November 26, 2024

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Dave the Diver (Nexon)

South Korean game developer and publisher Nexon has proved its global competitiveness in intellectual property through the two latest original titles -- Dave the Diver and Wars of Prasia.

Shortly after its global release on June 28, the adventure video game Dave the Diver topped the July weekly sales chart on Steam, the US-based PC game distribution platform.

It was also introduced and recommended by several major media outlets, including The Washington Post.

As of September, the game's cumulative sales figure logged over 2 million copies, becoming Nexon’s most successful PC-based game ever.

“The international success of Dave the Diver is largely attributed to the unique integration of its business simulator elements with its ocean adventure, as its eponymous protagonist Dave runs and manages a sushi restaurant at night after daytime (fishing),” a Nexon official said.

“(The game's) everyday people and ordinary-looking characters, coupled with '90s-style retro graphics, have broadened the game's appeal to a wider range of age groups encompassing both young and old generations.”

In late October, the game’s new version for Nintendo Switch also made its debut.

“The grip and vibrations of Joy-Con sticks are believed to enhance the user experience of daytime ocean exploration and fish hunting,” said Hwang Jae-ho, the director of Dave the Dive.

Meanwhile, Wars of Prasia is the company’s new massively multiplayer online role-playing game, or MMORPG, whose PC and mobile versions were launched in March.

Wars of Prasia (Nexon)

Rather than adhering to the conventional plot involving character development and large-scale warfare, Wars of Prasia features the elements of unique storytelling such as an evil-good binary of elves against human fighters and faction-related battle stories.

In particular, users enjoy an unprecedented level of individual freedom and are able to shape their own stories within the broader narrative framework, as they can join any association, own territory, and manage it with others, a feature considered by industry watchers as disrupting the rules of the traditional multiplayer video games.

Players can also craft weapons such as cannons and catapults, as well as bridge carts needed for combat and character growth.

“We will strive to deliver more distinguished narratives unique to Wars of Prasia to allow our users to continue to experience and build diverse plotlines in the seamless virtual world," Lee Ik-je, the director of Wars of Prasia.

Responding to its steady popularity since its launch in March, Nexon recently introduced major updates such as the addition of new territories and battlegrounds, to further elevate the dynamics of group battles.

By Song Jung-hyun  (junghyun792@heraldcorp.com)