My Latest Project

As you can probably tell, I have for the most part moved on to different things.  Currently, I’m not actively playing any games provided by Nexon America; The only game that really has my interested piqued at the moment would be KartRider and it seems that there’s no rush to them to get it out. (Since it’s been a year since the end of open beta) I do occasionally update with little tidbits of information as I hear about them if I feel they’re big enough, but since I don’t actively play anything under their control at the moment, I haven’t had much to talk about that’s Nexon outside of Sleepywood.net.

Not having anything to write about, I’ve decided to write about whatever comes to my mind about video games in general on my self-hosted blog, A Gamer’s Mind.  At the moment I’m not doing much as I have prior commitments in life and am going through a rough patch, but I’m hoping that once I get going that I will be updating it on a more regular basis. (I’d like to be updating it once every couple of days eventually)

Most of the stuff I write about is things that I see from my point of view, mainly pertaining to my interests as a gamer and about some of the games that I’m playing.  That being said, I can’t guarantee that it would be a blog that everyone here likes as everyone’s opinions are different and I’m bound to contrast a good amount of people.  However, feel free to check it out.

If I find some big info about anything Nexon I will of course be posting it here.  Until then, though, I’ll be writing over there.

Audition Online US To Shut Down

It’s a sad day for Auditioners in North America. On February 24th, Nexon America announced that the US version of T3 Entertainment’s dancing game will be shutting down shortly after March 10th. As part of the closing transition, certain licensed songs and all cash shop items will be removed from the game on that day.

Nexon is offering some generous compensation for anyone who has played the game in the past year, in the form of closed beta access for their next offered game and a MapleStory beginners package. (Although I’m sure a lot of Auditioners out there are already Maplers.)

Fortunately, this doesn’t seem to be the absolute end to the US version of the game, as Nexon has also hinted at it being picked up by another publisher.  Any details as to whom and when have not been announced yet.  Speculation is also around as to what Nexon has in store for this game that’s going to replace it… or maybe KartRider, which hasn’t seen the light of day in North America since Open Beta’s end nearly a year ago, might finally come into play here?

Audition isn’t the only game that is closing down this month.  Earlier in February, OGPlanet announced that they will be closing their arcade golf-style game, Albatross 18, on March 8th.  Shortly after, the US division of Ntreev Soft (the original developer) announced that they were going to start hosting it shortly after it closes on OGP under its original name, PangYa.

Sugar Rush in trouble. Humanature closes

In a rare update for a blog that I never really have any news for now, but while skimming Sleepywood’s posts I found something that might be devastating to the future development of Sugar Rush.

It’s not new news to say that the world economy is in a recession.  Up here in Canada that recession hasn’t hit too badly (having a prime minister that’s an economist helps) but that unfortunately doesn’t save Sugar Rush’s developers: Humanature studios.  Two days ago, Kotaku reported that the Vancouver-based studio that works for Nexon is shutting down, and that they have already laid off 90 of their employees.

We’ve just gotten off the phone with the helpful, friendly receptionist at the Vancouver Nexon America development studio, who informed us that all of the approximately 90 employees at the location were let go this morning, and that the studio was now closed. One of our tipsters indicates that the news came by way of a studio-wide meeting this morning, which was expected to result in only half of the workforce being let go.

-Mike Fahey, Kotaku

This is bad news for those that were looking forward to Sugar Rush, and so far no comment has been made as to whether or not development will continue.  However, if you’re worried about Nexon’s other games, don’t be. Since all of Nexon America’s games are managed from LA, none of their games currently in service are affected, and the same probably goes for KartRider. (which has been out for nearly a year following the end of open beta)

This is also bad for the portion of the gaming industry operating out of Vancouver as well. Humanature is the second casualty of the gaming industry based out of downtown Vancouver alone, after rumors starting going aflutter about EA Black Box possibly shutting down as well.

Pirates Are Closer Than You Think

I can just see the “welcome to last week” comments now.

I admit, when I first saw Pirates in kMS, I thought it would take years for it to reach gMS. I was wrong.

Someone at the Nexon Forum posted an image of the back of the October edition of GamePro showing an ad for playing as a pirate in the “latest expansion” of MapleStory.

Current speculation is that Pirates would be coming in November, so along with the subtle hints Nexon’s been leaving with its pirate speak, I think pirates by the end of the year will be a safe bet to say.

Now… as far as I go… I remember saying to myself that Pirates would be an interesting time to come back.  Will I hold up to that?  Who knows?

When Words Mean Nothing

UPDATE: In-game, a world mourns.

This is an odd post, and it’s definitely not like me to be posting something personal on a gaming blog, and it really pains me to write about this at the moment.

Tonight, I learned that one fairly close friend of mine from my MapleStory days, Israel Troy Ruyle a.k.a. “turkishmonky” of Bera, died late last week (Aug. 28) at the age of 18.

I do not know the cause or the events leading up to it, but for a death at so young I can only think about what happened, and I don’t want to come to that assumption.  At this point I’ve decided that I am not asking for details.  However, already on the heels of the deaths of two of my relatives (a step-great grandfather and a step-grandmother) I am finding that this is fairly devastating.

What had made his friendship unique to me in a MapleStory standpoint is that, for a hardened and strict legit player, he was one of the only a small number of ex-hacker friends that I had. (Though I had at least two others before him.)  What makes this the hardest for me, is that for all the time we shared together and when our personalities clashed, I feel horrible that I was never made up for this.

My heartfelt sypmathies go out to the Ruyle family, and all of Isreal’s in-game friends, though mainly that is for two people, both of Bera; Staci a.k.a. Staci8o8/stacix3, and Desiree a.k.a. “Dezalicious” (or whatever character she uses now) who is not just a very close friend of mine, but was quite possibly even closer of a friend to him.  I’m just sitting here and looking at her AIM away and it breaks my heart to see this happen. This shouldn’t happen. It does, but it shouldn’t.

Peace be with you, Izzy.

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4 NIV)