Nexon expands IP reach from FC Mobile to Sudden Attack

[Special Report] Nexon actively expands IP reach from FC Mobile to Sudden Attack - NBNTV

| NBNTV = Ju Hyeon-ung |

The Korean gaming market is shifting its focus from the competition over new titles to the competition within live services.

While major new releases remain a core market driver, maintaining the competitiveness of long-term live services has become a crucial task for game developers. This is why various content strategies aimed at increasing user login frequency and inducing the return of dormant users are gaining significant attention.

Nexon appears to be putting significant effort into strengthening its live services in line with this trend.

In addition to large-scale updates and seasonal events, the company is expanding collaborations using external IPs to maintain momentum for its existing titles. The recent continuous application of the girl group RESCENE to both FC Mobile and Sudden Attack is interpreted as a key extension of this strategy.

The collaboration method is particularly noteworthy.

Nexon first introduced RESCENE to users in June through official FC Mobile content and events. Following this, on the 30th of last month, the company expanded the scope of the collaboration by releasing RESCENE as new characters in the online FPS 'Sudden Attack.' Rather than simply hiring them as advertising models for a single game, Nexon has sequentially applied the same content IP to live services across different genres.

This differs from previous celebrity character collaborations in Sudden Attack. While the game has introduced various celebrity characters over the years, most were centered around individual, one-off events. In contrast, the RESCENE collaboration is characterized by creating a touchpoint with users through FC Mobile first before expanding to Sudden Attack, serving as a prime example of utilizing a single piece of content across multiple Nexon titles.

The quality of the collaboration is also being praised as significantly higher than previous efforts.

This update includes character sets for Supreme RESCENE and Garu, featuring individual members. Additionally, in-game production elements such as victory poses, sprays, and expressions stand out.

Such a composition aligns with Nexon's recent emphasis on enhancing the user experience within its live services. It provides new motivation for existing users while creating touchpoints for fans to experience the group's content directly within the game environment.

Since the release, user reactions have been positive.

Reviews and gameplay videos of the RESCENE characters have been steadily uploaded to YouTube, and game communities have offered praise, with comments such as "the characters were well-implemented," "the quality of the spray illustrations is good," and "the concept composition is diverse."

In particular, the high level of praise regarding character design and production quality is notable, as it moves beyond simple buzz marketing to generate positive reactions toward the quality of the game content itself.

Industry experts view these collaborations as being closely tied to a market environment where live service competition is intensifying. It is becoming increasingly important to continuously supply new content to existing popular games to maintain user interest, rather than relying solely on securing users with a single new title. Collaborations using external IPs are establishing themselves as a pillar of this strategy.

Whether this collaboration leads to a measurable influx of new users or an increase in returning users remains to be confirmed through future metrics. However, Nexon's approach of expanding a single content IP from FC Mobile to Sudden Attack can be viewed as a strategic departure from traditional, one-off collaborations.

A gaming industry official stated, "IP collaboration is no longer just a simple event. Naturally connecting content that users are interested in outside the game into the game, and then leading that back into a play experience, is emerging as a new competitive edge. The RESCENE collaboration, which started in FC Mobile and led to Sudden Attack, is a clear example of how Nexon utilizes content IP in the era of live services."

Sudden Attack RESCENE character promotional video / Sudden Attack official YouTube