[Interview] Deep dive on MapleStory Universe by CoinPost

Angela Son, Head of BD/Partnership at NEXPACE(MapleStory Universe) talked to CoinPost about MapleStory Universe’s details and prospects.

Th original article could be found on [link].

Why Nexon Decided to Use Their Major IP for the Web3 Version of MapleStory, “MapleStory N”

Major game company Nexon is developing “MapleStory Universe,” through its subsidiary “NEXPACE,” — A project to evolve the popular online game “MapleStory,” which has over 250 million users worldwide, to be adapted with blockchain technology.

MapleStory, which has 21-year service history since its launch, is one of flagship titles and intellectual properties (IP) of Nexon. The game is renowned as a cornerstone of MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games). In June 2022, Nexon announced that they have chosen this blockbuster title with total sales exceeding $5 billion for their first NFT game project.

Due to the nature of MMORPGs, real-money trading (RMT) of in-game currency, rare items, and accounts has been active, but RMT activities have often been prohibited by the game’s regulations set by the game companies.

However, for blockchain games, users get to own the items, and the buying and selling of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) can take place not only within the game but also on external platforms like OpenSea.

The development of MapleStory Universe is led by veterans who have developed and expanded Nexon’s major titles, supported by more than 100 employees worldwide. The first campaign, The ‘MapleStory: Genesis’, was launched in June, and introduction of the ecosystem was announced at the Web3 conference held in Tokyo in July.

CoinPost had the opportunity to interview Angela Angela, the head of NEXPACE’s business development, about the project’s details and prospects.

Expanding IP Potential

Angela stated that the MapleStory Universe project is an effort to deliver new aspects of the game to global users by expanding the IP of MapleStory into new technologies and domains.

Through years of game service, Nexon realized that games are not limited to developers and players but include community-generated works and activities, encompassing all activities as part of the game experience.

Therefore, using blockchain technology to continuously expand the IP experience and build an ecosystem where community members participate voluntarily is important for enhancing future game experiences.

Additionally, the expanded utility of assets provided by blockchain suited Nexon’s desire to transfer in-game assets like characters and items outside the game.

Angela summarized that blockchain is one tool to enhance the game of MapleStory itself, allowing Nexon to achieve what they have long wanted to do and what they believed was best for the game.

Reason for Choosing the Avalanche Chain

In March of this year, Nexon announced a partnership with Ava Labs, which involves development of the L1 blockchain “Avalanche.” It uses Avalanche’s highly scalable app-specific network “subnet” for the development of MapleStory Universe.

Nexon is well-prepared for the issues of online games, as well as in security aspects and compliance, thanks to over 20 years of experience operating MapleStory. Nexon had very high requirements for various construction methods and fail-safe settings, according to Angela.

In this regard, the Avalanche team was highly knowledgeable about games, had numerous projects already running on various subnets, and had a proven track record open to users. Angela added that the team’s practical experience and understanding of games were very helpful in creating the infrastructure for MapleStory Universe.

Potential of MapleStory N

The blockchain version of MapleStory, called “MapleStory N,” and will be the first game to be released in the MapleStory Universe ecosystem. It was developed based on the philosophy of bolstering the experience of obtaining rewards while enjoying the in-game narratives.

The core experience is very similar to the classic version, but in MapleStory N, the “Rule of supply and demand” — the real-world economy is implemented. For example, the supply of items released is determined according to their type and rarity over a certain period.

All items and characters in MapleStory N will be NFTs in limited quantity, increasing the potential for the utilities and application as NFTs.

Additionally, the cost of enhancing items will be governed by the principles of market economy, with costs rising when demand is high and falling when demand is low, creating a demand-driven pricing system.

Thus, players will need to think more multidimensionally and develop various strategies, but there is no absolute correct way to play. Strategic choices are left to the players’ judgment, making the game more dynamic, Angela pointed out. Moreover, with the blockchain elements and extended features, new opportunities arise for each player to play under conditions that suit them.

Expanding User Experience

NEXPACE believes that “expanding the user experience in collaboration with the community” is crucial for building the foundation of MapleStory Universe. To achieve this, they are releasing four new apps called “Synergy Apps.”

• Marketplace: Operates independently with the game, allowing trades between various servers.
• Explorer: Tracks on-chain activities and key metrics.
• Quest: A platform where players receive rewards for participating in activities.
• Navigator: Introduces various items and NFTs available in MapleStory Universe.

According to Angela, Synergy Apps support the concept of MapleStory Universe by connecting in-game and out-of-game experiences, enabling experiences of external environments that was previously limited for the classic MapleStory.

Importance of Community

For example, one element of Quest is “Dress Room,” which allows users to customize characters and experience items on the web. Activities recognized as contributions to the larger community include user-created MapleStory content.

