As the worldwide gaming panorama evolves, few tasks embody the daring leap from Web2 to Web3 fairly like MapleStory Universe (MSU) — the blockchain-based enlargement of Nexon’s iconic IP.
Spearheaded by NEXPACE, Nexon’s devoted Web3 division headquartered in Abu Dhabi, MSU is redefining what sustainable, community-driven gaming economies can appear like.
Backed by a $100M dedication and with over 17.6 million transactions and 470,000+ lively wallets from public playtests, MSU is greater than a Web3 experiment — it is a blueprint for the way forward for gaming.
In the course of the TOKEN2049 Dubai, we sat down with Dominic Jang, Chief Enterprise Officer & Vice President, Nexpace Restricted, MapleStory Universe, to discover the convergence of gaming, tradition, and blockchain.
With over 15 years in international sport operations and enterprise growth, Dominic shares his imaginative and prescient for constructing lasting Web3 ecosystems, why the UAE is rising as a Web3 gaming hub, and the way MSU is empowering creators and gamers by way of UGC, digital possession, and on-chain innovation. This is an excerpt from that dialog with Benzinga.
What units MSU’s strategy to Web3 gaming other than conventional play-to-earn fashions?
What differentiates MapleStory Universe from the standard play-to-earn mannequin is the inspiration it’s constructed on: a globally acknowledged, time-tested IP with a large current participant base. MapleStory IP, developed by Nexon, has accrued over 250 million registered customers worldwide and has generated $5 billion in lifetime income since its launch. We’re bringing this confirmed franchise with over 20 years of live-service operation for group belief. Prior to now, many play-to-earn fashions have traditionally launched with out in-depth consideration of leisure worth in gameplay or customers, counting on monetary incentives to draw short-term consideration. This has usually led to unsustainable economies and speedy consumer churn. In distinction, MapleStory Universe brings blockchain performance to a world that already has depth, longevity, and a deeply engaged group.
One other key distinction is MapleStory’s in depth underground financial system, which has lengthy existed exterior of official sport ecosystems. Though not formally endorsed, this underground peer-to-peer financial system throughout international servers is taken into account a billion-dollar market. Gamers commerce uncommon gadgets, accounts, and companies by way of unofficial gray markets. These economies emerged organically as a consequence of sturdy participant demand, however within the web2 world, they have been unregulated and dangerous. MapleStory Universe addresses this by formalizing these behaviors on-chain, giving gamers safe, clear possession and the power to interact in worth creation inside a supported framework. We purpose to transcend the mission by combining the strengths of a globally profitable IP with the capabilities of Web3, making a gaming financial system the place enjoyable, possession, and longevity go hand-in-hand.
How is MSU constructing a sustainable, community-driven financial system in its sport ecosystem?
MSU’s financial system is designed to be adaptive, participatory, and immune to speculative stress. At its core is NXPC, the ecosystem token powered by the Nexpace Protocol, which governs the move of worth by way of two key mechanics: Fission and Fusion. Gamers redeem NXPC for NFTs when wanted, and return NFTs for NXPC when utility shifts. This retains the financial system aligned with player-driven gameplay.
Designing for scale and longevity is a key sustainable issue for MSU as nicely. That is the place the Nexpace Protocol performs a central position. MapleStory Universe is barely the primary of many IPs to be built-in into the protocol. Nexon’s broader portfolio contains international profitable mega-IPs, every with their very own economies, communities, and design techniques. As extra IPs onboard, the protocol turns into a multi-IP financial system, the place property, creators, and gamers transfer fluidly between sport worlds. This cross-IP interoperability creates long-term retention, deeper engagement, and a extra resilient digital ecosystem total. NXPC provides an financial framework designed to evolve with gamers, scale throughout IPs, and stay sustainable over time.
What makes the MENA area a strategic hub for blockchain gaming innovation?
The MENA area, significantly the UAE, has emerged as a worldwide chief in blockchain innovation, due to its favorable regulatory surroundings. Right here at MSU, we consider that the MENA area supplies us with the house the place legacy IPs and digital possession can thrive, aligning with our imaginative and prescient of a player-driven financial system and ecosystem.
Abu Dhabi, the worldwide headquarters for Nexpace, was strategically chosen for its forward-thinking regulatory panorama and its sturdy dedication to blockchain innovation. Town’s sturdy infrastructure and proactive insurance policies allow us to confidently spend money on the expertise and assets required to drive long-term progress. Moreover, the area’s demographic benefits play a vital position in our wider determination to arrange a base in MENA. With a younger, tech-savvy inhabitants and the rising urge for food for IP-centric digital economies, the Web3 gaming trade is anticipated to contribute to the area’s GDP — doubtlessly injecting US$4B by way of the renewed curiosity in gaming. Safety and compliance are additionally essential elements that we took into consideration.
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How is UGC shaping MSU’s gameplay and participant engagement methods?
