MapleStory was launched in South Korea in 2003 after which it reached North America in 2005. It was and is still a free-to-play game and inherits a money-grabbing success story. This massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) flourished fundamentally in the Asian diaspora. Like its modern counter, World of Warcraft, MapleStory is accounted for as a matchmaker for genuine friendships and even marriages.
The category of MMORPG was initially proposed to be a progression of MUDs (Multi-User Dungeons). However, it could not grab much consideration with the release of the first game Meridan 59 in the same genre in 1996. Nevertheless, the release of Ultima Online the next year detonated on markets, turning into the first-ever MMORPG to acquire a player base of 100,000. It is likewise still the longest-running MMORPG.
Wizet, those who designed the game, had launched the game first in South Korea in 2003. The game was a success locally, cluing in publishing company Nexon. From that point, Nexon acquired and captivated Wizet, letting the game to be designed and distributed on a worldwide scale. While WoW turned into the titan of genre, Global MapleStory (GMS) started beta testing under their umbrella.
MapleStory, as an establishment, would soon pursue an astonishing milestone, cresting at 92 million players around the world, in addition to being one of the top 10 MMOs in global revenue.
MapleStory is not Your Average Game
- MapleStory was launched as a free-to-play game and remains to be one. This idea was not the same as a handful of its forerunners. Nexon made revenue through the game’s “Cash Shop,” where players could proceed to buy cosmetic items for their characters with no advantage for the development of actual gameplay.
- MapleStory had unusual gameplay in contrast with the typical MMORPGs where advancing questlines would unlock complimenting lore and areas the players built up and powerful bosses will be brought down. The game was purposed with no target or end-game, aside from a safe reach to the maximum level of 200. In MapleStory, you are simply a resident in the Maple World, able to discover and connect with what is around you.
- Maplestory rather turned into a social game, and it worked. Party quests were made to compel players to play with each other, handling stages and difficulties to get insight and items. Players would crowd the towns, simply hanging out and conversing with each other, later on building up the term Hene-hoe for the individuals who might just socialize in the town of Henesys.
Maple is not dead yet!
Today many play the game on MapleStory private server. The future of MapleStory is unsure, with the owner of Nexon setting up his company to be purchased at $9.9 billion. Nevertheless, Korean MapleStory is still flourishing, and patches of content and events are still being released consistently.
