GamesBeat

The fun thing about online games is that you can measure everything. Nexon America announced everything you ever wanted to know about Combat Arms, a free online game that has been out for a year.

Nexon America is a division of Korea’s Nexon, publisher of the popular MapleStory online game and a pioneer in the free games space. The numbers are instructive, since they show that gamers can get just as excited about free games as they do about mega-hit console games. Indulge me on this point while I rattle off some numbers.

The game has had two million registered users, a respectable number for a “free to play” game, where gamers play for free but pay for virtual goods such as better weapons. During the past year in the modern combat shooting game, more than 3.2 billion have been killed, virtually.

More than 517 million of those casualties were killed by head shots. Of those, 27 million suffered from “nut shots.” You get special points in the game if you shoot another player in the privates. Yes, it’s absurd and downright heathen. But it’s a game.

More than a million games are played per day. Since the game launched its Fireteam Mode in May, 154 million terrorists have been killed. Over 35 million flags have been captured, four million bombs have been planted. Of those, three million have exploded.

Players have earned over 25 billion experience points and earned 66 billion game points, which can be used to buy weapons from the game’s shop.

By comparison, the Bungie.net web site shows that 11 billion enemies have been killed in Halo 3 multiplayer games since the game launched in September, 2007. Halo 3 costs at least $60 on the Xbox 360 and it’s one of the most spectacular hits on that game console. But it’s interesting that Combat Arms has seen a level of engagement that isn’t so far behind.

Combat Arms saw 3.2 billion kills in 12 months, or 26.6 million per month. Halo 3 saw 11 billion kills in 22 months, or 50 million per month. Of course, you get a full single-player campaign game with Halo 3. But it shows that the engagement in the free-to-play space is nothing to laugh at. I’ve played Combat Arms, and it actually is pretty entertaining as far as shooters go.

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