[CA Stratics] Nexon Purchases $687 Million Shares in NCsoft

[Taylor]

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Nexon purchased 3,218,091 shares in rival NCsoft today, valued at 804,522,750,000 South Korean Won ($687 million USD), according to a press release by The Business Journals. The purchase, termed a “strategic investment,” gives Nexon 14.7% ownership in NCsoft, making it NCsoft’s largest shareholder. Said The Business Journals, “By creating this strategic relationship, both Nexon and NCsoft strengthen their commitment to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences to users around the world. ” Massively‘s Justin Olivetti observes that this purchase, coupled with Nexon’s recent acquisition of Gamania, signals that Nexon is pursing an increasingly aggressive investment strategy.
NCsoft and Nexon have long been indirect competitors for the online gaming market. Nexon focuses on the free to play (F2P) market, relying on micro-transactions for revenue generation. While some of NCsoft’s games, including Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2, require users to purchase software and expansions, many other titles, such as Aion and City of Heroes, similarly rely on the F2P model.

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