gamehi posts

The Korean-based Nexon has already purchased a rival free-to-play company, Ndoors. Now Nexon has announced that it has acquired a majority interest in another free-to-play company, GameHI. According to a press release, Nexon bought 29.08 percent of GameHI stock last May and earlier this month the company acquired another 23.02 percent of GameHI, bringing Nexon's total share of the company to 52.11 percent.

GameHI operates games in the US including the popular online first person shooter title Sudden Attack which officially launched here in September 2009. Nexon's America unit sent word that at the moment there's no word on what Nexon's new majority stake in GameHI will mean for the company's US services.

[Via email press release]

It looks like the free-to-play PC game industry is in the midst of some consolidation. Earlier this week Korean-based Nexon, who develop and publish such games like Combat Arms and Dungeon Fighter Online, announced that it was purchasing NDOORS, another Korean free-to-play games publisher. They are best known here in the US for their fantasy MMO Atlantica Online. Specific financial terms were not disclosed.

But Nexon isn't done yet, according to the Venture Beat web site. They are reporting that Nexon is in talks to acquire GameHI, yet another free-to-play game publisher that's best know here for their first person shooter Sudden Attack. There's no word on when this new deal will be complete.

After several months of beta testing, publisher Gamehi has announced that the Korean created free-to-play FPS Sudden Attack is now officially open for business in the US. The game, the latest in the glut of games in this genre, is supposedly the most popular such game in its native Korea.

While free to play, Sudden Attack does have a virtual store where players can purchase new weapons, ammo, items, bonus experience points and more. The US launch of the game also adds two new maps (Gate Way and Club Night) as well as new weapons such as the FAMAS T1 and the Gurkha Knife. More content updates are promised for the game in the months ahead.

After holding two closed beta tests in the past few months, the upcoming free-to-play first person shooter Sudden Attack has launched its open beta test for the US market. From now until August 17 anyone can go and download the client at the GameHi web site to play the game.

The open beta will also introduce a new map that's been added since the closed beta test ended. The StormVille level, pictured above, also introduces a new gameplay mode called Property Defense that's basically a variation of Capture and Hold where team members have to secure and defend specific points. GameHit expects Sudden Attack to officially launch in the US later this fall.

Last May, game publisher GameHi launched their first closed beta test for the US version of Sudden Attack, the free-to-play FPS that previously launched in Korea. Today GameHi announced that they are launching a second closed beta test for the game that will last until July 12.

While they are calling this a "closed" beta test, GameHi states that anyone who signs up for this second beta will gain access to the Sudden Attack game, which basically makes this an open beta. People who participated in the first closed beta will not need to re-register for the second beta but will gain access to new player characters. Sudden Attack is expected to officially launch in the US later this summer.

You can add one more entry into the already crowded "free-to-play FPS" genre. This week Korean-based GameHi announced that their title Sudden Attack was coming to the US. Furthermore the game is letting people sign up to beta test the game right now.

The closed beta has already begun and will end shortly on May 31. The game itself was launched in its native Korean in 2006 and the publisher claims the game is the most played FPS in that country. Sudden Attack has a lot of similar elements to other games in the genre (team-based gameplay, support for up to 16 players, upgradable weapons and items). It also has some unique elements such as an in-game water battle mode. There's no word yet on when the official US launch of the game will happen.