and year for Nexon and MapleStory’s Big Bang had a lot to do with it,” said Daniel Kim, Nexon America’s CEO in a statement. “Nexon has perfected a formula for gameplay with a business model that attracts players and keeps them loyal. Players don’t have to pay a cent to enjoy Nexon’s games, but our players who do pay to enhance their gameplay experience tend to spend more than the typical social gamer or subscription-based game player. Evidence of the success of this formula was seen with the release of the Big Bang expansion and the resulting increase in concurrent players and revenues.”

And although Nexon has been at it for some 10 years now, first introducing the world to the free-to-play, pay small bits of money in the game, aka microtransaction, model, the company doesn’t show any signs of resting on it’s collective laurels. 2011 hold a new title in store for Nexon America, the anticipated Dragon Nest – a fantasy based action MMOG. Initially unveiled at the 2010 E3 expo, Dragon Nest has been received with fervor in Korea and elsewhere.

“Dragon Nest will continue to raise the bar for microtransaction-based games and should energize the North American market with stylized graphics, fast action and immersive gameplay,” Kim said.

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Nexon America dishes up Black Friday deals

November 26th, 2010

For American consumers, the day after Thanksgiving, aka, Black Friday, can mean only one thing; shopping! And why should your favorite freemium game not offer the same type of “crazy” or “insane” markdown prices brick-and-mortar stores prepare months in advance for? Well according to Nexon America, they shouldn’t.

While Nexon’s Black Friday deals have technically been running all week, today is officially Black Friday, and Nexon hopes to cash in on a bit of post-turkey pixel playing. So much so, that Nexon America isn’t just offering a deal or two, here or there, as they’ve discounted a number of virtual goods items across their entire collection of properties. And just to get everyone in the holiday spirit, Nexon is also hosting holiday activities that include increased experience points events, as well as holiday and winter based events. Combat Arms snowball fight?

“We work hard on a game-by-game basis to deliver unique holiday items,” said Daniel Kim, Nexon America’s CEO. “With the enormous number of microtransactions we conduct, we have proven that we know how to bring exciting and desired virtual items to our customers. Much like brick-and-mortar retailers, the holiday season represents a great opportunity for us to expand our customer base through fun sales and exciting in-game events.”

When it comes to what’s on tap for each individual Nexon title, they’ve really pulled out the stops, again, putting their best face forward, at a time when consumers are abnormally willing to spend a bit more than usual. Let’s see what your favorite Nexon title has to offer:

  • Maple Story: Using a milestone measurement, Maple Story players will unlock special discounts based on their logins and purchases. Pets, Meso Sacks, Skill point resents, and other items will be available for 30 percent off, starting today, November 26th.
  • Mabinogi: All cash items are on sale on Black Friday to Mabinogi players. Beginning November 25th, players can expect to spot a Double Rainbow Event, offering double drop rates, skill training, and ability points.
  • Dungeon Fighter Online: Perhaps the biggest discounted title of them all, DFO players will be able to buy items in bulk, with a discounted rate of 20-50 percent off. DFO’s also offering a “Capture Seria’s Turkeys” challenge, as well as a Thanksgiving Parade that rewards Thanksgiving “leftovers,” as well as costumes. DFO’s offers run through to the end of the month.
  • Vindictus: Vindictus players should swing by their nearest Supply Depot, as special giveaways and promotions have been launched since this past Wednesday. These promotions include 20 percent discounts on individual items, as well as packages. Vindictus players can also keep their eye out for a daily giveaway of the Goddess Grace, a unique in-game weapon.
  • Combat Arms: Combat Arms players have been building up points in a month long promotion that culminates today. Similar to Maple Story, Combat Arms players have had their progress tracked by a Black Friday Sale Meter, ultimately resulting in more deals for those that have played more. Soldiers can expect big discounts on weapons, gear, holiday packages, and the occasional (read: rare) free permanent items. And if cool new gear wasn’t enough, Nexon is really pulling out the stops in Combat Arms, offering double drops rates and quadruple experience points.

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Nexon America launches free-to-play Vindictus

October 29th, 2010

Never resting on their laurels, Nexon recently officially launched their highly anticipated MMO Vindictus. A mild departure for the free-to-play giant, Vindictus has a few features in store for gamers that they’re not quite yet accustomed to, at least not in the free-to-play market. Partnering with Valve, Nexon hopes to take free-to-play to the next level through what they’re calling a “breakthrough experience that truly brings physics alive.”

A physics based MMORPG, Vindictus runs on a modified version of Valve’s Source Engine, and allows characters to interact with their physical environment. Not only do these improved physics allow for throwing enemy corpses, shattering walls, and binding monsters with change, it also employes a unique mechanism that affects players’ wear and tear on their armor. Valve’s Source Engine, you’ll remember, is the same one powering Half-Life 2, Team Fortress 2, and Portal.

vindictus

“With the launch of Vindictus, free-to-play gaming will never be the same,” said Daniel Kim, Nexon America’s CEO.“The high-quality content and amazing physics in Vindictus will make it hard for players to believe that this game is free. Vindictus is the leading example of Nexon’s efforts to forever change what players will expect from free-to-play games. More than that, Vindictus is just plain fun.”

