(Photo : MINTROCKET / Screenshot taken from Steam)
The developer behind Dave the Diver, Mintrocket, has been established as a wholly owned subsidiary corporation under Nexon.
The latter said that the decision would expand the indie studio's "brand and reputation for rapid development of highly innovative games." Mintrocket's Jaeho Hwang was nominated to become the company's first CEO.
Mintrocket Becomes Full Subsidiary Corporation
Nexon added that the new structure will "reflect Mintrocket's fresh approach to developing highly engaging small-scale games for global audiences." It will also complement The main company's "established expertise" in large-scale games.
The indie studio's debut title is the hilariously fun to play Dave the Diver. Many players praised the game and it sold more than 4 million copies.
The game also won a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award. On Steam, it currently has an "overwhelmingly positive" rating, according to GamesIndustry.
Nexon released its 2023 fiscal year earnings report in February this year. The Maple Story publisher posted record-breaking revenue and the report revealed that it grew by 19.7% year-over-year.
That particular report also showed that despite some global economic uncertainty, Nexon grew revenues by releasing new titles, and updates for current games, and acquiring more content. Mintrocket was able to keep Dave the Diver going with various post-launch packs.
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These are free updates that added new fish to catch as well as new weather effects for players to consider when playing. There were also various crossovers with fellow indie hits Dredge and Balatro as well as Godzilla, said GameDeveloper.
The development comes as Minerocket started as Nexon's sub-brand in 2022 under the motto of "creative and speedy development." Dave the Diver is a single-player, action-adventure game that puts players in control of the titular character as he goes on silly adventures.
Dave the Diver's Success
In Dave the Diver, players have to dive into a deep-sea environment to search for various ingredients. These will be used to supply a sushi restaurant. The game became Korea's first single-package game to have hit the milestone of selling 4 million copies.
The indie studio now plans to simplify task processes in order to push for the swift development of small-scale games in the future. Mintrocket will also establish new incentive policies so that outstanding employees will be rewarded accordingly.
Jaeho said that the latest development was a choice to build an environment that can best preserve the identity of Mintrocket. He added that it was also made so that the studio could respond to market conditions quickly, according to TheKoreaHerald.
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