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Nexon concludes MapleStory's Chaos series with loads of new content

Matt Daniel — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, MapleStory, Patches, News items, Free-to-play

MapleStory's Chaos series of updates is ending with a bang with the Age of Triumph, which according to Nexon, is "a huge update that brings unique content exclusively to those players who traverse Maple World on Global MapleStory servers."

So what does the final update have in store for Maple World? Well, for starters it brings an all-new storyline titled The Silent Crusade. The storyline quests are available for players in the incredibly broad level range of 37-110, and they introduce players to a force that specializes in the elimination of Master Monsters (a new faction of enemies). Alongside the new storyline, the update will also introduce PvPers to the new Capture the Flag mode. And lastly, players will find in their inventory a Crusader Codex, which is essentially an encyclopedia of the monsters of Maple World. Each page can be filled with Monster Cards, which drop from various enemies. Once a page is completed, the page will display the monster's information such as levels, locations, and item drops, and players will receive unique prizes such as medals. For some new screenshots of the upcoming update, check out the gallery below.

Gallery: MapleStory

Nexon concludes MapleStory's Chaos series with loads of new content originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nexon releases new MapleStory map and two new classes

Jef Reahard — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, MapleStory, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play

MapleStory's Big Bang patch series is reloading for a second round of content updates, and this time the new stuff includes a new map, two new classes, and a new story.

Nexon's free-to-play fantasy side-scroller now features the Wild Hunter and Battle Mage classes, which players can commandeer in an effort to stem the tide of the relentless Black Wing menace that threatens to destroy the Resistance. Surprisingly, the Battle Mage isn't a bring-up-the-rear kind of DPSer like most mages you may have met. Nexon's press release says he'll be "the first into danger, placing himself between his teammates and the forces of darkness."

The Wild Hunter, on the other hand, is very much a keep-'em-at-range kind of gal who "will shoot down her targets with deadly accuracy [while riding] on the back of a jaguar." MapleStory will also be featuring another Hot Time event on August 6th, so mark your calendars and be sure to log in, grab an SP reset scroll and get some double XP. Finally, don't forget to click past the cut for a couple of videos focused on the new classes.

Continue reading Nexon releases new MapleStory map and two new classes

Nexon releases new MapleStory map and two new classes originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MapleStory's Chaos updates kicking off with the Age of Heroes

Jef Reahard — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MapleStory, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play

It's been a while since we've heard from MapleStory, but today the free-to-play side-scroller from Nexon has taken the wraps off its Chaos summer update plans. The next two months will bring major content updates to Maple World courtesy of the Age of Heroes patch that drops on June 29th. New quests, zones, and a new high-level boss are all on tap, as is a battle through the Henesys Ruins and the Knight Stronghold that Nexon's press release describes as "the most formidable challenge in the entire game."

The Age of Heroes update will also bring about a hero class re-balance, and restrictions for creating Dual Blade, Aran, and Evan classes will be lifted. Explorers, Cygnus, and Resistance classes are also being tweaked, and players will find them "more powerful than ever" due to main skill enhancements.

Later in the summer, the Age of Artisans update will unveil a new level-based crafting system, and the Age of Battle will bring a PvP mode to MapleStory. Head to the official site for all the details.

MapleStory's Chaos updates kicking off with the Age of Heroes originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Further developments in MapleStory Europe's hacking madness

Brendan Drain — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MapleStory, Culture, Events, in-game, News items, Free-to-play, Casual

Last week, we brought you the news that players abusing an exploit had brought MapleStory Europe's in-game economy to its knees. Using a packet-forging exploit, players with the Meso Guard skill were able to trick the server into giving them 2.17 billion mesos. Hundreds of mule accounts were created to house the forged currency, and trillions was poured into the economy via trades and market stalls. Nexon EU's initial response was to trade-ban all characters with over a certain amount of currency, a move that was criticised for catching a great deal of legitimate players and also somehow missing many of the hackers' mule accounts.

