Welcome back to another quick roundup of some MMO and MMO-adjacent industry news! This time around, we’ve got only one first quarter report to share! Happy days! Let’s get into the headlines of that headline, shall we?
Nexon’s Q1 2024 report – Nexon has put forth its earnings report and related investor presentation for the first quarter of this year, and overall things are trending downward: Revenue was down 13 percent from last year, operating income was down by 48 percent, and net income dropped 32 percent. Most of the report focuses on Dungeon Fighter Online in China, Korean MapleStory, and “lower-than-expected retention and revenue” for The Finals in spite of a slight uptick in player numbers after Season 2’s release.
Microsoft injects AI into Minecraft – Microsoft is looking to integrate/force its Copilot AI tech into its games, starting first with Minecraft, as the program answered a question from a player about how to craft an item during a Microsoft demonstration event. Details on when this functionality will go live aren’t shared, but it’s obviously something the megacorp is pushing towards.
XDefiant promises player-friendly free-to-play – Finally, Ubisoft’s free-to-play arena shooter XDefiant took a moment to talk up its business model, with several promises that it would avoid pay-to-win and respect players time, while shop items would stick firmly in the cosmetic realm, including skins, MVP animations, player cards, emoji packs, and a premium battle pass. “We endeavor to […] keep making great content to excite and engage our players for years to come, season after season,” reads the announcement without any hint of irony.
