The Digital Continuum: Business as unusual
Filed under: Business models, Opinion, The Digital Continuum
maple-story posts
First Impressions: Maple Story
Filed under: Fantasy, MapleStory, Reviews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions
First of all, please notice the banner ad at the top of this post. That should tell you everything you need to know about MS in a nutshell: Cute superdeformed anime-esque graphics, goofy-themed gameplay, and an engaging sense of humor about itself. Cyborg turkeys, yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Don't forget, clicking on the following pictures leads to their hi-res versions. Read on, O brave audience!
Shopping list: Milk, bread, MMO game time cards...
Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Lineage, Lineage 2, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Tabula Rasa, Exteel, Free-to-play
Let's face it, getting time cards for your favorite game is a necessity. It's up there with the milk, bread, and eggs that you need for your daily survival. We have enough stories about MMO withdrawal to fill a shopping cart, so why not sell our addiction where we can easily grab it?
NCsoft got the message and is pushing their time cards out to the masses by partnering up with Target, Rite Aid, and Best Buy. Now you too can literally walk down the street to the drug store and pick up your favorite addiction -- more play time. More importantly, if you're a subscriber to City of Heroes/Villains, grab yourself a time card because it will unlock an in-game jet pack for you to use.
The approach isn't anything new, as Nexon has already been providing their cash cards to customers of 7-Eleven convenience stores for some time now. What all of this does show is a marketing push by more game companies to get their cards into the mainstream market of consumer products.
Lastly, as a friendly reminder, when you're running out to get those "essentials" at Rite-Aid or Target before that "big storm" hits, remember your desktop computer doesn't work when the power is out.
NCsoft got the message and is pushing their time cards out to the masses by partnering up with Target, Rite Aid, and Best Buy. Now you too can literally walk down the street to the drug store and pick up your favorite addiction -- more play time. More importantly, if you're a subscriber to City of Heroes/Villains, grab yourself a time card because it will unlock an in-game jet pack for you to use.
The approach isn't anything new, as Nexon has already been providing their cash cards to customers of 7-Eleven convenience stores for some time now. What all of this does show is a marketing push by more game companies to get their cards into the mainstream market of consumer products.
Lastly, as a friendly reminder, when you're running out to get those "essentials" at Rite-Aid or Target before that "big storm" hits, remember your desktop computer doesn't work when the power is out.
Joystiq looks at South Korea's PC Baang culture
Filed under: Culture, MMO industry
No PlayStation, No Nintendo, No Sega. In a sprawling metropolis on the brink of a technological revolution what place would eschew console gaming? It was South Korea, and for the longest time there was an embargo against Japanese made imports. In the embargo's wake an unstoppable PC gaming utopia and a molding of an anomalous social culture evolved. With the government push for broadband access and the proliferation of PC Baangs, online PC-game rooms, a remarkable 70% of South Korean internet users have played some kind of MMOG. The Korean MMOG invasion on the western market has spurned resentment but some MMOs like Nexon's Maple Story found a successful niche. What is fascinating, are not the endless failed imports or the lucky few that do succeed in the US but the radical differences in our gaming cultures. Joystiq's Geoffrey Brooks is residing in Seoul, South Korea for the summer. Indulging his senses in this part of the world Brook posits about South Korea's PC Baangs and the masterful technological wired revolution and contrasts it to the lagging-behind United States. It's a must read, especially if you know nothing of the PC gaming culture in South Korea other than asking "isn't Starcraft big there?"
New closed beta for Pi Story
Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events, in-game, New titles, Free-to-play, Casual
Pi Story tells the tale of a perfect world -- Pi -- that was torn apart by this very desire for perfection. Now the world is broken into shards, and your job is to bring these shards back together by finding all the pieces of Pi. Mmm. Pi. Pi Story features casual play, a very easy grouping system, instanced adventure areas, a strategy-based guild activity system and housing, an apartment of your own you can decorate as you wish, a built in web diary and browser, and built-in message boards.
Want to see more? Check out the gameplay video after the break.
