TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NEXON Co., Ltd. (3659.TO) (“Nexon”), a global leader in online games, today announced a major strategic investment in Embark Studios AB (“Embark”), a new game development studio, founded by notable game industry veteran Patrick Söderlund. The sole strategic equity investor in Embark, Nexon will also serve as worldwide publisher for titles developed by the new company. Additionally, Embark Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Patrick Söderlund has been nominated to serve on Nexon’s Board of Directors; the nomination will be ratified at the Nexon annual shareholders meeting, in March 2019.
“I believe games are on the cusp of changing radically, thanks to new technologies,” said Patrick Söderlund. “Connected players, big data, speech recognition, cloud computing, advanced AI and more will open up new play, enabling developers to build a wider range of experiences, and for players to create and contribute. Embark is a group of veteran creators eager to move beyond current play experiences into the future.”
“The partnership between Embark Studios and Nexon is built on a deeply aligned vision about the future of interactive entertainment, and about challenging the standard conventions and practices of how to create. Also, Nexon’s global leadership in nurturing online game worlds and communities for many years is critical to our mission.”
Stockholm-based Embark was founded to develop new types of interactive entertainment and simulated virtual online worlds enabled by the massive leaps in technology that have already occurred and are on the horizon, across streaming, cloud computing and AI. The company will also build its own technology platform to optimize for the new games and experiences it will offer.
“While the online games business is very large, it is still just getting started,” said Owen Mahoney, President and CEO of Nexon. “Today we sit at a major inflection point, with highly advanced AI technology, dynamic provisioning of computational power from the cloud, and new user interface options now offered by multiple vendors and at consumer-level price points. What remains scarce is the ability to make deeply engaging online virtual worlds that appeal to a broad global audience that can grow for many years. The formation of Embark represents one of the most exciting developments for the future of online games.”
Embark will develop the next-generation of online multiplayer worlds leveraging both its leadership’s proven experience creating beloved global franchises, and Nexon’s ability to grow live games worlds for years, even decades. Both Nexon and Embark believe that the next generation of online games will be deeply immersive simulated realities, with persistence and deep consequences for player actions.
Patrick Söderlund’s nomination to the Board of Directors adds a Western developer to the Board, bringing both global perspective as well as the creative vision of a game developer.
“We look forward to welcoming Patrick to the Nexon board of directors,” added Mahoney. “Online games are the center of the media industry, already bigger than movies. Our Board and management believe that it’s appropriate to have a game developer on our Board of Directors, especially one as capable and thoughtful as Patrick.”
Patrick Söderlund was the CEO of Stockholm-based DICE, which was acquired by Electronic Arts in 2006, where Söderlund held many executive roles, starting with overseeing key franchises to becoming Executive Vice President of Worldwide Studios, and most recently serving as the company’s Chief Design Officer. Now at Embark’s helm, Patrick Söderlund has been involved with some of the world’s most popular game franchises in his career over two decades in interactive entertainment.
For more information on Embark Studios, please visit www.embark-studios.com.
NEXON Co., Ltd. http://company.nexon.co.jp/en/
Founded
in 1994, NEXON Co., Ltd. (3659.TO) is a company engaged in the
production, development and operation of online games. First listed on
the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December 2011, Nexon was placed on JPX400 in
2015 and the Nikkei Stock Index 300 in 2017. Nexon currently has more
than 80 live games in various genres operated across more than 190
countries. Major game titles include MapleStory, Dungeon&Fighter,
HIT and HIDE AND FIRE.
