This was posted on the free board of Nexon's online game "Crazy Arcade." The user expressed regret after hearing that Nexon will end Crazy Arcade service on Aug. 13.
◇ After work, gather in "C.A."
With the service ending ahead, users who enjoyed Crazy Arcade as children are flocking back to the game. They are finding people to play with on social media (SNS), sharing rare items, and revisiting nostalgic maps as they each prepare to say goodbye in their own way.
An office worker, A, 27, has also been logging into Crazy Arcade after work recently. A said they first started the game in elementary school and occasionally played Crazy Arcade with friends even after becoming an adult.
A said, "It's still a fun game even now, but hearing that the service will end makes me feel unsettled, as if a part of my childhood is disappearing along with it."
Even at noon on the 23rd, a weekday, about 400 users were logged into Crazy Arcade and enjoying the game.
◇ 350,000 concurrent users… a defining game of the 2000s
Launched in 2001, Crazy Arcade grew into a casual game that represented 2000s PC bang culture, fronted by friendly characters like Dao and Bazzi and featuring a unique battle style of trapping opponents with water balloons.
In 2002, it recorded a peak of 350,000 concurrent users. Even in the winters of 2006 and 2008, several years after release, concurrent users topped 100,000, and its popularity continued into the early 2010s.
But as the game market shifted from PC to mobile, Crazy Arcade's footing gradually narrowed. As Nexon reshaped its game portfolio around profitability and growth potential, Crazy Arcade was included among titles to wind down.
After the service shutdown became official, users flooded the company with requests to reconsider. Through the 22nd, about 800 posts calling for reversing the shutdown or maintaining the servers were uploaded to the Crazy Arcade free board and customer inquiry board.
Users pleaded, "It's fine not to update, just keep the servers," "Even if it becomes a paid service, I'll pay," and "A game of my life that I wanted to play later with my children."
◇ "At least keep the servers"… even a petition to withdraw the decision
Since the 7th of this month, a petition demanding the withdrawal of the shutdown has been underway. The users leading the petition said, "We hope Nexon chooses to protect the emotional value built with users rather than immediate efficiency," adding, "A company's brand value comes not only from technology or efficiency but also from the trust of users who helped the company grow."
However, the likelihood that Nexon will reverse the decision to end service is not high.
A Nexon official said, "We take users' regrets and various opinions seriously," but added, "After in-depth internal discussions, we determined it would be difficult to provide a satisfactory service in the long term."
◇ Sharing rare items and saving screens… preparing to part ways
While continuing to call for a reversal, users are also gradually accepting that the time has come to end things.
One user posted photos on SNS of Crazy Arcade comic books and card and board games collected since elementary school, writing, "If C.A. disappears, these items, too, will remain as memories of an era."
A user who said they had played for 17 years noted, "When I was on leave during my military service, I saved my salary to pay for items," adding, "It's disappointing that I can no longer carry on the memories I built over a long time."
Some are giving away rare items that once traded for hundreds of thousands of won to other users for free, or capturing and saving their meticulously customized characters and game screens.
Another user said, "Nothing lasts forever, so when it's time to let go, you have to let go," and added they were preparing a final farewell to Crazy Arcade.