Nexon aims for global magic with pending launch of MapleStory M

Nexon’s MapleStory is looking a bit dated in its 15th year as an online game. But the Tokyo-based company plans a big makeover as it prepares the global launches of MapleStory 2 for the PC and MapleStory M for mobile devices.

It might seem odd that Nexon is investing so heavily in a franchise that originally debuted in 2003, but at its peak, Nexon had more than 92 million MapleStory players back in 2009. The audience has since shrunk dramatically, but Nexon has been updating the game regularly to keep players coming back to the live service for the online game. And earlier this year, Nexon said the game still had 14 million players, and it had grown its revenues in the first quarter (that ended March 31) in double-digit percentages compared to a year earlier.