KRU Interactive
Encyclopedia
Kru Interactive is among the pioneers of online gaming and MMORPG
s. Its headquarters is located in Santa Clara, California
.
-based game company made a name for itself in the early 1990s with the name Nexon Inc. Nexon launched Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds
in 1994, becoming one of the first large MMO
titles, released prior to Ultima Online
, and making a name for the company. The company has recently expanded into other Asian countries, notably Japan
, Malaysia, and Singapore
; along with the United States
. Nexus was released in the United States in 1996, along with Dark Ages
in 1999, followed by Shattered Galaxy
(2001). For a short time, Shattered Galaxy
was sold in stores in the United States
but never sold well because it was offered for free in a long-term open beta and then made available as a pay for play, only four months after commercial launch, from the Shattered Galaxy
website. Shattered Galaxy
has also been awarded the Seumas McNally
Grand Prize, Audience Choice Awards, Technical Excellence Award, and Best Game Design at the 2001 Independent Games Festival
Awards, however all these awards were won under the old sister company "Nexon" and not Kru itself.
Nexon has also released a few unsuccessful games to the North America
n audience in beta form which have since been dropped. They include Elemental Saga, QuizQuiz
and Elancia. QuizQuiz
never left beta stage in North America but was later released through the Singapore
division of Nexon, NexonAsia in an English version. QuizQuiz
has since evolved into the exclusively Korean and Japanese online game Q-Play, while Elemental Saga was eventually cancelled. NEXON has several games exclusively available to Korean players such as Elancia and Crazy Arcade.
and Shattered Galaxy
.
Kru has produced several online video games, primarily MMORPG
s and online action games. Most games have used a 2D
perspective, including side-scrolling, top-down, and isometric perspectives. Newer 3D
titles are currently being published. For Dark Ages
and NexusTK, various gameplay enhancements can be purchased.
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
s. Its headquarters is located in Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...
.
Nexon Inc.
The South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
-based game company made a name for itself in the early 1990s with the name Nexon Inc. Nexon launched Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds
Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds
NEXUS: The Kingdom of the Winds , alternately known as Nexus TK or simply Nexus, is a Pay to Play MMORPG, currently run in the US by Kru Interactive. Nexus began as a U.S. version of the Korean game 바람의 나라 developed by NEXON Inc...
in 1994, becoming one of the first large MMO
Massively multiplayer online game
A massively multiplayer online game is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and usually feature at least one persistent world. They are, however, not necessarily games played on...
titles, released prior to Ultima Online
Ultima Online
Ultima Online is a graphical massively multiplayer online role-playing game , released on September 24, 1997, by Origin Systems. It was instrumental to the development of the genre, and is still running today...
, and making a name for the company. The company has recently expanded into other Asian countries, notably Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Malaysia, and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
; along with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Nexus was released in the United States in 1996, along with Dark Ages
Dark Ages (computer game)
Dark Ages is a MMORPG based on Celtic mythology, originally developed by Nexon and now operated by KRU Interactive. It is loosely based on the Korean game called Legend of Darkness. The American version was developed by David Ethan Kennerly who based it somewhat on the works of horror writer H. P....
in 1999, followed by Shattered Galaxy
Shattered Galaxy
Shattered Galaxy is a massively multiplayer online real-time strategy that was released in 2001 by Nexon Inc., now known as KRU Interactive, after an extensive open beta period. In Usa itt was published by TriSynergy. It combines the attributes of a massive multiplayer online role-playing game...
(2001). For a short time, Shattered Galaxy
Shattered Galaxy
Shattered Galaxy is a massively multiplayer online real-time strategy that was released in 2001 by Nexon Inc., now known as KRU Interactive, after an extensive open beta period. In Usa itt was published by TriSynergy. It combines the attributes of a massive multiplayer online role-playing game...
was sold in stores in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
but never sold well because it was offered for free in a long-term open beta and then made available as a pay for play, only four months after commercial launch, from the Shattered Galaxy
Shattered Galaxy
Shattered Galaxy is a massively multiplayer online real-time strategy that was released in 2001 by Nexon Inc., now known as KRU Interactive, after an extensive open beta period. In Usa itt was published by TriSynergy. It combines the attributes of a massive multiplayer online role-playing game...
website. Shattered Galaxy
Shattered Galaxy
Shattered Galaxy is a massively multiplayer online real-time strategy that was released in 2001 by Nexon Inc., now known as KRU Interactive, after an extensive open beta period. In Usa itt was published by TriSynergy. It combines the attributes of a massive multiplayer online role-playing game...
has also been awarded the Seumas McNally
Seumas McNally
Computer game programmer Seumas McNally , was the founder, president and lead programmer of independent game development company, Longbow Digital Arts...
