Nexon’s new mobile game called ‘Durango: Wild Lands’ underwent harsh hazing as it had difficulties with access due to large number of users trying to play Durango at the same time.
Nexon added four more servers during the last weekend for Durango that was released on the 25th. “Even though we did prepare for many users trying to connect to the game simultaneously, game system was overloaded as more users than our estimation attempted to access the game.” said a representative for Nexon. More users than numbers of usual mobile MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) tried to access the game at the same time. “Compared to other Nexon games, more users attempted to access the game at the same time.” said a representative for Nexon.
Even a new game system that Nexon tried to attempt through Durango caused errors. Nexon prepared a server system that guarantees high level of freedom while accommodating large number of people at the same time.
Nexon developed Durango while focusing on an open world that changes in real-time. Although it tested a situation where hundreds of thousands of people tried to access the game through Bots, errors were unavoidable once Nexon started the actual service.
Through Nexon’s announcement through its Facebook page, Nexon announced there were problems with population density control device, stand-by system, and performance of database. System was overloaded once many people gathered in a short period of time and this ultimately led to difficulties in controlling population density. Because Nexon lowered number of users that its server could accommodate in order to solve such problems, this led to indefinite stand-by phenomenon.
Nexon is trying to see that there are not any issues with breakup of population density again through continuous monitoring after it already solved errors with population density control device. Nexon is trying to induce users to transfer to islands (regions within Durango) and increasing number of new islands that are issued. It also finished adding additional database. “Smooth access is now possible.” said a representative for Nexon. “However, we still need more time to calculate perfect amount of waiting time.”
Even though Durango went through problems with access over the past weekend, it was ranked first and fifth places on popularity and sales respectively on GooglePlay. Once Durango settles on markets, Nexon will have a foundation for going after long-run of popularity through its mobile MMORPG.
Development of Durango was supervised by Director Lee Eun-seok, who also developed an online game called ‘Mabinogi Heroes’. Durango is a game based on dinosaur era and its major contents are excavation and exploration by people who time-traveled to this era.
Durango minimizes automatic aiming and random reward items that are musts for current mobile MMORPGs. It instead increases percentage of direct plays and it is filled with contents that are friendly to users. Its high sales and high popularity are the results of large amount of people trying to play Durango over the past weekend.
“Durango goes against development and business methods of current mobile MMORPGs.” said a representative for a game industry. “Other game developers are highly interested on whether or not Nexon’s experimental contents can be popular for a long period of time.”
Staff Reporter Kim, Siso | siso@etnews.com