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3DSDS

Nexon 'Will Consider' Bringing MapleStory DS to North America and Europe Via the eShop 

by Scott Thompson - August 1, 2012, 12:23 pm EDT
Discuss in talkback! Source: Cubed3, http://m.cubed3.com/index.php?op=2&storyid=169...

The company reflects on releasing the game so late into the lifespan of the Nintendo DS.

MapleStory DS, a re-imagining of the popular free-to-play MMORPG, could see release in Europe and North America courtesy of the 3DS eShop.

Cubed3 recently interviewed Hong Sungjoon, director of MapleStory DS, asking him a variety of questions, from why the game, announced in 2006, didn't release until 2010 in Korea (and 2011 in Japan), to how he thinks the 3DS will fare in Korea. When asked about now bringing the game to North America and Europe, Sungjoon responded: "In reality, we think it is now too difficult to publish it as a package in America and Europe. However, we will consider if it is possible to publish it in the form of a download on Nintendo 3DS"

Sungjoon also talked about how releasing the DS game in Japan after the 3DS and Vita launched limited the team's sales expectations, though he did comment that he expects it to continually sell over time. This experience in Japan may have directly influenced Nexon's hesitation in bringing the retail product to North America and Europe.

Despite this, Sungjoon does not believe that smartphones and tablets have or will decrease the market for dedicated game devices, both console and handheld. He said:

"It is difficult to get over the taste of a console and having a controller in your hand, something that differs considerably from the touch type input of Smartphones. Portable systems and consoles that involve players staying at home combined with a non-moveable form will carry on their existence concurrently."

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