To celebrate the launch of Vindictus, Nexon is introducing a powerful female mage character named Evie. Evie will now join the ranks of currently available characters, the dual sword wielding Lann, and sword and shield bearing Fiona. Currently, the game features 3 “episodes” to keep players playing, with presumable more added in the future. Nexon has not commented on whether these will be available for free or via a microtransaction purchase, but I would presume the latter. Additionally, as part of the opening promotion, Nexon America will refill players’ access tokens three times a week.

A nice diversification for Nexon, and the improved physics are sure to up-the-ante in a number of free-to-play circles. However, in a genre so over crowded, and dominated by one particular MMORPG in particular, can Nexon garner enough attention to the title to make it all worth it? If their past track record is any indication as to the market and numbers that they’re able to pull through the door, Vindictus may very well have a very bright future ahead of it.

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Nexon North American up in revenue and players

August 3rd, 2010

Nexon North America has recently posted their Q2 2010 results with a 26 percent increase in growth as the company now reports 7 million players in Maple Story alone, up 1 million YoY. The company reports that June in particular showed strong growth (school summer holidays?), with revenues increasing a solid 36 percent when compared to June ’09.

Naturally, the increase in revenues is tied to the aforementioned increase in users. Maple Story North America has now officially surpassed the 7 million registered user mark. Likewise, Nexon’s first-person-shooter offering, Combat Arms has passed the 4 million registered user mark, and Mabinogi went over the 1 million mark earlier this year. From these three titles alone, that puts Nexon North America at over 13 million registered users, and that’s not even including Dungeon Fighter Online, PopTag, and Vindictus.

“Our player base and revenues continue to expand, which tells us that gamers find that our free-to-play business model fits their play needs,” said Daniel Kim, Nexon Americas CEO. “MapleStory is celebrating its fifth year of service in North America and shows no sign of slowing down, while Combat Arms is growing into one of the markets most popular online FPS games. With the recent successful launch of Dungeon Fighter Online and the release of Vindictus on the horizon, 2010 looks to be a big year for Nexon in North America.”

And if the numbers alone aren’t enough to back up Kim’s supposition, Nexon’s strong (and first) showing at this year’s past E3 convention in Los Angeles has firmly planted Nexon on the North American gamers’ radar. In addition to excited attendees that got their hands on Vindictus for the first time, Nexon also through what’s been reported as, “definitely a contender for ‘Best E3 Party’.” There may or may not have been reports of gaming industry figure Thresh dancing on tables with sparklers atwhirl. But again, this may or may not just be speculation.

“We made a strong statement about Nexons leadership position at E3 and we will work hard to maintain that momentum, deliver great games and continue to satisfy the gaming pubic,” Kim added.

Nexon North America has been five years in the making now, and as Kim states, it looks like the hard work and persistence are starting to pay off, and in droves. Again, the numbers above reflect only Nexon NA’s three largest titles, with a fourth, Vindictus, poised for closed beta launch on August 10th. It should be quite interesting to see how/what Nexon’s numbers will look like this time next year.

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Nexon poised to make big E3 debut

June 9th, 2010

In their first ever E3 appearance, Korean free-to-play firm Nexon plans on making a big splash. Not only is it the company’s first time at E3, but they also plan on bringing along not 1, not 2, but 3 (what they’re dubbing as) next-generation free-to-play games. On tap will be Vindictus, Dragon Nest, and Dungeon Fighter Online.

NEXON_logoNexon will be located at booth 635 in the South Hall, and if new titles weren’t enough to draw in the crowds, Nexon is taking a play from some famous industry trade show playbooks, and have included former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Michelle Lombardo as eye candy. Of course, Nexon’s official position is that she’s there to show off the Red Wolf Hood, which represents the Gnoll Chieftain from Vindictus. Random visitors to Nexon’s booth will receive a complimentary Red Wolf Hood.

Titled “The Future of Free,” Nexon hopes to present audiences with the new style of free-to-play, including more action and higher level of quality not yet seen in the genre.

Up first: Vindictus. Slated as the first physics based MMORPG that fuses gorgeous visuals with high-speed combat. Powering the action is a modified Source Engine that enables actions such as throwing, shattering, binding with chains, piercing with spears, etc.

Second on the Nexon tap: Dragon Nest. An action role-playing game, Nexon serves up another high-speed action thriller that’s reported to have mind boggling graphics, particularly in regards to attack combos. A hybrid of sorts, Dragon Nest seeks to combine the best of both traditional RPGs and MMORPGs.

And launching today, June 9th, Nexon’s Dungeon Fighter Online already has more than 200 million players around the globe. Centered around arcade style action, this role-playing game builds upon Nexon’s fast-paced side scrolling (think Maple Story) games, while at the same time throwing in elements of classic video game fighting.

“Nexon’s first visit to E3 will definitely be a memorable one,” said Min Kim, Nexon America’s vice president of marketing. “Vindictus, Dragon Nest and Dungeon Fighter Online will set the new standard for free-to-play games and should be a revelation to E3 attendees. We are excited to take our message of great free-to-play gaming to the E3 crowds as well as provide great loot, special guests and a few surprises that will make coming to our booth a great experience.”

One item of note: It looks as though Nexon’s BlockParty.com is not yet ready for public consumption, as I would have thought that an inaugural attendance at E3 would have been the perfect time. Similar in function to ngmoco’s plusplus platform, Nexon’s BlockParty.com will help Nexon game players find and play with other Nexon gamers. Christmas 2010?

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