Despite concerns that the issue had gotten out of hand, Nexon EU stated that the company opted not to perform a server rollback. "The reason why we didn't perform a rollback on our servers," a Nexon EU representative told us, "was because we detected the exploit too late which may make the players lose even more of their gains if we were to turn everything back." The company's final plan for dealing with the massive influx of mesos has finally been announced, and it's bad news for practically everyone involved. After determining that the damage to the economy had become irreversible, Nexon decided to try to bring balance back to the economy by deleting a large percentage of every single player's mesos.

The forums have been in an uproar about the solution, with players complaining that it harms legitimate players more than the hackers. Legitimate players who have never cheated nor hacked will log in to find up to 90% of their hard-earned cash gone. Hackers will suffer the same percentage deduction, but with trillions stashed away in mule accounts they'll still be a lot better off than they were before the incident. Nexon EU clarified the statement in a later announcement, stating that "the deduction of Mesos will only be applied to users who have logged into the game between January 5th, 2011 and February 9th, 2011 5:00 A.M. (GMT+1)." Accounts that were previously trade-banned will also be receiving 1,000 maple points and an incubator as compensation.

Further developments in MapleStory Europe's hacking madness originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nexon's Daniel Kim talks demographics, pre-paid gaming cards

Jef Reahard — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MapleStory, Business models, Culture, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Vindictus

Our friends at Joystiq recently spoke with Nexon CEO Daniel Kim about the runaway success that is the company's pre-paid gaming card program. While Nexon is a well-established gaming powerhouse outside of the U.S., the company's American market is nothing to sneeze at either, with 12 million users spread across its portfolio (7.6 million of them in MapleStory alone).

A big part of Nexon's American success is the pre-paid gaming card, an ubiquitous fixture at retail outlets including Target and 7-11. Kim tells Joystiq that a key factor in raising pre-paid card awareness among consumers was the implementation of an in-game quest designed to train users to head for the music section of their local Target superstore. "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," he says.

Kim also provides a bit of insight into Nexon's customer demographics, stating that "our median age is really 17, 18, 19." Many of the company's users weren't previously online gamers, and Kim says the microtransaction model is the key to customer attraction and retention. "There's no barrier to entry. If they have a computer and an internet connection, they can download the game and play for as long as they want," he says.

Nexon's Daniel Kim talks demographics, pre-paid gaming cards originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MapleStory Europe's economy collapses due to currency exploit [Updated]

Brendan Drain — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MapleStory, Bugs, Economy, Events, in-game, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play

Despite its huge financial success, MapleStory Europe has had more than its fair share of problems. Last month, controversy hit MapleStory Europe when double-xp cards lasting for 90 days, instead of the intended 24 hours, were accidentally placed in the cash shop during the new year sale. The latest issue to hit MapleStory Europe has done serious and potentially irrecoverable damage to the game's economy. The exploit involved the Chief Bandit and Shadower classes, which both have a skill called "Meso Guard". This causes them to lose mesos, the game's currency, when hit instead of hitpoints.

Packet-forging exploits have been used for some time to alter the damage players deal to monsters or receive from them. Combined with Meso Guard, hackers were able to fool the game into hitting them for -2,147,483,648 damage (the largest negative value a signed 32-bit integer can hold). Since the damage was a negative value, the Meso Guard skill then granted the player over two billion mesos. Hacking players used their ill-gotten gains to buy up practically everything in players' market stalls, massively inflating the game's economy by pouring untold billions into the hands of random players.

Nexon attempted to patch the exploit last night and responded by permanently trade-banning countless accounts. Reports from players indicate that the exploit is still possible and that many of the offending accounts were not banned. To make matters worse, a large number of legitimate players who were traded ill-gotten currency were also allegedly trade-banned. The follow-up to another meso exploit found last year was similarly lackluster, with no server rollback performed in either instance.

