TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NEXON Co., Ltd. (“NEXON”) (3659.TO), a worldwide leader in free-to-play online games, today announced that it has made a strategic investment in JC Entertainment Corporation (“JCE”), a Korean online game developer. NEXON will acquire an additional 6.01 percent stake of JCE through its subsidiary, Nexon Korea Corporation, thus becoming JCE’s largest shareholder with a total minority stake of 22.34 percent. NEXON announced the initial purchase of a 16.34 percent stake in JCE in October 2011.
JCE’s superior live game development capabilities, demonstrated by the success of titles such as its Freestyle series of online sports games and mobile social network game Rule the Sky, will further enhance NEXON's international publishing platforms. JCE will also benefit from NEXON's powerful global operations, industry expertise, and innovative culture as it continues to grow.
“JCE has proven its development and management with its Freestyle series, and its ability to quickly capture an emerging market with Rule the Sky. Nexon expects to help transform JCE into a global company by combining its capability and potential with Nexon’s business strengths, live service, and experience with platforms around the world,” said Min Seo, CEO of Nexon Korea Corporation.
JCE is best known for its popular Freestyle games, which combine hip-hop music and street sports with unique characters and gameplay. Since the release of the original Freestyle in 1994, JCE has developed original and diverse titles that have been released across the globe. JCE currently has offices in China and Japan.
NEXON Co., Ltd. http://company.nexon.co.jp/
NEXON Co., Ltd. (3659.TO) is a worldwide leader in free-to-play online games. Founded in Korea in 1994, NEXON developed one of the world's first graphics-based massively multiplayer online games. NEXON also pioneered the concept of microtransactions in the free-to-play business model, setting a new standard in which play is free, and users have the option to purchase in-game items to enhance their experience. NEXON currently services more than 50 online games in more than 100 countries and since its founding, NEXON has generated more than 1.3 billion player registrations. The Company is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and its shares are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.