MapleStory Adventures sets forth in July

To say that Nexon's MapleStory massively multiplayer online game is a widely played game is an understatement: the title has more than 100 million players worldwide, with the highest number of concurrent users in Korea being 417,380. Nexon is now eyeballing another target: Facebook users. The MapleStory franchise will be taking a right turn into the realms of social gaming with MapleStory Adventures, which will be out on July 27.

Expect a lot of MapleStory game requests on your Facebook page this July 27, whether you like it or not.

Essentially, the game is a browser-tailored version of the 2D-perspective action MMORPG. New features in this version include the ability for players to invite their Facebook friends to complete quests with them, as well as the chance to send gifts to them in forms of stat-boosting and leveling-up items. The recent 11-day closed beta test of the social game reached its beta cap of 30,000 players. CEO of Nexon America Daniel Kim stated that the company sees the social network site as a promising market for future Nexon products, with the MapleStory franchise leading the charge.

MapleStory isn't the only major RPG franchise to take a turn into the social gaming vista. BioWare's Dragon Age and Square Enix's Final Fantasy series also have their respective Facebook spin-offs: Dragon Age Legends and Knights of the Crystals.