Quest functions as a system that encourages active user participation, influenced by the experience gained from running the game.

Angela stated “Game experiences are not created solely by us as developers but rely heavily on the power of the community. The community is a vital element that produces additional content, user culture, and even critical user groups that define the characteristics of the community and the game.”

NEXPACE aims to build a bidirectional relationship where they can say, “We are creating games with the users,” and Angela added that the Quest system facilitates this relationship building.

NFTs and Utility Tokens

Based on the philosophy of MapleStory Universe, MapleStory N will not operate a premium cash shop or conduct pre-sales of NFTs (in-game items) by the development and operational company. NFTs and tokens can only be obtained by participating in and playing the game.

Angela stated that this is a conscious choice by NEXPACE, respecting the history of MapleStory, which has always been a “free-to-start game” since its launch. The company decided to avoid imposing significant financial burdens on players or creating barriers to entry when playing the game, but to welcome a variety of players.

“The ideal goal of MapleStory Universe is to create the ‘next 20 years of MapleStory,’ and it needs to be executed with a sustainable business model,” she emphasized.

MapleStory N has a utility token that functions like in-game currency, used for item enhancements and item trading on the marketplace.

The blockchain version of MapleStory aims to develop a user-driven economy based on the dynamics created by users and the ownership of NFTs, rather than relying on fundraising through NFT or item sales by the operating company. This approach showcases the confidence of a major company that is successfully progressing with other large-scale projects like Dungeon Fighter Online.

Nexon, in partnership with Tencent Holdings, the largest player in the Chinese market, released “Dungeon Fighter Mobile,” which achieved explosive popularity, ranking first in downloads and sales, with reported first-month revenues exceeding $300 million.

Pioneer Test

Before the official release, a “Pioneer Test,” where selected users experience MapleStory N, started on July 24.

The Pioneer Test aims to gather feedback from users of various experience levels with MapleStory N on ways to improve. By having users actually experience the provided content, they can report bugs and areas for improvement, which is essential for the final stage of game development, Angela said. The main focus of this test is to get feedback from the community to make MapleStory Universe better and to release it as soon as possible.

The mainnet version of MapleStory N is expected to be released within the year.

Security Measures and Cheat Countermeasures

While the classic version of MapleStory is played worldwide, it has a strong fan base, especially in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the United States.

MapleStory N is being developed with global expansion in mind, targeting not only existing fans but also new users interested in blockchain games and users who want to play again as adults.

However, large-scale play-to-earn blockchain games often attract users who engage in cheating, such as running multiple clients simultaneously. How does MapleStory address cheating?

Angela pointed out that cheating by users is a concern not only for the Web3 version but also for the classic version of MapleStory. Over more than 20 years of service, many bots, macros, and hacks have occurred, and Nexon has a specialized team dedicated to game security.

The core components of security are tools to counter hacking and cheating executed in the game, but Nexon also conducts detailed investigations into game-related analytics and user behavior patterns.

In online games, logs are obtained from user actions within the game to determine whether the user is a human or a bot operating according to patterns. Additionally, using various data, bots are detected almost in real-time, intervening in the game to block bots, and implementing additional preventive mechanisms.

Nexon is making every effort to provide a safe environment for players by implementing various tools based on years of online game operation experience, Angela concluded.

Web3 Games Are Worth Serious Effort

When asked why Nexon is taking on the challenge of evolving their flagship IP, MapleStory, into a blockchain-integrated game, Angela replied, “Because we genuinely want this work to become the next 20 years of the MapleStory IP.”

The goal is to understand whether a company could operate a long-term sustainable service upon it decides to provide a blockchain game. Once Nexon can provide MapleStory in a sustainable way, they wanted to deeply understand how blockchain interacts with online PRGs, which is why they are taking on this challenge.

Evolving Nexon’s flagship IP into a blockchain game is a significant gamble in some respects, but Angela said the company’s strategy is “to expand the game beyond the client,” and the adoption of blockchain was not the end goal.

Since the company’s direction regarding game experience and IP experience aligns, they can take the risk of adopting blockchain to move forward and focus on expanding this approach, Angela explained.

This is an innovative challenge for us too. We have stacks of challenges to deal with and understand in the unknown Web3 field, but we sincerely hope that if MapleStory successfully leads the way, it will help the entire game industry.

MapleStory Universe Official Links

Official Website ✔️msu.io

Official X ✔️ x.com/MaplestoryU

Official Medium ✔️medium.com/@MaplestoryU

Official Discord ✔️ discord.gg/MaplestoryUniverse

Official YouTube ✔️ https://www.youtube.com/@MapleStoryU

Official Facebook ✔️ www.facebook.com/MapleStoryU.Official/