nexon-america posts

Japan's citizens are still reeling from the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit the country last week and of course the nuclear fallout threat from the damaged nuclear reactors remains a huge issue. More and more game publishers are helping out the victims of this natural disaster.

Nexon America has announced that from now until Sunday, it will donate the proceeds from the purchases of many of the in-game items in its free-to-play games like Combat Arms, Dungeon Fighter Online and Vindictus to the Red Cross' Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami relief efforts.

Also the Mastiff Facebook page has a message from its CEO Bill Swartz announcing that from now until the end of April the publisher will donate $100 for every 100 "likes" the Mastiff Facebook pages gets up to $25,000.

In 2010 Nexon America announced that it would give indie game developers a chance to submit game ideas to the free-to-play publisher. Earlier this year Nexon announced that it had picked two development teams from that first Nexon Imitative program to help develop and publish their games.

This week Nexon announced that it was doing it again with its second Nexon Imitative program. Just like last year the publisher is giving small game development studios a chance to submit their game ideas to Nexon. The publisher will then decide once again which game ideas it wants to publish. The game development teams that are chosen will share from a $1 million development budget provided by Nexon (although Nexon said the two teams that were picked in 2010's Nexon Initiative actually got to share from an even bigger budget).

Nexon says that they are looking for PC game ideas (web based or client -server titles) or PC games that will have cross platform features for other platforms (console or mobile phones). A game that was first developed for another platform that can be ported to the PC can also be submitted. The deadline for entries is April 30.

In March 2010, Nexon America announced its plans for The Nexon Initiative where the free-to-play game publisher would take submissions from indie game developers and then pick a few to help develop and publish into games. Now Gamasutra reports that Nexon America has picked two Western-based game developers as a result of The Nexon Initiative.

One of the two developers is London Ontario-based Antic Entertainment which was formed by Fredrick Liliegren, the co-founder and former CEO of Digital Illusions. That team has already released a browser-based vehicle combat game called Junk Battles. The other team is Poland-based One2Tribe, which previously developed the browser based duel-themed multiplayer game The Witcher Versus.

Nexon plans to reveal the games themselves in the near future with one of them representing the company's entry into the social gaming scene. Nexon also said that while The Nexon Initiative previously had a budget of just $1 million to develop the games it picked the publisher will in fact spend much more than $1 million on the two game projects it decided to develop.

The free-to-play game publisher Nexon America continues to gain more revenues for its game line-up. Today the publisher behind games like Combat Arms, Dungeon Fighter Online and Maple Story announced that revenues for the fourth quarter of 2010 increased by 42 percent compared to the same time period in 2009. Revenues for the month of December alone went up by 60 percent (the company did not reveal specific revenue numbers nor did it announce any profit numbers).

The company launched its latest free-to-play MMO, Vindictus, during that time period. In 2011 it will launch at least one more game, another fantasy MMO titled Dragon Nest.

[via email press release]

Tomorrow is a holiday here in the US which means that news might be slower than usual. However things will pick up later this week, thanks to a couple of press events that are popping up.

• Nexon America has released a nearly 30 minute video with update on all its games as well as comedy bits.
• It had to happen: Someone played Portal's Still Alive song via Minecraft's note blocks.
• Check out footage from the canceled third person action game Hero from the now defunct Midway Games.
• DC Universe Online is getting auction houses in its first big update.
• Check out footage from the upcoming fan-created Sonic 2 HD.

Nexon America's library of free-to-play online titles continues to expand in both users and in revenues. Today the company announced that the total number of registered users for its games surpassed 12 million users during the third quarter of 2010 in the US. Those games include the online RPG Dungeon Fighter Online and the first person shooter Combat Arms.

Without revealing specific numbers, Nexon America said that its revenues went up 28 percent during the third quarter of 2010 with revenues from September went up 23 percent compared to September 2009 and marked the 16th straight month that the company has recorded revenue increases. Next week, Nexon America officially launches its next game, the fantasy MMO Vindictus.

[Via email press release]

After a couple of closed beta events, Nexon is close to officially launching its latest free-to-play PC game title. Today the open beta for Vindictus started which allows anyone to download and play the close-to-final version of this rather mature (read: lots of blood) fantasy MMO title. As we have reported before people who join the game now can retain their characters when the final version launches. The launch of the open beta also opens up the third "episode" of the game itself where players will have to deal with "mobs of vampire and goblin monsters."

And when will the official launch happen, exactly? Our sister site Massively reports that Nexon is now scheduled to officially launch Vindictus in all of its Source Engine glory on October 27 or two weeks from today.

After holding a couple of closed beta events, Nexon has just announced that the open beta for its upcoming free-to-play fantasy MMO Vindictus will begin on October 13. Players that are in the current beta test will be able to bring their characters, loot and other items into the open beta test period as well as the final version of the game when it launches later this year.

The open beta also adds a new dungeon to Vindictus with new monsters and bosses to players to deal with. The open beta will also have other additions such as a fishing feature, guild tools and more. The level cap in the game will also be raised up to 38. The current beta test will shut down on October 5 in preparation for the open beta.

The free-to-play online first person shooter Combat Arms from publisher Nexon has issued its latest monthly content update for its many players. This time the major new addition is the gameplay mode called Seize and Secure. The basic premise is that a team must hoist a flag up and hold that flag's position for two minutes. Naturally the other team wants to stop this from happening.

In addition to the new gameplay mode, Combat Arms gets some new weapons including a set of TPG-1 sniper rifles and a M14EBR assault rifle. There's also a new survival machete for some close encounter battles.

[Via email press release]

Nexon America's next major free-to-play MMO release is Vindictus. Earlier this summer the first closed beta test for the game was held but shut down late in August. This week Nexon announced that the second phase of beta testing will begin on September 15.

People who were picked for the first closed beta test will be able to join the second beta. They will also get two beta code that can be given to friends. Players in the second beta will also be able to keep their characters and save its progress when the Source Engine-powered Vindictus goes live later this year.