Finally, the conflict between Nexon and Netmarble over <Sudden Attack> is over by today. It took 20 days to reach a settlement of co-publishing the game until July 11, 2013.

Let me summarize the story for you.

Netmarble’s due date of servicing <Sudden Attack> is July 11, 2011. Nexon, however, took over the developer of <Sudden Attack>, Gamehi, in the mid of 2010 and wanted to publish it exclusively after Netmarble loses the right of service later.

But what mattered was that <Sudden Attack> is Netmarble’s heart since it is both the biggest game to them and the most popular FPS in Korea. Netmarble cannot give up the title no matter what. So the 20-day conflict began right here.

 

■ Unprecedented skits

Since Nexon was so determined to own the game, Netmarble took a step backward and suggested co-publishing. Yet still Nexon was firm.

JungJoon Kim the CEO of Gamehi urged that <Sudden Attack> cannot be split and DB transfer is only what he concerns. So Nexon told Netmarble to hand all the game DB including player’s over to them and Netmarble agreed it.

But Nexon did not believe Netmarble’s kindness and planned an unprecedented event called ‘Move quickly’ which rewards all the players who migrate their information to Nexon from Netmarble US$60 in game money in pursuit of having their DB without a help of Netmarble in early June. The event promotion has been done as if an AAA game has launched.

Another conflict or skit I want to call was made here. Nexon asked players to screenshot their ID tag in the game to participate the promotion. On the heels of that, Netmarble banned screenshot function(F8) in the game in order to prevent the players from leaving to Nexon. Then Nexon managed to creat an external program that allows capturing the monitor and repetitively updated it as soon as Netmarble disabled it.

It’s pretty ironic that such battle is not done between a hacker and a publisher but between current partners.

 

■ Nexon and Gamehi just saved their faces

Anyways, they dramatically concluded it by co-publishing. To Nexon, it is not a bad decision since the amount of the DB they need to take care of if their exclusive service is made would be a tough burden to them.

In additino to that, the timing is dangerous. The summer vacation is coming and other competitors are sitting tight for <Sudden Attack>’s possible shrink.

Thanks to the amicable agreement, Gamehi would stop worrying about <Sudden Attack 2>’s contract with Netmarble for a while.

According to their agreement, the successor of <Sudden Attack> shoud have been made and have launched its OBT by 2010 and have started commercial service within 6 months from the OBT. But Gamhi has failed it. Unfortunately, <Sudden Attack 2> is still in the level of design.

Netmarble might have done a legal action if <Sudden Attack> had disappointed them. Nexon also addressed “Regarding <Sudden Attack 2>, Nexon, Gamehi, and CJ E&M(Netmarble) are going to cooperate smoothly” through press release.

In conclusion, Nexon will begin servicing <Sudden Attack> on July 11 according to the new contract and the players from both sides would not have any inconvenience since they play in the same server.

But I am not sure how they would recover their already-lost brand image, trust, and players through the lose-lose battle.

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