[Update: Scott Yoo from Nexon Europe got in touch with us to provide an update on the story. He had the following to say: "[W]e did 'trade-ban' suspected accounts temporarily in order to conduct an internal investigation but we also had to make sure no-more illicitly gained Mesos (in-game currency) are going out to the in-game market and contained in the meanwhile. We do admit that a certain amount of legitimate players can be included in the trade banned list and that's what we are going to reveal through the investigation carefully. [...] The reason why we didn't perform a rollback on our servers was because we detected the exploit too late which may make the players lose even more of their gains if we were to turn everything back. Another announcement that includes more details on this incident will go up live shortly (either today or tomorrow as the latest)."]

MapleStory Europe's economy collapses due to currency exploit [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gears 'n' glory: MapleStory unveils the Mechanic

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MapleStory, Classes, Patches, Free-to-play, Kids

Nexon's MapleStory has been to the brink of the world's end and beyond with its Big Bang overhaul. Spread out over three significant updates, Big Bang started out with a game mechanics renovation in phase one and a pair of original classes in phase two, not to mention the addition of several new zones. Today, Nexon is happy to announce the onset of the third and final phase to this literal game-changer.

In phase three, titled "Birth of the Mechanic" in honor of the newest class in the game, MapleStory is rolling out one of the more unique MMO classes in the genre. Mechanics are pirate tank-drivers who ride into battle on their trusty mech steeds, unleashing robot minions and throwing out long-range damage while retaining the ability to heal themselves. Mechanics can also hit multiple targets at once, making the class an AoE-lover's dream.

Players wishing to honor the valiant Mechanic can raise their wrenches high on January 22nd and log into the game at precisely 2:00 p.m. PST to receive an SP Reset Scroll and a chance at a few other goodies. Hit the gallery below to check out the Mechanic in all his high-tech glory, and get caught up on Big Bang with our Crystin Cox interview!

Gallery: MapleStory

Gears 'n' glory: MapleStory unveils the Mechanic originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDCO 2010: Running MMOs for the long haul

Justin Olivetti — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, EVE Online, Lord of the Rings Online, MapleStory, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Ultima Online

In a year that seems overshadowed by the premature demise of big-budget titles, the question on everyone's mind is just what does it take to not only successfully launch an MMO, but keep it going for the long haul?

At GDC Online this past week, several devs who find themselves struggling with this very issue got together for an informative panel entitled "Strategies for Successfully Running an MMO from Launch and Beyond." At the panel, Lorin Jameson (SOE), Nathan Richardsson (CCP), Jeff Hickman (EA Mythic), Jeffrey Steefel (Turbine), Rich Vogel (EA-Bioware) and Min Kim (Nexon) stepped up to the plate take a swing at the common pitfalls, the unseen consequences and the harsh realities of the industry.

So if you're curious about why some titles thrive while others fall apart or why a particular MMO makes it to launch and beyond while another fades into obscurity, hit the jump and see what these industry experts have to say about the enormous and complex task of getting an MMO to lift off -- and then keeping it soaring for as long as possible.

Continue reading GDCO 2010: Running MMOs for the long haul

GDCO 2010: Running MMOs for the long haul originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 09 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free for All: Remembering my first F2P experiences

Beau Hindman — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Anarchy Online, Flyff, Business models, Opinion, Free-to-play, Casual, Free for All

I sit here, racking my brain, trying to think of the very first free-to-play game that I experienced. It's been quite a long time, at least seven years. As a quick history, I started in MMORPGs in '99, by bringing home a box of Ultima Online for my wife to look at. She laughed at me at first, but soon I would return home from work to find her in the middle of a marathon gaming session. We then switched to EverQuest and then to City of Heroes. In between those major choices, I spent a lot of time exploring the internet for new games.

