Game On!

Audition, the Newest Virtual Clubbing Hotspot, Opens Its Doors in North
> America
>
>
> Los Angeles, CA ­ April 9, 2007 ­ Nexon America Inc., the U.S. division of
> Asia¹s leading online games company Nexon Group, announced today the release
> of its massively multiplayer online dance title, Audition, now available for
> download at www.nexon.net. Additionally, Nexon reveals that Hilary Duff will
> lend her latest single ³With Love² to the virtual dance floor, bolstering
> the library of hit songs already featured in the game.
>
> Further strengthening the company¹s online games portfolio for the North
> American market, Nexon¹s Audition is a virtual community where players can
> chat with their friends and battle in intense dance-off competitions.
> Featuring songs from top artists and dynamic music composed exclusively for
> the game, Audition is free-to-play and subscription-free.
>
> ³One of the biggest ways I connect with my fans is online,² says Hilary
> Duff. ³And now with Audition, I have a cool new venue where I can share my
> music. Not to mention, I can¹t wait to see all the crazy and original dance
> competitions featuring ŒWith Love.²
>
> Pop music sensation Hilary Duff is one of the first artists to announce her
> involvement with Nexon¹s Audition. Duff¹s new single ³With Love,² off her
> album ³Dignity,² will be featured in both the game and the Audition TV
> commercial, now airing across a portfolio of MTVN television and online
> brands, including MTV, MTV2, mtvU, Comedy Central, VH1, Spike and
> Nickelodeon. Duff, who shot to fame with the television show Lizzie McGuire,
> already has three hit albums under her belt with ³Metamorphosis,² ³Hilary
> Duff,² and ³Most Wanted,² having sold over 13 million records worldwide.
>
> ³Gamers are turning to the online world not just to battle enemies and
> car-jack pedestrians, but to Œhang-out¹ and interact with their peers,² says
> John H. Chi, president and chief executive officer of Nexon America.
> ³Audition provides teens a trendy virtual scene where they can socialize
> with their friends and participate in dance-offs to their favorite songs. It
> also offers people another way to find and listen to new music.²
>
> Nexon America games are free-to-download at www.nexon.net and utilize an
> innovative cash shop system (microtransactions), which offers players the
> option to use real currency to pay for game enhancements. In Audition,
> players can purchase in-game apparel and accessories, such as designer
> clothes, hip haircuts, and over 180 faces that come with their own numerous
> and unique expressions, that enable them to create one-of-a-kind identities.
> These features are purely optional, and players can try out items prior to
> purchase in virtual dressing rooms.
>
> With simple directional and space bar keystrokes, Audition players perform
> hip-hop style dance steps and choreographed routines‹precision timing being
> crucial. Players compete in various dance modes, each with distinctive
> special features and moves. Audition¹s in-game reward system, gives winning
> dancers ³Beats² or currency used to purchase a variety of items from the
> cash shop.
>
> Nexon America is helping drive the MMOG market in North America to meet the
> social and entertainment demands of younger, more mainstream consumers.
> Nexon¹s first MMO game, MapleStory, has already exceeded 3 million
> registered users in North America since its launch in 2006. As the pioneer
> of the microtransaction, or Item Selling business model, Nexon has sold
> millions of virtual items worldwide through MapleStory and other hit titles
> such as KartRider and BnB: Crazy Arcade. In 2005, Nexon Corporation reported
> $230 million in revenue, driven primarily from millions of
> microtransactions.
>
>
> About Nexon America
> Nexon America Inc. is the North American publishing arm of Nexon Group, a
> pioneer of interactive entertainment software and the world¹s leader in
> massively multiplayer online games. Based in Los Angeles, Nexon America was
> founded in 2005 to bring the best of online entertainment to the North
> American audience. The company¹s growing library of titles includes the
> world famous, smash-hit franchise, MapleStory, and the new motion-captured
> dance battle game, Audition. The foundation of all Nexon America titles is
> the Item Selling business model, in which users access the full game for
> free and can later opt to pay for game enhancements.

Posted using Meow