Taking a step again, you probably have a more in-depth look in the whole leisure trade, there’s an apparent development, the place each client’s desire over what sort of contents they discover entertaining or enjoyable, is more and more diversifying, and it is changing into nearly not possible for one single entity to deal with such diverging calls for. TV stations are shedding their viewers to streaming platforms, and now we live in a world the place anybody can turn into their very own media. Sport studios usually are not resistant to this massive wave. For those who check out TikTok, we’re seeing a a lot clearer development, the place shoppers have gotten content material creators themselves on the similar time, even to an extent that content material creation itself is changing into an leisure, and I extremely consider TikTok for content material creation being extremely accessible.
We, at Nexon Group, consider that user-generated content material (UGC) is on the coronary heart of what makes MapleStory distinctive and interesting for our gamers. An important instance of this might be MapleStory World, the unique MapleStory’s UGC platform that noticed over 100,000 concurrent customers and has created tailored video games from the unique IP like Artale or Maple Land. Within the MapleStory Universe ecosystem, we’re taking this one step additional by empowering gamers to create, commerce and monetize their very own creations, by including another layer of blockchain. We’re introducing Synergy Apps, which allow gamers to combine their creations inside current gameplay techniques. These apps create a virtuous cycle of creation, possession, and utility, permitting gamers to not simply play the sport however form its evolution. Over the course of ecosystem progress, we’re introducing extra APIs, SDK, and sport growth instruments, to permit customers to interchangeably work together with totally different Synergy Apps, finally creating a lot fruitful participant expertise primarily based on inventive methods, resulting in eternal creation of next-gen contents. Using blockchain expertise and its traits are what takes UGCs to the subsequent stage and retains gamers engaged.
What alternatives does asset possession unlock for gamers in your ecosystem?
Asset possession basically adjustments how gamers work together with video games. As an alternative of property being confined to a single server and managed by sport creators as an example, gamers will be capable of really personal their gadgets and commerce them freely. This sense of possession not solely provides actual worth to their in-game efforts but additionally fosters a extra direct participation by gamers to protect the worth of the property they personal. Lastly, it unlocks the potential for gamers to earn from their inventive contributions, whether or not by way of market gross sales or peer-to-peer transactions. In essence, possession signifies that gamers usually are not simply contributors however have an precise stake in MSU’s narrative.
One of the vital vital alternatives asset possession unlocks is the formalization of player-driven economies which have lengthy existed exterior official sport techniques. For years, gamers have discovered methods to commerce uncommon gadgets or in-game progress by way of unofficial channels, usually dealing with dangers resembling fraud, account bans, or lack of property. These gray markets emerged as a result of gamers wished extra management over the worth they created, even when the system did not help it.
With MapleStory Universe, we’re addressing that want immediately. By integrating blockchain, we allow gamers to really personal their in-game property. This stuff might be traded, collected, or used throughout a number of experiences in a safe and clear surroundings that’s formally supported. This removes the necessity for unregulated workarounds and ensures gamers are rewarded for his or her time, effort, and creativity inside the ecosystem.
How has Nexon’s $100M funding accelerated MSU’s Web3 growth roadmap?
The $100M funding from Nexon has definitely performed a pivotal position in accelerating MSU’s Web3 growth. Nonetheless, it is essential to focus on that MSU’s strategy is basically totally different from most crypto tasks. As an alternative of counting on the standard enterprise capital routes that usually result in inflated valuations, we made the deliberate determination to choose out of concentrated VC possession. This strategic transfer is a core aspect of our long-term imaginative and prescient for a sustainable Web3 leisure platform.
In distinction to the overcapitalized “foie gras” eventualities seen available in the market—the place tasks are prematurely inflated solely to be dumped as soon as liquidity occasions happen—we’re targeted on constructing a mission that facilities on actual utility and long-term consumer engagement. Because of this, whereas the funding helps us develop and speed up growth, it does not include the stress of fast token listings or speculative hype cycles. As an alternative, we’re constructing a strong ecosystem that emphasizes utility-first, user-focused options like open-world content material creation instruments (APIs, SDKs, synergy apps), actual consumer engagement, and a sustainable, incentive-driven financial system.
This deal with constructing an ecosystem grounded in MapleStory’s confirmed IP, somewhat than chasing short-term market hype, permits us to create a real user-driven platform. By rolling out options solely after they’re really prepared and backed by actual utilization knowledge, we’re guaranteeing that MSU’s progress is pushed by natural demand and group involvement, somewhat than the unpredictable swings of speculative capital.
What’s subsequent for MSU by way of increasing its universe and onboarding creators?
We’re consistently exploring methods to develop MSU and onboard extra creators into our ecosystem. Following the launch of MapleStory N on 15 Might, we’ll look to roll out extra sturdy creator instruments and host collaborative occasions to encourage community-driven content material.
Trying forward, our imaginative and prescient extends past MapleStory N. Because the MSU ecosystem continues to evolve and develop, we see potential in including extra IPs to the universe. Gamers will be capable of expertise new narratives and gameplay whereas remaining inside the similar blockchain. By constructing an interconnected world of video games and IPs, we’re laying the inspiration for long-term progress and a affluent group. Lastly, we hope to develop our consumer base — from conventional players to Web3 fanatics we purpose to foster a extra adaptive and artistic group the place actually anybody can play and create inside MSU.