I want to say that one of the first free-to-play games I found was FLYFF, or possibly ROSE Online. It's hard to remember exactly. I searched old emails and found a few references to some games, but I can only verify start dates like February of 2004 for games like There or Second Life. On a side-note, my EVE account started on July 30th, 2004. Regardless, I can remember my first experiences with free-to-play games. I recall the grindy-yet-beautiful worlds I visited, marveling at high-level players who must have played for six months solidly in order to achieve their greatness.

Continue reading Free for All: Remembering my first F2P experiences

Free for All: Remembering my first F2P experiences originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Aran class fights gigantic beast in this MapleStory trailer

Kyle Horner — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, MapleStory, Classes, News items

Nexon has released a video featuring their new Aran characters in MapleStory. In the video they fight a Balrog, although this isn't the exact beast most of you will remember from Tolkien's books, it's a close proximity... Okay, who are we kidding? This Balrog looks like a giant hairy beast with armor. At least it's more frightening than that cute kitty in the image above.

Nexon says, "The Balrog Party Quest is available for players with characters level 50, up to 120, and rewards the victors with formidable prizes like the Chaos Scrolls and White Scrolls." which to us, says you've basically got to put a hefty amount of time into playing before you'll even see this guy. However, the real focus of the video -- at least in our minds -- is new polearm wielding Aran characters whooping butt, so to speak. So if you're curious to see what this is all about, take a gander at the video below the cut.

Continue reading New Aran class fights gigantic beast in this MapleStory trailer

New Aran class fights gigantic beast in this MapleStory trailer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Redefining MMOs: Developers weigh in, part 2

Tracey John — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Interviews, MMO industry, Redefining MMOs

Erling Ellingsen, Director of Communications, Funcom:

"A bit surprising to me is that in terms of number of players, it hasn't changed a bit. Ultima Online, EverQuest and Age of Conan has roughly the same number of players per server -- which is quite interesting actually. These worlds have remained quite the same in size, so apart from EVE Online -- which is in a slightly different category because of their game world -- these games haven't become any more massive in terms of population and size of the game world. I'm still waiting for that super-MMO with 500,000 players, one billion square miles of fantasy world and a complex, virtual society filled with political intrigues and personal and social challenges.

"The truth is, however, that the size and scope of MMOs has remained relatively the same except for development in graphical technology. It's the same number of people playing, roughly the same size of the world, and we're doing the same things -- building houses, killing critters, leveling up and looking for loot. In many ways, the MMO genre is still in its infancy, and I am looking forward to more advanced MMOs in the future that really challenge the genre standards.

"We don't need [a new term for 'MMO'] yet, I think. We're still quite early in the MMO era, and I think some of the big changes are yet to come."

Min Kim, Vice President of Marketing, Nexon America:

"By definition, MMO means that a game is massive, multiplayer and online. MMOs therefore provide an environment where one player is able to interact with many other players through a setting facilitated through an internet connection. ..

"Today, the term MMO is taking on a broader definition where character persistence combined with the ability to play with multiple people suffice (i.e. session-based MMOs like Combat Arms, and KartRider). MMOs have evolved to adopt multiple genres, and the gaming genre should now be attached like a suffix to "MMO" to fully describe the type of MMO a game is (e.g. MMORPG, MMORTS, MMOFPS). However, this starts to get confusing for many when one considers online versions of games like Texas Hold'em or Chess, where there are massive player bases that have high levels of engagement and some level of persistence. ...

"I believe the definition of MMOs has elevated to a point where it is bleeding to define games that simply have players that play with each other online. At Nexon, we have tossed the idea of calling our games 'connected games,' 'live games,' 'social games,' etc. However, at the end of the day, our goal is to grow truly massive player bases. The reality is that the majority of these massive player bases probably won't care about whatever we call our games, as long as they are fun and keep them enjoying the experience. Rather than thinking of new terms, I want us to focus our energies on creating great playing experiences with massive player bases to justify the existence of the terms that currently exist.

"When people outside the industry ask me what kind of games we work on, I simply say 'online games.' The frustrating result is that sometimes people respond with, 'I heard those poker games make a lot of money.' ... I would like people to call our games FFOs -- Fun Free Online games."