Nexon's new western targeted MMOG Sugar Rush in closed beta
Filed under: Betas, Video, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Casual, Sugar Rush
Nexon America's Min Kim dropped a hint in late May that an upcoming MMO title was in development in their Vancouver studio. The big secret is Sugar Rush, a new casual based MMO romp and stomp with coin collection mixed into the fray. It is the first MMOG from that studio that is intended specifically for North American audiences. While Sugar Rush is free to play, it will sustain development costs via a microtransaction model "item mall" similar to many other free to play MMOs. The game is currently in closed beta and Nexon America is not accepting applications at this time, but we hear it may launch in the very near future.The development team working on Sugar Rush is based in Vancouver, Canada and includes former Electronic Arts Worldwide Studios Group vice president and creative director Steve Rechtschaffner, as well as studio Klei Entertainment. Headed by Jamie Cheng, Klei Entertainment previously developed and published Eets, a 2D puzzle game for PCs which was later revamped for Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade.
It will be interesting to see how Sugar Rush does in North America. MapleStory is unquestionably highly successful. It put Nexon on the global radar and shocked the naysayers when MapleStory earned 29 million dollars in revenue -- not bad for a free to play MMOG! The whole western and eastern MMOG market juxtaposition is fascinating; many have shunned a lot of eastern games in discussing the western market and vice-versa. A video from the closed beta showcasing game play is after the jump. Let us know what you think.
The Social Gaming Summit: Casual MMOs and Immersive Worlds
Filed under: MapleStory, Business models, MMO industry, Club Penguin, Casual, Academic, Virtual worlds, Massively Event Coverage, Kids
A particular highlight of the conference for this blogger was the panel entitled "Casual MMOs and Immersive Worlds", which provided a lively discussion on what it means to create a virtual social space, how to monetize free-to-play content, and what exactly is a casual MMO? Trying to divide attention between listening raptly and taking notes is difficult; here is the result, along with the panelists, after the jump.
MapleStory reaps over $29 million in U.S. virtual item sales
Filed under: MapleStory, Business models, Economy, MMO industry, News items
2007 proved to be a good year for Nexon in the United States, particularly with its free-to-play MapleStory. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reports that the although the game has 85 million users worldwide, only 5.9 million of them are U.S. players. Given the relatively small percentage of its player base located in the United States, it's surprising that MapleStory made an absolute killing on in-world transactions in 2007; the WSJ reports that 'Nexon's U.S. revenue last year more than tripled to $29.3 million from $8.5 million the prior year.'Jeremy Liew provides some additional commentary on the Nexon windfall over at Lightspeed: "With $30m in US sales and 6m US registered users, assuming a 20% "active player" rate and 10% "buyer rate", that implies an ARPU of $20/mth which sounds about right and is consistent with number we've seen from games in Asia. It sounds like the US will be following very similar models of virtual goods monetization that we've seen in Asia." It's interesting that the predominantly Asian business model of legitimized RMT is already gaining some degree of acceptance in the United States, albeit a slow acceptance.
Via PlayNoEvil
Celebrate Maple Story's 3rd anniversary with Big Puff Daddy
Filed under: Fantasy, MapleStory, Culture, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, News items, Free-to-play
Nexon's super-popular MMO Maple Story is celebrating its third anniversary with a slew of new content. Among the new items and events players can look forward to are the ability to temporarily become a monster, a series of special Maple weapon drops, Boss Clones combat, the new Yakuza-themed region called Showa, and a unique Maple Story Anniversary Hat.But perhaps best of all, a rampaging attack by the cake-based monster called Big Puff Daddy! No longer will his people be oppressed, devoured at will simply because they're delicious! (Note: while we do not have a photo of BPD, chances are good that it will look nothing like the photo to the right) If you're a member, enjoy the new content. If not, now would be a great time to join!
[Thanks, Robert!]
Nexon coils up the Long Tail at VIDFEST 2008
Filed under: MapleStory, Business models, Culture, Economy, Events, real-world, Making money, News items, Free-to-play, Academic, Mabinogi
The Vancouver International Digital Festival, or VIDFEST, is an event for digital media professionals. This covers all aspects of media, including animation, Web 2.0, and gaming. Nexon, makers of Maple Story and Mabinogi, among others, will have a presence there, and in fact have managed to get Chris Anderson, Wired magazine editor -in-chief, and author of The Long Tail and the upcoming Free: Why $0.00 is the Future of Business to speak at the keynote address on the 23rd of May.It's easy to see the connection; Nexon has proved that the free-to-play/microtransactions model can be a successful one. American MMOs are still reluctant to try this out, preferring the standard subscription model instead. Perhaps Anderson can sway the hearts and minds of the captains of the digital industry?
