(MapleStory) Blockchain Game Team Comes to Taiwan: Going on-chain to fight for another 20 years!
Remember these familiar MapleStory terms: 'Group advertising and not grabbing please change', 'Reputation 1:10,000'?
In Taiwan, (MapleStory) is a childhood memory for many players, having sparked a craze for 'playing MapleStory across Taiwan', and even now it remains a mainstay on the Bahamut PC discussion rankings, boasting an astonishingly loyal player base.
This classic MMORPG game with a 21-year history and over 200 million players is taking an unprecedented step by attempting to launch the MapleStory Universe and MapleStory N blockchain project. Of course, this is not merely following trends for short-term gains, but rather a grand ideal – to allow MapleStory to thrive for another 20 or 30 years.
(MapleStory N) team held a press conference in Taiwan yesterday (12/11) and accepted an interview with (Crypto City). Through the explanations of business development head Dominic Jang, we got a glimpse of what sparks might fly from the combination of blockchain and the classic MMORPG.
(MapleStory N) transforms from unlimited to limited, flipping the traditional MMORPG!
The MapleStory Universe project is led by NEXON's subsidiary Nexpace, and the two biggest differences between (MapleStory N) and (New MapleStory) are:
Major economic system overhaul: All items in the game have shifted from 'unlimited issuance' to 'limited issuance', which will be released on a certain schedule, allowing players to enjoy a more meaningful item acquisition experience, helping to maintain item value and prevent inflation.
No cash shop: (MapleStory N) completely removes the cash shop (shopping mall) and in-game item, equipment merchants, transforming it into a player-driven economy. Items and characters in the game can be 'minted' into non-fungible tokens (NFTs) or fungible tokens (FTs) and traded freely and cross-server in the official market, ensuring ownership of items.
Dominic Jang stated that the core vision of the MapleStory Universe is to create a diversified game ecosystem platform. In this ecosystem, (MapleStory N) will be the main game, surrounded by various collaborative applications (APPs), with the main goal of breaking the traditional game model to allow more different types of players to participate.
(MapleStory N) Economic System Detailed Introduction:
(MapleStory N) Blockchain Game Version Arrives! 10 Images Detailing Game Design, How to Integrate Real Economy into MMORPG?
(MapleStory N) When will it be released? How to earn money? Important Q&A all at once
During the press conference and interviews, attendees raised many concerns that players are very interested in. Here are some important questions and answers organized by (Crypto City):
(MapleStory N) Release Date: Expected to launch in the first half of 2025
(MapleStory N) Will there be Chinese support? The current beta version supports 8 to 9 languages, and future optimizations for Chinese translation, including game content and the official website, will continue.
(MapleStory N) Launch Content: In addition to the game itself, there will be multiple collaborative apps, including an item creation interactive system, $NXPC tokens, a navigator system, as well as a marketplace, explorer on-chain platform, and dressroom available in the current beta version.
(MapleStory N) Is it free to play? Completely free; the official team promises to cover all costs for players to mint items on-chain (Gas).
(MapleStory N) How to earn money: There are mainly two tokens, $NESO and $NXPC. $NESO can currently be obtained by defeating monsters in the game, while $NXPC has not yet been issued and can only be acquired by meeting specific conditions. There are plans to introduce a feature to exchange $NESO for $NXPC in the future.
Regarding the $NESO and $NXPC token economy, although not much was revealed in this interview, the official team promises a detailed white paper will be released by the end of this month, allowing players to better understand how it works.
What are the collaborative apps in the MapleStory Universe? You can check out the previously organized presentation content:
(MapleStory) Blockchain Game Ecosystem Introduction: Discover the '5 Major Apps' and Key Features at a Glance
Using Avalanche, even novices can easily enter the blockchain game space
The MapleStory Universe initially adopted the Polygon blockchain for development but later switched to Avalanche. Dominic Jang stated that the main reason for choosing Avalanche is its subnet technology, which offers greater freedom in game development and has multiple successful cases.
The Avalanche subnet can be customized according to the team's requirements, and the final validation of the subnet nodes will be carried out by Avalanche's C-Chain.
The performance of the Avalanche subnet greatly aids development. Dominic Jang admitted that breaking the negative perceptions and high entry barriers associated with blockchain games has been a concern for the team for a long time. They ultimately decided to help players transition through the beginner phase by covering all on-chain costs and making the gaming experience similar to Web2.
Taking on on-chain cost burdens while eliminating the cash shop raises curiosity about how (MapleStory N) will actually make a profit.
Dominic Jang stated that currently, when players trade in the market and enhance items, the official team will charge a small transaction fee (NESO), which will become one of the team's revenue sources.
However, compared to profitability, Dominic Jang is currently more concerned about whether the game can be successfully launched and whether the ecosystem can operate smoothly. Prior investments of $100 million from the parent company NEXON will help Nexpace better navigate its startup phase.
(MapleStory N) pioneer test retention rate exceeds 80%, with active participation from Taiwanese players
Dominic Jang stated that the results of the first pilot test of (MapleStory N) were quite positive, with a retention rate exceeding 80%, and about 50% of participants were considered A+ grade players. The trading volume and consumption rate of $NESO tokens during the testing period were also high, receiving a score of 4.6 out of 5.
He also specifically mentioned that Taiwanese players actively participated during the pioneer testing phase, demonstrating the strong appeal of the (New MapleStory) IP in Taiwan.
Image Source: Crypto City Photo (MapleStory N) Blockchain Game Team Comes to Taiwan for Interviews
Establishing a sustainable model! (MapleStory N) aims to break the short-lived problem of blockchain games
Dominic Jang mentioned that the preparation for the MapleStory Universe project has been ongoing for three years, closely monitoring many new blockchain game developments. However, he found that most are quite 'short-lived', hence the focus on creating a sustainable model, hoping (MapleStory N) can overcome this challenge.
Additionally, (MapleStory N) maintains an open attitude towards cross-project and cross-industry collaborations. The team has already collaborated with the well-known NFT project Pudgy Penguin, while Dominic Jang is more inclined to work with traditional IPs, similar to collaborations like (New MapleStory) and (Demon Slayer), to attract more non-MapleStory fans to play.
Let MapleStory fight for another 20 years! Can (MapleStory N) become a model for blockchain games?
It is not easy for an IP that has been operating for over 20 years to step into the next 20 years, especially when combining with the blockchain technology that many still view with skepticism. However, Dominic Jang believes this is the correct development direction for the MapleStory IP.
With more constructive and long-term planning, (MapleStory N) brings new possibilities to the blockchain game industry. This innovative work, which integrates traditional gaming and blockchain technology, raises the question of whether it can set a precedent for blockchain games.
Image Source: Crypto City Photo (MapleStory N) Blockchain Game Team Comes to Taiwan for Interviews
'The MapleStory Blockchain Game Team Comes to Taiwan! When will it be released? How to earn money? We asked all the questions you want to know.' This article was first published in 'Crypto City'