Nexon Invests In Spanish Virtual World Developer BoomBang

South Korean publisher Nexon has acquired a 32 percent stake in Barcelona-based studio BoomBang Games, which specializes in browser-based virtual worlds and Flash games. Neither company disclosed the amount of the investment. Nexon hopes that this investment will help bolster its library of light community games and its business in Latin America, as BoomBang has created a number of titles for both English- and Spanish-speaking audiences. Nexon's Japanese arm will head the expansion of BoomBang content into as many as 71 countries, according to a report from VentureBeat. Founded in 2004 by Max Bevilacqua and CEO Luis Oses, BoomBang is primarily known for its self-titled virtual world, which allows players to create and customize avatars, decorate their virtual homes, interact/chat with others, buy virtual goods, and more. Though it's free to play, users can buy a VIP subscription for extra benefits. This marks Nexon's third external studio investment in the past five months -- the MapleStory developer/publisher acquired Korean MMO company NDoors Corp. (Atlantica Online) in May, and bought $48 million in shares from another Korean free-to-play firm, GameHi (Dekaron), in August.