Combat Arms deploys players into a dangerous war zone teeming with soldiers of fortune looking to make a mark. The online shooter will advance the FPS genre by offering a rich free-to-play experience and introducing customization features unavailable in the current generation of online FPS games. Players have the ability to tailor their gaming experience by customizing how their characters look as well as which guns and equipment to carry into battle. A large arsenal of deadly weapons can be modified with attachments such as silencers, scopes and extended magazines.

Combat Arms, which was launched in July of 2008, added large chunks of new content this past year, including the NutShot game feature, Quarantine Mode and Fireteam Mode. NutShot gave players a chance for a critical hit with a shot in the groin of male opponents, much like a head shot in all FPS games. Quarantine Mode gives players the opportunity to play as and against infected, zombie-like soldiers. Fireteam Mode allows teams of players to take on terrorists in a player-versus-environment setting.

“We have worked extremely hard to make sure that our players get new, fun and interesting content delivered as frequently as possible,” said Min Kim, Nexon America’s vice president of marketing. “The progress we have made with Combat Arms is significant, substantial and added a great deal to the outstanding summer success for Nexon America.”

Because Quarantine Mode has proven to be such a major hit for Combat Arms, Nexon America recently expanded the player-versus-zombie mode to a variety of additional maps in the game. The game also added Gatling guns and a new mercenary, Hauser, who gives players a chance to look like an action hero while taking out the opposition.

“This new content has helped Combat Arms’ revenues grow by double digit figures for most of 2009, which in turn helped Nexon America show 35 percent growth for July compared to 2008 and the great revenues we posted for August” added Kim. “While it has been a struggle for the games industry in North America, we continue to expand our player base for all of our games and grow our revenues through the microtransactions business model pioneered by Nexon.”

The game is beginner-friendly while providing great depth for veteran gamers. By rewarding players who win matches and make kills with in-game currency and experience points, Combat Arms extends the game beyond an individual match. Accumulating both will help soldiers rank up to unlock and acquire new weapons and equipment. Further, the game extends beyond the battlefield through an extensive set of community features with a focus on clans. Players can recruit, manage, and communicate with their clan members, all within the game. Additionally, players can maintain a persistent profile to track their experience and performance to see how they rank within the Combat Arms community.

Combat Arms focuses on improving accessibility and community while maintaining a high fidelity combat experience. The free-to-play offering combined with low system requirements will encourage new players enter the traditionally hardcore space.