Laralyn McWilliams, Free Realms Creative Director, Sony Online Entertainment:

"It's interesting, because I think there is a shift in terminology. 'MMO' has come to mean a specific kind of massively multiplayer game, as the short version of MMORPG rather as a general term for all massively multiplayer games (where MMORPG is a subset of MMO). You see the term 'virtual world' used now to describe massively multiplayer games that don't feature strong character progression or RPG elements. We classify Free Realms as a 'virtual world,' despite the game's light stats and character progression, because Free Realms emphasizes moment-to-moment fun over the grind to level 80.

"I think we'll see new terms evolve as the genres deepen and clarify. I would bet, for example, we start to see more sports MMOs, and then we start to see more specific kinds of sports MMOs. There will probably be an 'MMO' sports game, where you level up as a baseball player by playing baseball in the game, and there will probably be a 'virtual world' sports game, where you hang out, talk about your favorite teams, and have fantasy football in a virtual setting. It's such a new area in game development (which is itself a new field) that I think we have only just started to scratch the surface."

Fernando Paiz, Dungeons & Dragons: Eberron Unlimited Executive Producer, Turbine:

"To me, 'MMO' means a game where thousands of players can simultaneously connect together in a persistent world where they can play and socialize together. When the term was first used, it was narrowly defined to be a fantasy RPG game in the mold of Asheron's Call or EverQuest. Today MMOs are quite diverse and can be in a variety of genres and for a variety of audiences.

"[We] probably [need a new term for 'MMO']. But no one has come up with a term for it that is both appropriate and catchy enough. I think 'persistent online game' is the closest phrase that captures the essence of what MMOs are. To me a 'virtual world' specifically describes a shared online environment. You can have a virtual world that is not necessarily a game."

Bill Roper, Design Director, Cryptic Studios:

"I don't think 'MMO' means anything differently now than it did when it was first used, except that now MMO almost always has an implied RPG (role-playing game) attached.

"I think the [term] we have right now is simple and explanatory. If someone is going to make something outside of the understood definition, they should come up with an acronym or terminology that makes sense. For example, an MMOFPS (first-person shooter), or MMORTS (real-time strategy) would be examples of this.

"'Virtual worlds' tend to denote a lack (or limited amount) of directed game play. These are more sandboxes that thrive or die purely on player-generated content. Second Life is obviously the best example of this concept. MMOs do best when the developer continues to create new content and give players new systems to explore with existent characters."

Page 3 of Redefining MMOs: Developers Weigh In

Redefining MMOs: Developers weigh in, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Digital Continuum: Business as unusual

Kyle Horner — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Opinion, The Digital Continuum

The subject of microtransactions has long been a point of contention. Not only do some people feel that the practice somehow lessens a game's worth, they consider the very act to be malicious in nature. Other people seem to be welcoming the idea with open arms, and more and more game developers are redoubling their efforts in North America and Europe. The reason? They don't want to get left behind.

Continue reading The Digital Continuum: Business as unusual

The Digital Continuum: Business as unusual originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 May 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Impressions: Maple Story

Akela Talamasca — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MapleStory, Reviews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions

Welcome to our First Impressions of the king of all 2D MMOs, Maple Story! If you haven't played it, consider this a dip of the toe into its cuter-than-thou madness. We're not divulging secrets here, this is not a guide of any sort; this is just a record of the way we found the game during our first hour or so of play. Caveat emptor!

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!

Gallery: First Impressions: Maple Story

Continue reading First Impressions: Maple Story

First Impressions: Maple Story originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Aug 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shopping list: Milk, bread, MMO game time cards...

Seraphina Brennan — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST

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.

Shopping list: Milk, bread, MMO game time cards... originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq looks at South Korea's PC Baang culture

Matt Warner — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST

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?"