Grand Prize, Audience Choice Awards, Technical Excellence Award, and Best Game Design at the 2001 Independent Games Festival
Independent Games Festival
The Independent Games Festival is an annual festival at the Game Developers Conference, the largest annual gathering of the indie video game industry. It was founded in 1998 to assist and inspire innovation in video game development and to recognize the best independent video game developers...
Awards, however all these awards were won under the old sister company "Nexon" and not Kru itself.
Nexon has also released a few unsuccessful games to the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n audience in beta form which have since been dropped. They include Elemental Saga, QuizQuiz
QuizQuiz (computer game)
QuizQuiz was a massively multiplayer online quiz game created by Wizet which used a super deformed type anime graphical style to portray the players and the few environments or NPCs it contained. The game was released as a free beta download off of the Nexon Inc. website but was later discontinued...
and Elancia. QuizQuiz
QuizQuiz (computer game)
QuizQuiz was a massively multiplayer online quiz game created by Wizet which used a super deformed type anime graphical style to portray the players and the few environments or NPCs it contained. The game was released as a free beta download off of the Nexon Inc. website but was later discontinued...
never left beta stage in North America but was later released through the Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
division of Nexon, NexonAsia in an English version. QuizQuiz
QuizQuiz (computer game)
QuizQuiz was a massively multiplayer online quiz game created by Wizet which used a super deformed type anime graphical style to portray the players and the few environments or NPCs it contained. The game was released as a free beta download off of the Nexon Inc. website but was later discontinued...
has since evolved into the exclusively Korean and Japanese online game Q-Play, while Elemental Saga was eventually cancelled. NEXON has several games exclusively available to Korean players such as Elancia and Crazy Arcade.
Kru Interactive
In April 2005, Nexon Inc. split from the Korean division of Nexon Corp. and changed their name to Kru Interactive. They still own and operate the online games NexusTK (aka Nexus: Kingdom of the Winds), Dark AgesDark Ages (computer game)
Dark Ages is a MMORPG based on Celtic mythology, originally developed by Nexon and now operated by KRU Interactive. It is loosely based on the Korean game called Legend of Darkness. The American version was developed by David Ethan Kennerly who based it somewhat on the works of horror writer H. P....
and Shattered Galaxy
Shattered Galaxy
Shattered Galaxy is a massively multiplayer online real-time strategy that was released in 2001 by Nexon Inc., now known as KRU Interactive, after an extensive open beta period. In Usa itt was published by TriSynergy. It combines the attributes of a massive multiplayer online role-playing game...
.
Kru has produced several online video games, primarily MMORPG
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
s and online action games. Most games have used a 2D
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
perspective, including side-scrolling, top-down, and isometric perspectives. Newer 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
titles are currently being published. For Dark Ages
Dark Ages (computer game)
Dark Ages is a MMORPG based on Celtic mythology, originally developed by Nexon and now operated by KRU Interactive. It is loosely based on the Korean game called Legend of Darkness. The American version was developed by David Ethan Kennerly who based it somewhat on the works of horror writer H. P....
and NexusTK, various gameplay enhancements can be purchased.
Kru Interactive Games
- Dark AgesDark Ages (computer game)Dark Ages is a MMORPG based on Celtic mythology, originally developed by Nexon and now operated by KRU Interactive. It is loosely based on the Korean game called Legend of Darkness. The American version was developed by David Ethan Kennerly who based it somewhat on the works of horror writer H. P....
- Nexus: The Kingdom of the WindsNexus: The Kingdom of the WindsNEXUS: The Kingdom of the Winds , alternately known as Nexus TK or simply Nexus, is a Pay to Play MMORPG, currently run in the US by Kru Interactive. Nexus began as a U.S. version of the Korean game 바람의 나라 developed by NEXON Inc...
- Shattered GalaxyShattered GalaxyShattered Galaxy is a massively multiplayer online real-time strategy that was released in 2001 by Nexon Inc., now known as KRU Interactive, after an extensive open beta period. In Usa itt was published by TriSynergy. It combines the attributes of a massive multiplayer online role-playing game...
- Robo Smasher
- Knuckleball Online (discontinued)