넥슨의 ‘크레이지 파크’ 폐장: 추억이라는 자산과 효율이라는 현실 사이 > 뉴스

Nexon's company-wide management policy change lies behind this decision to terminate the service. Recently, under Chairman Patrick Söderlund, Nexon has been adopting a ‘selection and focus’ strategy of boldly eliminating projects with low profitability or stagnant inflow of new users. This is not simply a move to discard old games, but a move to reallocate the company's resources to areas with clear future growth engines by thoroughly calculating the security, server operation, and customer service costs involved in live services. In fact, the process of sequentially closing not only ‘Crazy Arcade’ but also the original and sequels of ‘Bubble Fighter’ and ‘Kart Rider’ clearly shows that Nexon is not tied down to past glory and is making practical structural improvements.

Cases of IP succession failure and subsequent strategy modifications are also points to pay attention to in this situation. In order to extend the lifespan of existing popular games, Nexon attempted to target the global market by launching multi-platform sequels such as ‘Kart Rider Drift’, but suffered the painful experience of failing to satisfy the nostalgia of users of the original game, having difficulty securing new users, and eventually terminating the service. This is an example that proves that the brand power of a long-lived IP can actually act as a burden due to high expectations. Through these trials and errors, Nexon is now showing strategic flexibility in continuing the legacy by preserving the value of proven original works such as ‘Kart Rider Classic’ rather than unreasonably launching new games.

Aside from the termination of game services, the reins on information security and ethical management within Nexon are also becoming tighter. The recent incident in which a partner company employee was legally punished for trying to make unfair profits by leaking undisclosed content information ahead of the ‘Maple Story’ showcase clearly shows how strict standards Nexon places on internal control and partner management. Nexon demonstrated its determination to block elements that undermine a fair gaming environment by taking a strong response by permanently cutting off business with the company where the information leak occurred. This is evidence that we recognize that maintaining trust with users is as essential to corporate sustainability as improving management efficiency to ensure profitability.

On the other hand, Nexon is quickly adapting to changes in the times by successfully establishing a new digital entertainment model that combines viewing and playing, such as ‘FC Online’. The strategy of combining soccer broadcasts and game play into one flow by linking with streaming platforms such as Czizyk is a smart move to build a new ecosystem centered on content that current users are passionate about, rather than organizing stagnant long-running IPs. In the end, Nexon’s current situation can be interpreted as a process in which two axes are progressing simultaneously: ‘diet’ to sort out the ‘legacy of the past’ and ‘growth’ to build a ‘future platform’. This can be said to be an essential evolutionary process for survival as a large gaming company.