Joystiq looks at South Korea's PC Baang culture originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New closed beta for Pi Story

Brenda Holloway — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events, in-game, New titles, Free-to-play, Casual

Pi Story, a 2D side scrolling MMO in the style of Maple Story, has announced a new round of their closed beta test. The beta is currently limited to previous beta testers for Aeria Games' lineup of import MMOs, or those quick enough to snag one of the closed beta keys they are giving away. If you'd like to get in on the casual MMO goodness that flows from Aeria Games, why not head over and sign up? From Pi Story to the incredibly popular Dream of Mirror Online to the pet collecting and raising game Stone Age 2 to the massively kung-fu game Twelve Sky (and many others), you'll find a game there you'll enjoy. And they are all free to play.

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.

Continue reading New closed beta for Pi Story

New closed beta for Pi Story originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nexon's new western targeted MMOG Sugar Rush in closed beta

Matt Warner — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST

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.

Continue reading Nexon's new western targeted MMOG Sugar Rush in closed beta

Nexon's new western targeted MMOG Sugar Rush in closed beta originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Social Gaming Summit: Casual MMOs and Immersive Worlds

Akela Talamasca — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: MapleStory, Business models, MMO industry, Club Penguin, Casual, Academic, Virtual worlds, Massively Event Coverage, Kids

Friday the 13th: An inauspicious day for the superstitious crowd, but a great day for attendees of the Social Gaming Summit, held in San Francisco. The day saw a schedule full of great panels, populated by some of the industry's finest movers and shakers, among them representatives from Gaia Online, Nexon, Three Rings, and Gamasutra, among others too numerous to list here.

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.

Continue reading The Social Gaming Summit: Casual MMOs and Immersive Worlds

The Social Gaming Summit: Casual MMOs and Immersive Worlds originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MapleStory reaps over $29 million in U.S. virtual item sales

James Egan — Sat, 31 May 2008 15:00:00 EST

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

MapleStory reaps over $29 million in U.S. virtual item sales originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 31 May 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Celebrate Maple Story's 3rd anniversary with Big Puff Daddy

Akela Talamasca — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:30:00 EST

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!]

Celebrate Maple Story's 3rd anniversary with Big Puff Daddy originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 May 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nexon coils up the Long Tail at VIDFEST 2008

Akela Talamasca — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:45:00 EST

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!]

Nexon coils up the Long Tail at VIDFEST 2008 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Craig Sherman: WoW not a success

Kyle Horner — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, MMO industry, News items

It appears that Gaia's Craig Sherman thinks that World of Warcraft isn't a success when compared to the hundreds of millions of "willing-to-play" teenagers it hasn't managed to claim as subscribers. A ridiculous claim, as success is a relative term -- especially when comparing free-to-play titles with something like World of Warcraft. We're not saying that games like Maple Story or Puzzle Pirates aren't good, they're just a different breed of MMOs.

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.

Craig Sherman: WoW not a success originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Look: Remnants of Skystone

Akela Talamasca — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:30:00 EST

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!]

First Look: Remnants of Skystone originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: monthly fee or microtransactions?

Akela Talamasca — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST

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?

The Daily Grind: monthly fee or microtransactions? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mabinogi in open beta in March; Euros and Ozzies left out

Akela Talamasca — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:00:00 EST

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.

Mabinogi in open beta in March; Euros and Ozzies left out originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The top 5 free MMOs

Akela Talamasca — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:30:00 EST

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!

Continue reading The top 5 free MMOs

The top 5 free MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC08: MapleStory's road to the US marketplace

Michael Zenke — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: MapleStory, Business models, Culture, MMO industry, Massively Event Coverage

Microtransactions aren't very well understood in the US, and so that was a big part of the massive subject that Nexon America's Min Kim delved into this morning at the Worlds in Motion conference. Beginning with a rundown on Nexon's ramp up to the RMT-based juggernaut it is today, he went into a great deal of detail about the tiny transactions that have built an industry (almost) overnight.

