South Korean PC and mobile game publisher Nexon today reported its best Q1 earnings in the company’s history, noting revenues of $850 million.
That is up 3% over the same quarter last year. This success comes as Nexon is under the acquisition microscope, with potential buyers including Electronic Arts, Amazon, Comcast, and even Disney. Nexon founder Kim Jung-ju’s controlling stake would be worth about $9 billion. If he finds a buyer, he’ll be getting a huge payday. The Korea Times also notes that Jung-ju is looking to sell as he feels that the future of the industry is uncertain with tougher regulations and competition coming in the future.
Nexon’s hits include PC online games Dungeon Fighter Online and Maple Story. The company is also behind FIFA Online 4 in Korea.
“Nexon continues to break industry records for longevity in game franchises,” added Nexon president and CEO Owen Mahoney in a press release sent to GamesBeat. “One franchise, KartRider has exceeded 380 million registered players, and after 15 years of availability in Korea, has generated an over 3x year-over-year revenue increase. Crazy Arcade BnB, released in Korea 18 years ago, was recently released globally on mobile and has surpassed 10 million downloads in less than a month.”
The company is predicting revenues of $480 million to $520 million for the next quarter.