[Thanks, Robert!]
Craig Sherman: WoW not a success
Filed under: World of Warcraft, MMO industry, News items
Maybe we should measure MMO success by degree of pop-culture status: Has Maple Story had commercials featuring William Shatner, Mr. T and Vern Troyer? Will Puzzle Pirates become a theatrical film anytime soon? No, but that doesn't make these games any less successful in their own right. Plus, that's a ridiculous way of measuring success. There's a lot of differences in these games, but one thing is for sure -- World of Warcraft is definitely a successful game.
First Look: Remnants of Skystone
Filed under: At a glance, Sci-fi, Screenshots, Game mechanics, New titles, News items, Mac
One particular flavor of science fiction that's gotten short shrift by MMOs is Steampunk, the variant that combines our love of gearwork with mad science. Fortunately, Flipline Studios will redress that omission with its upcoming 2D, side-scrolling adventurer, Remnants of Skystone. Set in a future wherein an alien race called the Mimics have claimed the Earth as theirs, covering it with a poisonous miasma called the Haze, humans have taken to the skies in the floating city called Nidaria. Players can expect a game experience somewhat in the manner of MapleStory, where players may team up to explore and retake the ground from the alien menace.
No word yet on whether this will be free-to-play or subscription, but it does mention it will be for PCs and Macs. Remnants of Skystone is set to release late this year on kongregate.com. For a full look at how this title's developing, check out the RoS blog. The site also features screenshots and a bit of world history, so whet your appetite and getcher goggles on -- full steam ahead!
[Thanks, Tony!]
The Daily Grind: monthly fee or microtransactions?
Filed under: World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, MapleStory, Business models, Classes, Economy, Making money, Trickster Online, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Daily Grind
We have covered this peripherally before, but while that post focused on buying items through microtransactions, we'd like to ask you: what's your preference? A few MMOs have monthly fees that are also set up for discounted bulk purchases -- you pay less per month if you buy, say, 6 months at once -- but then there's the oh-so-enticing free-as-a-bird model, with microtransactions for better gear thrown in.But it's not just about items or time, is it? Do you feel that paying a monthly fee to your favorite MMO is an investment in your gaming future? Is it enough of a reward for the development team? If you're playing a free-to-play microtransactions game, can you still vote with your dollars if your favorite class gets nerfed? All things being equal, which is better?
Mabinogi in open beta in March; Euros and Ozzies left out
Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, News items, Free-to-play, Mabinogi
Nexon, maker of Maple Story and other, weirder MMOs, has announced that their intriguing title Mabinogi will hit North America with an open beta on March 5th. However, this is for residents of North America only; gamers in Europe and Australia will be s.o.l. [note: adult language] until such time as Nexon feels they're ready to hit the rest of the world.There's apparently more to Mabinogi than previously suspected -- more than just aging the character over weeks, time is a much more involved element to the game. The storyline itself will evolve over generations, and a character's diet also affects its appearance. I'm all crazygonuts excited to play this, so expect a First Impressions from me shortly after launch!
And make sure you check out the videos on their website -- they're short tutorials on how to get around and do things in the world, presented by a girl and her sheep. While a little broad in its humor, it's still cute and has some good tips in between the silliness.
The top 5 free MMOs
Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Puzzle, Galleries, Screenshots, Dungeon Runners, MapleStory, Puzzle Pirates, Business models, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Pirates of the Caribbean Online, Opinion, Mythos, Free-to-play, Casual, Massively highlights
It's been said that the best things in life are free. Whoever said it probably didn't have MMOs in mind, but it's certainly true that there are many quality games out there that are completely free to download and play. Here's a list of the top 5 free massively multiplayer online games.
Now, to pre-empt the equally massive glut of angry emails and comments I'm sure to receive for leaving someone's favorite title off of this list, I'm going to state right up front that these choices are based completely on the number of times I've heard them mentioned with favor by a variety of different sources. I make no guarantees of having played any of these MMOs, so they're not necessarily my personal picks. But if I keep hearing people mention them in different contexts, there must be something to them. In short, these games are popular for a reason, and if you haven't played them, you might find that they're worth your download. We begin after the jump!
_thumbnail.jpg "Aion Beta: Asmodian Ascension Quest")
