Showing posts with label nexon-america. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nexon-america. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

MapleStory maker Nexon sets sail on Facebook with Wonder Cruise

Clicking cute creatures in MapleStory Adventures sure was fun, but Korean MMO (massively multiplayer online game) developer Nexon is ready to tread new water on Facebook. (Well, at least new water for Nexon.) The global studio based in South Korea has released Wonder Cruise, its second Facebook game tasking players with creating a world-class cruise ship.

While Gamasutra reports that the game will launch after testing with a small audience later this month, it appears that Wonder Cruise is live now for all. So, consider this the open beta for Wonder Cruise, or as we see it: The game is live. The game comes hot off of the heels of MapleStory Adventures, a Facebook rendition of the hugely successful free-to-play MMO that has already amassed over 2.8 million monthly players.

Wonder Cruise looks an awful lot like Perfect World Entertainment's recent Perfect Getaway, but plays a bit differently. Yes, you're still stuck on the same old cruise ship while your customers see the best of what the world has to offer. But this time around, the cruises, well, actually mean something. Each cruise is timed, and once you leave port after customizing and upgrading your ship with decorations and whatnot from the money that guests throw your way, you must help as many patrons have a good time before your ETA by clicking on them.

Wonder Cruise gameplay
Then, you'll be graded on how many guests you satisfied in the time limit, which matches up with a leaderboard spanning your friends. However, each time you help a guest, it consumes Energy that refills at a slow rate, like all Facebook games. This would be fine if you weren't graded on how many guests you help on a given timed cruise. Unfortunately, if you want those coveted S ranks for each trip, you'll have to either buy Energy or bug your friends.

Wonder Cruise is expected to "officially" launch on Sept. 12, Gamasutra reports. When the game releases from an open beta to most likely yet another open beta, Nexon will introduce more content (and hopefully a fix to this Energy system). As the game is testing, Nexon urges players to take a survey. Until then, keep clicking away on those guests ... at least for a minute or two.

Click here to play Wonder Cruise on Facebook Now >

Have you tried Wonder Cruise out yet on Facebook? What do you think of Nexon's approach to Facebook gaming thus far? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment

MapleStory maker Nexon sets sail on Facebook with Wonder Cruise

Clicking cute creatures in MapleStory Adventures sure was fun, but Korean MMO (massively multiplayer online game) developer Nexon is ready to tread new water on Facebook. (Well, at least new water for Nexon.) The global studio based in South Korea has released Wonder Cruise, its second Facebook game tasking players with creating a world-class cruise ship.

While Gamasutra reports that the game will launch after testing with a small audience later this month, it appears that Wonder Cruise is live now for all. So, consider this the open beta for Wonder Cruise, or as we see it: The game is live. The game comes hot off of the heels of MapleStory Adventures, a Facebook rendition of the hugely successful free-to-play MMO that has already amassed over 2.8 million monthly players.

Wonder Cruise looks an awful lot like Perfect World Entertainment's recent Perfect Getaway, but plays a bit differently. Yes, you're still stuck on the same old cruise ship while your customers see the best of what the world has to offer. But this time around, the cruises, well, actually mean something. Each cruise is timed, and once you leave port after customizing and upgrading your ship with decorations and whatnot from the money that guests throw your way, you must help as many patrons have a good time before your ETA by clicking on them.

Wonder Cruise gameplay
Then, you'll be graded on how many guests you satisfied in the time limit, which matches up with a leaderboard spanning your friends. However, each time you help a guest, it consumes Energy that refills at a slow rate, like all Facebook games. This would be fine if you weren't graded on how many guests you help on a given timed cruise. Unfortunately, if you want those coveted S ranks for each trip, you'll have to either buy Energy or bug your friends.

Wonder Cruise is expected to "officially" launch on Sept. 12, Gamasutra reports. When the game releases from an open beta to most likely yet another open beta, Nexon will introduce more content (and hopefully a fix to this Energy system). As the game is testing, Nexon urges players to take a survey. Until then, keep clicking away on those guests ... at least for a minute or two.

Click here to play Wonder Cruise on Facebook Now >

Have you tried Wonder Cruise out yet on Facebook? What do you think of Nexon's approach to Facebook gaming thus far? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment

Monday, September 26, 2011

A sad 75 percent of (expensive) MapleStory marriages end in divorce

And you thought the 50 percent divorce rate of real marriages in the U.S. was bad. Nexon reports that, of the 26,982 in-game MapleStory marriages, 20,344 (or 75 percent) end in annulment. And those in-game betrothals aren't cheap--each union in the free-to-play MMO (massively multiplayer online game) costs $25 in Nexon Cash, the South Korean developer's paid currency.

After seeing the massive (and kind of depressing) divorce rate, the Nexon community team turned to its players to find out just what was up. And while the company didn't find out much, it did uncover some hilarious somber stories. Take Seth, a 19-year-old MapleStory player from Colorado Springs, Colo:

    My former Maple spouse and I started off great; going on party quests together, boss runs, training, helping each other become better Maplers. Then I realized after a while that she was only out there to get free things off of me and we got in this conversation where she admitted to this accusation, so I decided I would have to annul our Maple marriage.

MapleStory matrimony
Here's a pro tip, kids: Think hard before marrying someone online whom you've yet to meet in person. Sure, it's all in good fun ... right until you start to share account information and lose all your goodies. (Another major no-no.)

"Getting married in MapleStory can be quite a fun event for the happy couple and their friends," MapleStory producer Crystin Cox said in a release. "While it looks like our players break up at a much higher rate than people do in real life, at least our players are not on the hook for alimony."

Fair enough, we guess. I think it's safe to assume this feature won't make it into MapleStory Adventures, which debuted on Facebook just over the summer, a version of the game I enjoyed immensely (and so do over 3 million monthly players). But with stats like this, consider it good news that this feature won't see the light of day elsewhere.

[Image Credits: Ylwong, Phame]

Have you ever married someone in MapleStory? What do you think of marriages in games like MapleStory, and would you like to see this feature come to the Facebook version of the game knowing the risks? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment