The childhood classic MapleStory is back!
On August 27, MapleStory Universe, an NFT game project owned by South Korean gaming giant Nexon, announced the launch of NXPC tokens, which aim to enhance users’ in-game experience by allowing community contributors to participate in the creation of in-game items and support the entire MapleStory Universe ecosystem. system. This is another major update and good news for MapleStory Universe after the ecosystem's first game "MapleStory N" successfully completed the pioneer test earlier this month.
As one of the most classic 2D side-scrolling games in the childhood of post-90s gamers, MapleStory IP has been around for more than 20 years. In order to maintain the vitality of this IP that has attracted the love of countless players, Nexon has made many attempts at the sequel to the "MapleStory" game, including "MapleStory 2" whose overall style was changed to a sandbox game, and the launch of a mobile game "Legend of Maple".
However, even with the emotional bonus, the reputation and popularity of these sequels among the player base have never been as good as the original classic game. In recent years, Nexon has turned to new technological fields to find answers. The gaming giant is exploring blockchain and NFT technologies, and is trying to use these innovative technologies to create MapleStory Universe to bring a new upgrade experience to gamers.
MapleStory Universe will not only launch the blockchain version of the sequel "MapleStory N", but also provide players with a new adventure platform and encourage more developers to build diverse games and applications based on the "MapleStory" IP, thereby creating An infinitely expandable ecosystem allows "MapleStory" to continue to be vibrant in the new era.
How does "MapleStory" use blockchain technology to revitalize itself?
Recently, PANews conducted an exclusive interview with Anglela Son, commercial director of Maple Universe, to talk about how with the blessing of blockchain technology, the childhood classic IP Maplestory takes on new vitality. The following is the content of the conversation.
PANews: Why did Nexon decide to enter the Web 3 field? Why choose a top IP like "MapleStory" to develop website games?
Anglela: MapleStory is a game that is 21 years old and has been a huge success, especially with its combination of gameplay and in-game economy.
As an MMORPG, the in-game economic system has always been one of the core motivations for players to continue playing. It establishes community connections and an economic ecosystem between players.
Given MapleStory's past success, we need to consider how we can expand this experience over the next 20 years to ensure it is more sustainable and appeals to a larger, broader audience.
Our answer is blockchain, because "MapleStory" is originally an IP closely related to the economy. The game is centered on props, which makes it very suitable for conversion into NFT and also very suitable for using blockchain technology to truly Connect the various components of an IP, such as NFTs or characters, and make them interoperable and scalable in other experiences beyond the game. Therefore, we believe that the core of this game fits well with the nature of blockchain.
In addition, as the game develops, we also realize that the community is a vital part of it. The community is the core of game culture and the force that promotes the development and maintenance of games.
We very much hope to recognize their contributions to the community by playing, creating "MapleStory" content, and even making suggestions for game improvements, and hope to give back to them in the form of blockchain. Ultimately, we believe blockchain is the perfect medium to achieve this goal.
PANews: Last year you announced on Twitter that you had secured $100 million in investment, which is far more than most Web 3 gaming projects. Can we get a sense of MapleStory's current valuation and how the team plans to use the funds?
Anglela: Regarding the specifics of this investment, what I can disclose is that it is from our parent company (Nexon) and is an equity capital investment, so it is not based on a valuation. However, I can say something about the MapleStory series overall.
In our 21 years with MapleStory, the franchise has grossed more than $5 billion. I want to especially emphasize how amazing this number is. This revenue is actually higher than the total box office of many well-known film series. You can see how big the scale of the "MapleStory" IP is.
Receiving a $100 million investment from the parent company and the right to use this IP, I think it means the company's confidence in this technology and its willingness to invest in this project.
For us, these funds will be used primarily for the development of MapleStory Universe, but also for expanding the ecosystem of this universe. We hope to use these funds to help the community and developers enter the ecosystem and further develop the project based on what we have already started.
Ultimately, I think with the support of the parent company and the MapleStory IP, as well as the support of the developers, we are well prepared.
PANews: You chose to build MapleStory initially on Polygon, but later migrated to Avalanche. What was the reason for the switch? What are the key factors you consider when choosing a blockchain network? Will you consider deploying to other chains in the future?
Anglela: Regarding partnerships, I can say with confidence that both Polygon and Avalanche are great partners, they just have slightly different strengths and styles.
Polygon is very innovative and moves fast, while Avalanche is more cautious and focused on the experience of the game itself and its experience in the game industry.
So, as the project grew, so did our needs and ideas. We came to the realization that we needed a more game-centric partner who understood our needs, so we ended up choosing Avalanche.
Regarding whether it will be deployed to other chains, I have no specific news to announce at the moment, but every technical choice we make will ultimately serve the best interests of the "MapleStory Universe" and users. If in the future we feel that a certain chain can better support our user experience, then we will consider this option.
PANews: As a 20-year-old IP, how does Maple Story attract Generation Z players?
Anglela: It does require some unique strategies and innovation. MapleStory is more than just a game, it has spanned generations of players, with a loyal core group of players now concentrated in their 20s and 30s. They grew up playing MapleStory as kids and still play the game today.
We also have many players who have used MapleStory to get married and start families. This influence passed down from generation to generation makes Maple Story not only a game, but also a culture and community.
Regarding how to attract Generation Z players, especially for classic IPs like MapleStory, our strategy is to expand the audience through diversified media and experiences.
From collaborative projects with elementary schools to web comics to a web3 version of the MapleStory universe, we are working hard to make the MapleStory story relevant to every generation. Especially through educational programs, exposing younger generations to MapleStory during their childhood and creating an emotional connection with them through these experiences.
In addition, we also provide Gen Z with more modern content that is more in line with their consumption habits through online comics and other forms, so that MapleStory will continue to remain attractive to the new generation of players.
Rather than simply attracting new users, we actually focus more on organic growth. The core philosophy of Maple Story Universe is contribution and giving back.
We want to be able to reward community members and developers who join the ecosystem, build with us, and expand the functionality of NFTs. We can’t just limit ourselves to development, we have to consider the entire ecosystem. We are also seriously thinking internally about how to provide more support to the community and truly allow them to participate. This may involve support systems, or the creation of rules, but we hope these rules apply to everyone.
PANews: In addition to integrating the blockchain industry, what are the main content upgrades compared with the traditional web2 version?
Anglela: The core is MapleStory Universe. We regard it as an ecosystem project based on MapleStory IP, and we will provide a blockchain version of MapleStory as the basis, which is called Maple Story N (MapleStory N). This is where players first enter the MapleStory IP experience, where they can obtain characters or items.
More importantly, we hope to attract more developers to build their own experiences based on MapleStory. Whether it's a platform game or even an application based on MapleStory, as long as it expands the MapleStory experience, we welcome and support it. This means that the MapleStory universe is not just a client game, it is an ecosystem that can be infinitely expanded.
PANews: We noticed that you recently completed Vanguard testing. What were the test results? Can you share some positive updates? Will the game be officially released this year or next?
Anglela: This Pioneer test was a huge success. We invited 1,000 Pioneers to participate in the test, but more than 33,000 people actually applied to participate, which shows a lot of enthusiasm and love. Even though the users participating in the test were all selected participants, the test results still exceeded expectations.
For example, we had an average retention rate of 82%, meaning over 82% of people stayed engaged during the 10-day test period. This number is actually quite astonishing because we have been serving Web 2 games for 30 years and have accumulated a lot of data, but an 82% retention rate is almost unprecedented. Therefore, we repeatedly checked the data to confirm that there were no errors in the results. This is a testament to the genuine love users have for Maple Story.
We set up a task system to guide users on how to complete tutorials or defeat specific bosses and provide rewards for their actions. However, users are not limited to these requirements in the game. They test the game spontaneously and are willing to continue to participate during the testing period.
In addition, nearly 200,000 transactions were completed during the test period without any problems in both blockchain and on-chain transactions, which is also a very positive sign for us. As for when the game will be officially launched, we want to ensure that the game version is stable enough before releasing it, and will provide more updates in the future.
PANews: Congratulations on the great success of your test. I also want to ask, have you counted how many players are Korean and how many are from other countries?
Anglela: Actually we don’t have statistics by country, but we do have statistics by language. What we can say is that players come from all over the world, which is a very healthy phenomenon. Maple Story is very strong in certain regions, such as South Korea, Taiwan, China and Japan, and of course the United States and Europe are also strong markets for Maplestory.
What’s even more exciting is that this is a global project and we no longer need to focus on just one specific region. We're seeing a lot of interest in Maple Story from users in South America, India, and other places we haven't directly served before, which is very exciting for us. This could be a new entry for them into Maple Story. We are also considering how to provide more language support for these users, so expect us to improve in this area.
PANews: WeMade is also a Korean game company that has turned its flagship IP into a Web3 game. While WeMade's MIR4 was successful, it also brought some controversy. Can Nexon and MapleStory Universe learn any experience or lessons from it?
Anglela: We not only look at Korean games, but also global games to learn how to do things.
But ultimately we learn most from our own experiences. Therefore, we will refer more to the experience of "MapleStory" and think about how to coordinate the Web2 version of "MapleStory" and the Web3 version of "MapleStory". These are our main sources of inspiration.
But at the end of the day, our biggest focus is on creating a sustainable gaming experience. We want MapleStory Universe to be around for 20, 30, or even 100 years and be a core product.
So we'll take that into consideration when developing the system, like first the number of items will be controlled and secondly maybe the enhancements will be determined by real world supply and demand so that it can self-regulate.
These are lessons we learned from the original MapleStory. Even in terms of community, we are also thinking about how to improve the experience of the original "MapleStory" community in the Web3 era, and how to do better on a global scale, such as interacting with the community on Discord.
PANews: According to data from investment bank Drag Star, in the second quarter of this year, investment in Web3 games accounted for about 40% of the entire game market and 44% of total financing. Do you think this growth momentum will continue?
Anglela: It is difficult to predict the performance of the market, but judging from the trend, more and more games are beginning to consider how to use blockchain technology to create sustainable products.
As more success stories emerge, investment will grow. I think this will drive continued growth across the industry.
PANews: Web3 games and NFT technology applications are still resisted by some traditional players, who are worried about speculation and hype. What do you think about these points and how to create a sustainable Web3 game that attracts a large number of users?
Anglela: For players who are willing to abide by the client-side restrictions of the game and just want to play the game and keep their items, I think they have a point.
They can continue to play the Web2 version of MapleStory, which also has a market system in the game, and like I mentioned, we're excited for them to enjoy that experience.
But our consideration in bringing MapleStory to Web3 was how to extend this experience beyond the user side. We hope to give these NFTs and props more life, so that the characters can continue to experience beyond the game client.
So, with blockchain technology, we are making these props interoperable, expanding their utility, while also enabling the entire ecosystem. This allows players to transparently measure individual contributions, ensuring everyone is working together and pulling together. By doing this, we are better able to reward the community for its contributions to the ecosystem.
PANews: Will some Web2 players return to Web2 if they switch to Web3 games, or will they stay in Web3 games?
Anglela: I think they can play both games at the same time. The two games offer very different experiences.
If they want a more story-driven, relaxing experience, they can continue playing the Web2 version. The Web3 version provides a more strategic and competitive experience, and players need to think about more strategic issues. Both games have their own merits, and players don't have to choose between the two.
PANews: Games like Notcoin on Telegram attract millions of users, but many believe that such games driven by airdrop expectations are unsustainable. What do you think a sustainable Web3 game should look like?
Anglela: I think ultimately it depends on why you are doing it and what your ultimate goal is. If you're just basing it on the short-term idea that a product will drive growth in the short term, I don't think that really makes sense.
Give an example. The mission system of MapleStory Universe is roughly divided into two parts. One is the automated part and the other is the non-automated part. The automation part is mainly to pave the way for players to enter our platform more easily.
For example, there will be a Medium article detailing the direction of the MapleStory universe, which rewards you for reading because it's a light engagement. Not everyone can be deeply involved in any type of activity, and that's the same for any game project or any community project.
So we listed these easier tasks and experiences and rewarded them. When players understand what we're trying to do and feel free to discuss it, that's a contribution in itself.
But we also want to reward community members for the experiences they create for themselves. So we have a project on Discord called MapleStory Legion that encourages anyone to become a KOL and make content they feel is related to MapleStory. It could be fan art, or it could be a guide about "I participated in the Vanguard test and think this is the best way to play as a beginner." This is all great content.
Or someone could delve into the MapleStory universe and explore how it operates. It's also helpful for us to talk about this stuff because I think it not only enhances the community's understanding of the MapleStory universe, but they're also building the community themselves. We hope to encourage more and more content like this.
This article is reproduced in cooperation with: PANews
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