[NX] [Gam] Taiwan’s FTC Investigating Nexon’s Takeover Bid of Gamania

I reported recently that Nexon was heading towards an acquisition of Taiwanese game publisher Gamania in a hostile manner and was receiving equally hostile feedback.

Taiwan’s Fair Trading Commission (FTC) is investigating the takeover bid and, depending on the results of the investigation, the FTC may fine Nexon up to NT$25 million ($830,000) and nullify the takeover.

Based on Taiwan’s Fair Trade Act, any takeover involving a company with more than a quarter of market share must be filed to the FTC in advance. Nexon, however, failed to do so.

Nexon is claiming the the market of which Gamania is a part is the digital content market which includes digital games and DVDs. If Gamania is classified in this market then it will not have over a quarter of market share and Nexon did not have to report to the FTC in the first place. However, the FTC is not taking Nexon’s word for it and will conduct investigations into whether Gamania fits into this category or into the category of online gaming, in which case Gamania does have over a quarter of market share.

Taiwan’s Economic Minister, Shih Yen-shiang, said that the Taiwanese government will support Gamania in its position that it will corporate with others but does not welcome any hostile takeover attempts.

And the saga continues on the next episode of Nexon’s Attempted Acquisition of Gamania.

[Gam] Gamania Will Not Bow To Nexon’s Attempted Acqusition

Nexon may be bigger than Gamania. Nexon may have been a loyal partner of Gamania for over 7 years. Nexon may be partly responsible for a great deal of Gamania’s success. But Gamania has said that it will fight to retain its own independent management control and will not allow itself to be taken over by Nexon Co. Ltd. This comes as Nexon has been actively buying up stock in the company and is reportedly heading towards an attempted acquisition. Nexon is currently the largest shareholder of Gamania, a minority shareholder with approximately 34% of shares.

“In light of current online gaming trends, it would be absolutely detrimental to the development of Taiwan’s online gaming industry if a large-scale foreign corporation was allowed to take control of the local industry’s operating channels and resources, whether the integration is horizontal or vertical,” Gamania said in a news release.

“However, Gamania will insist on the independence of our company’s operating rights and will absolutely not accept the merger with South Korea’s Nexon,” it noted.

“As a major shareholder of the company, Nexon is interested in maximizing shareholder profit,” Nexon said in a statement released Monday.

“Our goal is to maximize such benefits not only for specific shareholders, but for all shareholders of the company,” it said.

Gamania has been in operation out of Taiwan for 17 years and has recently signed an agreement for Nexon for the Taiwanese service of Cyphers. Gamania is the number one game publisher in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau where they publish games like MapleStory, Dragon Nest, Counter-Strike Online, Kart Rider, Mabinogi, Atlantica, Dungeon Fighter Online, PopTag!, Sudden Attack, Lineage, GetAmped, Grand Chase and Elsword.

This should play out interestingly…

[CYP] Cyphers Is Going To Taiwan!

Just days after Cyphers took the #1 spot in Msupdate’s Top 5 Nexon Games That Should Be Brought to North America, it has been announced that Nexon and Neople have partnered with premier Taiwanese publisher Gamania for the servicing of the game in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. I’ll have to edit out “Cyphers Online was launched in South Korea in early 2011 and has yet to be exported to any other market. Come on North America!” which was at the end of the Cyphers description in the top list.

Gamania is the number one game publisher in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau where they publish games like MapleStory, Dragon Nest, Counter-Strike Online, Kart Rider, Mabinogi, Atlantica, Dungeon Fighter Online, PopTag!, Sudden Attack, Lineage, GetAmped, Grand Chase and Elsword.

This is really great news and I really hope that we’ll see Cyphers being brought to America and Europe soon.

Gamania also publishes games in North America and Europe. They currently service Lucent Heart, are preparing for the launches of Divina and Koihime Musou and are re-developing Hero 108 Online. Gamania is also preparing the anticipated non-targeting graphically impressive action MMORPG Core Blaze for release in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, North America and Europe. Check Gamania out at http://us.beanfun.com/.

C     Y     P     H     E     R     S

[TwMS 1.27] Ultimate Explorer, Lion King’s Castle, Chryse

Taiwan MapleStory, published by Gamania, will become the third service of MapleStory outside of Korea to receive the Ultimate Explorers, the Lion King’s Castle and the floating land of Chryse, all behind Global MapleStory and China MapleStory. Grats to them! This means that, by my estimations, TaiwanMS is now the fourth fastest updating service of the game, and ties with both Global MapleStory and China MapleStory as the second most updated service. This update will take place on April 27, 2011, the same day that Global MapleStory’s Jubilation update goes live.

Fastest Updating Services

1. Europe MapleStory
2. Global MapleStory
3. China MapleStory
4. Taiwan MapleStory
5. Thailand MapleStory
5. Korea MapleStory
7. Japan MapleStory
8. MapleStory South-East Asia
9. Brazil MapleStory

There’s currently a tie between ThaiMS and KoreaMS for fifth.

Most Updated Services

1. Korea MapleStory
2. Global MapleStory
2. China MapleStory
2. Taiwan MapleStory
5. Thailand MapleStory
5. Japan MapleStory
7. MapleStory South-East Asia
8. Europe MapleStory
9. Brazil MapleStory

There’s currently a tie between GlobalMS, ChinaMS and TaiwanMS for second, and a tie between ThaiMS and JapanMS for fifth.

[Gam] [CB] Gamania Unveils Vindictus Rival Core Blaze

Gamania Digital Entertainment, the publishers of MapleStory in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau (TaiwanMS) and the creators of Hero: 108 Online, has announced that the core action MMORPG, Core Blaze, will be released in North America through their North American branch. Gamania has also released six great screenshots of the game. It even has a class named “Dual Blade” . The game looks great from these screenshots.

[TwMS] Big Bang In Late December!

Gamania has announced that TaiwanMS will be getting the Big Bang update late this December.

This added to the list of services of MapleStory receiving the Big Bang update this November/December/January, making it Japan, Global, China and Taiwan.