The rest of his talk centered on Nexon'f foray into the United States. If you've been wondering about those MapleStory commercials, the cards at Target and 7-11, or all that adorable art - Nexon is the source. Read on for a discussion of how a foreign title built in South Korea can become so integrated with our own culture that they can offer up a Vegas-style wedding ceremony.

Hail to the king.

Gallery: GDC08: Worlds in Motion summit day 2

Continue reading GDC08: MapleStory's road to the US marketplace

GDC08: MapleStory's road to the US marketplace originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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David Perry posits 70 Million player massive game

Michael Zenke — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Interviews, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play

David Perry, a gent who used to be synonymous with the quirky developer Shiny Entertainment, is now best known for his work in the Massive games industry. He recently did an interview with the website videogame247, where he essentially said that World of Warcraft is still too niche for the potential MMOs represent. In fact, he could see a game someday existing that nets '70 million players'. As he puts it, "we haven't got anyone that's thinking down the Will Wright path."

Perry is looking to outfits like Club Penguin or MapleStory as harbingers of the future. He posits that if World of Warcraft were to go free-to-play, it would be looking at a 25 million-strong playerbase instead of 'only' 10 million. He himself is very familiar with the free-to-play model, as several of the Acclaim online titles he's imported to the country of late are based on that paradigm. How successful do you think a free-to-play WoW would be? Will we ever get to a 70 million player game, or is that 'the crazy talk'?

[Via RPS]

David Perry posits 70 Million player massive game originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Twofish to make microtransaction economies easier with middleware

Michael Zenke — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Economy, MMO industry, News items

Gamasutra notes that a new middleware company is offering online game developers tools to manage their in-game economies. Twofish is the name of the startup, and their offering (Twofish Elements) is intended to plug directly into the backend of any in-development Massively Multiplayer Online Game. Their product seems to be geared at allowing indie developers to offer a microtransaction economy similar to the one Nexon uses in Maple Story.

The company was founded two years ago, in part by Lee Crawford - a veteran of Yahoo! Games, Shockwave.com and Segasoft Networks. In order to prove out their technology they're also developing an online game to utilize it. Entitled Edgeracers, the offering will feature "the culture of car customization and casual racing", and should release within the next few months. Crawford has a few comments featured in the announcement writeup, and (along with many players) views the move to microtransactions as a rough road for games and developers. "We see Twofish Elements being a way to help independent publishers and developers compete on a level footing ... In our view, the world is moving towards the mass-market consumer and, ultimately, the hardcore player going to free-to-play with microtransactions," Crawford said.

Twofish to make microtransaction economies easier with middleware originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The epic fight: Retail vs. Microtransactions

Michael Zenke — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Consoles, Casual

This past week's DICE event had several head-to-head events pitting warring concepts in the gaming industry against each other. The ongoing struggle between subscription fees and RMT/microtransactional business models was represented at the event by an excellent debate. And topical, considering that it appears questions over the business model may have in some way scuttled the Marvel comics MMO.

On the side of retail/subscriptions was Kelly Flock, a veteran of THQ and Sony. Min Kim, the director of operations for Nexon America, carried the banner for microtransactions. Most of their sparring centered over the economic benefits both sides offer. Kim focused on the cheap production costs of free-to-play games, as well as the appeal to casual gamers. "Once people start playing games for free, I don't know why they're going to start paying for one.", he said. Flock, meanwhile, offered evidence of a strong retail market and possible customer mindset problems in the US.

Both of them had some compelling things to say on the subject, but it seems from the writeup that Kim and RMT won the day. A sign of the times?

The epic fight: Retail vs. Microtransactions originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Under The Hood: Free For Now

James Murff — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:05:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Under the Hood

There is a veritable glut of free-to-play MMOs, both in development and on the market. This much is certain. It especially originates around the Asian countries such as South Korea, Japan, and China. And some of the smart designs of these free-to-play games are gradually working their way into more mainstream, American and European MMOs. But how do these games stay in business? And how do they relate to the traditional design of monthly fees?

