Webzen is a South Korean

developer Developer may refer to: Computers * Software developer, a person or organization who develop programs/applications * Video game developer, a person or business involved in video game development, the process of designing and creating games * Web d ...

and

publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

video games Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...

. The company, together with its subsidiaries, also engages in software licensing and related services all over the world.

History

Webzen merged with NHN Games, which was dissolved with the merger on July 7, 2010. Webzen acquired Ymir Games on January 26, 2011 and became the owner of

Metin2 Metin2 is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) originally developed by Ymir Entertainment (now owned by Webzen Games) and originally released in Korea in 2004. It has since been published in many European countries and in the ...

. The company's line-up of games includes other new titles such as Archlord 2, MU: eX 700 - MU Online's first expansion, Continent of the Ninth (C9): PvP Global Championship and the first of a kind MU World Championship 2011. On July 1, 2012, global service of C9 began. With the release of C9, Webzen announced the C9 and Arctic Combat World Championship will start, where players around the world compete to be the best in the games. The finals were held at G-Star 2012 Expo on November 10, 2012. In December 6, 2012, the global service for Arctic Combat started. The

Steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...

service for Arctic Combat was also included. This service was shut down in 2013.

Business model

Webzen games are

free-to-play Free-to-play (F2P or FtP) video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying or do not require paying to continue playing. Free-to-play is distinct from traditional commercial software, which ...

, but uses a

micropayment A micropayment is a financial transaction involving a very small sum of money and usually one that occurs online. A number of micropayment systems were proposed and developed in the mid-to-late 1990s, all of which were ultimately unsuccessful. A s ...

system to generate revenue. Wcoins are the optional

virtual currency Virtual currency, or virtual money, is a digital currency that is largely unregulated and issued and usually controlled by its developers and used and accepted electronically among the members of a specific virtual community. In 2014, the Europe ...

that is purchased with real life money in order to purchase

virtual goods Virtual goods are non-physical objects and money purchased for use in online communities or online games. Digital goods, on the other hand, may be a broader category including digital books, music, and movies. Virtual goods are intangible by defini ...

that are used in Webzen Games.

References

{{Reflist Companies established in 2000 Entertainment companies of South Korea Video game companies of South Korea Software companies of South Korea Video game development companies Video game publishers