Webzen Expands, Increases Studio Presence

Representatives from Korean publisher and developer Webzen have announced that they have 'secured' nine development studios, employing a total of 450 developers, in order to further expand its worldwide reach. The company recently announced it would be moving into the U.S. video game market, opening offices in Los Angeles to develop, publish, and distribute its own online games, and this is further indication of its wishes to expand in a high-profile manner. However, it's unclear whether these studios are already in place, or also include new hires in Korea or North America. The company specialized in PC-based massively multiplayer online titles, with its most successful MMO title, MU, attracting over 56 million users and a half million concurrent users in the Asian market, but is also confirmed as a developer for the next generation Xbox. A development and publishing deal with Dave Jones, the originator of the Grand Theft Auto series, for the MMO APB: All Points Bulletin was also announced in February. Webzen was most recently in the news after being warned by Nintendo over the visual similarities between forthcoming PC online game Wiki and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker However, Nintendo’s threatened legal action does not seem to have taken place.