Continue reading Under The Hood: Free For Now

Under The Hood: Free For Now originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Digital Continuum: Don't drink the casual koolaid

Kyle Horner — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, Star Trek Online, The Digital Continuum

The word casual gets thrown around a lot in gaming these days. In particular, Massively Multiplayer Online Games have become a steadily larger genre to pump full of squishy casual fluff. Just recently the development studio Perpetual Entertainment was sold off to a company looking to insert said casual goo. The apparent word on the inter-street is that the new ownership is supposedly a media company that wants to use Star Trek Online as an entry point for the video game market. I believe the words "retargeting" and "more casual" were used to describe the change. The last piece of information given to us was that subscription fees could be dropped in favor of paying for optional in-game items.

The only way I can honestly see the more casual bent turning out well is if Star Trek Online follows the Guild Wars model. Said model being; create a polished game for fifty bucks, and in a year or so people can buy the optional expansion for another fifty bucks if they're so inclined. Since STO will be following the "Korean" model, this boat is already starting to sink.

Putting aside the fact that apparently many members of Perpetual have left the company in response; let's get a few things straight. The lifeblood of any of these games is grind. It makes the world go 'round and the sun go up and down. You can't have STO without grind no matter what model it's developed under. So what they effectively mean by "casual" is that we suspect they don't really plan on putting the amount of effort or polish you would expect from any MMO with a subscription fee. Instead what we'll most likely see burst from the chest of whatever space beast has laid its vile eggs within Perpetual Entertainment's chest is a cross between Maple Story and Star Trek Enterprise. You'll still have plenty of grind, it'll just be even less fun!

We're gonna get half-naked, green, super-deformed alien girls -- well, only if we're willing to spend ten bucks for ten thousand in-game "Perpetual Points."

Continue reading The Digital Continuum: Don't drink the casual koolaid

The Digital Continuum: Don't drink the casual koolaid originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Nov 2007 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dream of Mirror Online open beta incoming

Mike Schramm — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Video, Classes, New titles, Consoles, Dream of Mirror Online

To be honest, I'm not sure if a game like this floats any boats here at Massively, but surely in our (growing) audience there's someone out there who cares for cel-shaded graphics and wacky Japanese RPGs with surfer swords and anime nose bubbles. For you, dear reader, we cover the news that Dream of Mirror Online (DOMO, for short), a very Japanese (and Maple Story-esque, I believe) MMO is finishing up closed beta and will have an open beta before the end of the year.

The open beta will also add Hunter, Mercenary, Musician and Wizard classes, and Gametribe promises more new content to come. I kind of like how bright and shiny the graphics are-- it's a good change from the dark and increasingly bump-mapped graphics of Western games. But I worry that the gameplay will end up as cutesy as the models are. Anyone excited about this one and want to tell us why?

Dream of Mirror Online open beta incoming originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Nov 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Korean devs get busy: MapleStory DS, Mabinogi XBox 360 port in '08

Samuel Axon — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 16:42:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MapleStory, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Consoles

Time for your dose of Korean MMO-ness.

Nexon, a publisher of MapleStory, talked to Gamasutra about the upcoming MapleStory port for the DS, and about an XBox 360 port of the thus-far-Korean-only PC MMO Mabinogi. MapleStory DS development is going well and should see a Korean release in mid-2008. It will probably come to the West some time after that. The game is similar to the PC version, but only supports four players via Wi-Fi.

Mabinogi is a traditional anime-style MMORPG. It's had some success in the Korean market but no exposure at all in North America or Europe. Nexon plans to port the game to the XBox 360. As Gamasutra points out, the Korean market for the XBox 360 is extremely small, so we may be able to assume this means the 360 version of Mabinogi will be arriving in Western markets somewhere down the line.

Korean devs get busy: MapleStory DS, Mabinogi XBox 360 port in '08 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Nov 2007 16:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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