The Japanese video game publisher Nexon Co., Ltd. is getting ready for an international rollout and has its sights set on the Western market.
Although the video game creator is relatively unknown outside of Asia, its $22 billion valuation makes it one of the world’s 10 most prominent video game companies, surpassing the creator of “Grand Theft Auto”.
Nexon is one of the longest-running online role-playing titles, its arcade-style fighting game “Dungeon and Fighter” has made more than $20 billion since 2005 – more than “Star Wars” or “Harry Potter” combined.
Nexon’s CEO Owen Mahoney tells Reuters he aims to use Nexon’s expertise managing “live games” to launch big-budget projects with a Western sensibility, such as Embark Studios’ free-to-play shooter “ARC Raiders.
Citigroup analysts said in March that Nexon doesn’t have much experience managing photorealistic games for hardcore gamers, initiating stock coverage at “neutral”.
According to Reuters, Nexon seeks to control game development costs amid a $100 million budget. For instance, it uses machine learning technology to animate some character actions instead of relying on workers.
“I don’t really care what happens in the first one or two quarters,” Mahoney said, what he is interested in is what takes place from two to 20 years.
