A truck hired by KartRider users stands on a road near Nexon Co.’s headquarters in Seongnam, south of Seoul, on Dec. 22, 2022, carrying a sign criticizing the company’s decision to shut down KartRider game. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean gaming giant Nexon Co. has announced plans to terminate its racing game “KartRider,” launched in 2004, provoking protests from gamers.
Some KartRider users on Thursday parked a mobile billboard truck displaying their protests against Nexon’s decision in front of the company’s headquarters in the Seoul suburb of Seongnam.
The gamers claimed that Nexon’s unilateral decision showed clear neglect for KartRider users who have played the game over the past 18 years.
The gaming firm’s decision is a part of its efforts to focus on the follow-up game “KartRider Drift” that is scheduled to be released on PC and mobile platforms.
Nonetheless, the decision faced immediate resistance from existing KartRider users.
Until this year, a professional KartRider contest has been held regularly, and Nexon previously unveiled a large-scale update plan.
Another factor behind the criticism is that the company’s decision was made public not through an official notice but through the media.
Nexon plans to discuss how it intends to compensate existing users and how to operate the follow-up game through a YouTube live broadcast next month.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
