NHN USA Previews ijji.com; New Online Game Destination Features Wide Range of Multiplayer Titles -- FREE!
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 28, 2006--Market newcomer NHN USA, a subsidiary of Korean Internet powerhouse NHN (KOSDAQ:035420), is previewing ijji.com, a premier online game destination with fun for everyone, from the serious to the social to the casual gamer. ijji.com offers virtually every genre of game and a wide range of casual multiplayer titles FREE.
ijji.com is a virtual online playground. The site offers action, arcade, hybrids, sports and first person shooters (FPS) for the serious gamer, plus dozens of high quality card, puzzle, word and board games for the more casual player.
A differentiator is that almost ALL games, including casual titles, are multiplayer, appealing to consumers that want a competitive play environment. ijji also offers exceptional community features for the player that wants to converse with friends online. The site has chat, forums and message centers, plus customizable avatars with a full range of emotions that, for the first time, can be used in-game.
Already up and playable at ijji.com are a wide range of more casual multiplayer games, as well as full-length titles for the serious player like Gunbound, a turn-based strategy shooting game, and Golf King, a 3D fantasy golf game. Additional premium titles will be available late fall.
The role that socializing plays in online entertainment has recently been confirmed as a motivating factor for many gamers. Leading market research firm Parks Associates, Dallas, just completed an extensive Internet study of nearly 2,000 gamers indicating that the U.S. has six distinct segments -- including a new middle market consisting of three separate gamer groups with different characteristics and online gaming behaviors. Many of these consumers prefer multiplayer games because it allows them to interact with others.
"For years, the gaming industry has been focused on two groups -- hard core and casual gamers. We discovered that the market has diversified to include more distinctive gamer groups with different motivational and behavioral patterns," Michael Cai, Director, Broadband and Gaming, Parks Associates, explained. "A company, like NHN, that addresses the needs of gamers looking for socialization opportunities as well as fun games could well be positioned to capture a new middle market, which represents more than half of the gamer population and strong growth opportunities."
NHN's ijji site follows the formula that has made the company so successful in the Asian market, where the company's game destinations rank No. 1 in Korea, Japan and China, with more than 170 million subscribers in China alone.
"NHN believes the U.S. market is ready for a fun, high quality online game destination that addresses gamers who enjoy the social aspect of playing multiplayer games," Tae-Sik Moon, CEO, NHN USA, said. "Everyone can find a title they like and express their personality to the friends they meet online. They can converse during game play and discuss the match afterward as well."
About NHN USA
Headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., NHN USA is a subsidiary of NHN -- a multi-national powerhouse operating a search engine-based portal and multiple game sites -- that has become the No. 1 Internet company in Korea, and a provider of the leading game destinations in Japan and China. NHN USA's ijji.com, a premier Internet game destination, offers a full range of casual to serious multiplayer titles for the U.S. market.
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