Software:Crazyracing KartRider

From HandWiki
Short description: 2004 video game
Crazyracing KartRider
Developer(s)Lodumani Studio (2004–2011)
Nexon (2011–2020, 2025-present)
Nitro Studio (2020–2025)
Publisher(s)Nexon (South Korea)
Tiancity (China)
Gamania (Taiwan)
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
  • KOR: June 1, 2004
  • CHN: October 1, 2006
  • TW: December 19, 2006
Genre(s)Kart racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Crazyracing KartRider (Korean: 크레이지레이싱 카트라이더) is an online multiplayer kart racing game developed by Nexon. It is part of the Crazy Arcade franchise. It earns revenue by selling virtual items within the in-game shop, including different types of vehicles and spraypaints. KartRider features fictitious fantasy vehicles and branded game models based on real-life cars, developed in collaboration with companies such as BMW Korea. The service was shut down in 2023 in South Korea but continues to operate in China.

Gameplay

The game offers a variety of game modes, primarily based around collecting items or requiring the player to drift to gain boost items.[1]

Development and release

The initial South Korean service started on June 1, 2004. Localized releases launched in Mainland China as PopKart (Chinese: 跑跑卡丁车) on March 18, 2006, and Taiwan (Chinese: 跑跑卡丁車) on January 4, 2007.

A closed beta for an English release of KartRider began in America on May 1, 2007, and ended on May 31.[2] The open beta began on October 2 and ended on March 19, 2008.[3] All references to the game were subsequently removed from Nexon America's website without further statement.

Later localizations, which are no longer serviced, were released in Thailand, Vietnam (as BoomSpeed), Russia, Indonesia, and Japan.

The Taiwan release was shut down on January 31, 2023,[4][5] followed by the South Korean service on March 31.[6] This leaves the Chinese localization the only in operation.[7]

Other versions

Nexon America released a mobile version of KartRider for the Apple App Store under the name KartRider Rush on March 11, 2011.[8][9][10] This version closed later on as well. A KartRider client released for Facebook called KartRider Dash was shut down in April 2014.

In May 2020, KartRider Rush+ was released on Google Play and the iOS App Store, the latter already having provided a Chinese version the year before in 2019.[11][12][13]

A sequel, KartRider: Drift, was released in 2023.[14] The game was a commercial failure and shut down on October 16, 2025.[15][16]

Reception

KartRider is widely recognized as a game inspired by the Mario Kart series.[17] Although it was initially criticized for being a rip-off of Mario Kart, Nintendo stated that they want to maintain a constructive relationship with Nexon, just like with other game development companies in Korea.[18][19]

By 2007, about 25% of South Koreans had played the game at least once.[20] As of 2020, the game has reached a total of over 380 million registered users worldwide on the PC platform, including over half of the Korean population and over 45% of the Taiwanese population.[21]

The mobile version KartRider Rush+ surpassed 10 million downloads globally after its first two weeks of release.[22][23][24] It has also topped the Google Play ranking of South Korea.

By 2020, the franchise had grossed over $700 million worldwide in lifetime revenue.[25] As of 2021, it had grossed over $1 billion worldwide.[26]

Termination of the original South Korean service in 2023 generated noticeable backlash from its players, who saw it as an attempt to forcefully migrate them to the KartRider: Drift client, which previously failed to impress and ultimately closed two years later.[27]

References

  1. ↑ "KartRider Game Modes Guide". http://kart.nexon.net/Guide/GameMode.aspx. 
  2. ↑ "Nexon Preparing KartRider For North America" (in en-US). 2007-05-01. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/pc/nexon-preparing-i-kartrider-i-for-north-america. 
  3. ↑ "Kart Rider open beta (finally) begins in North America" (in en-US). 2007-10-04. https://www.engadget.com/2007-10-04-kart-rider-open-beta-finally-begins-in-north-america.html. 
  4. ↑ "跑跑卡丁車結束營運公告" (in zh-tw). 2022-11-01. https://tw.beanfun.com/kartrider/BulletinDetail.aspx?Bid=64632&kind=18. 
  5. ↑ "跑跑卡丁車伺服器關閉公告" (in zh-tw). 2023-01-31. https://tw.beanfun.com/kartrider/BulletinDetail.aspx?Bid=65272&kind=18. 
  6. ↑ "카트라이더 서비스 종료 안내" (in ko). 2023-01-05. https://kart.nexon.com/Kart/News/Notice/view.aspx?NoticeArticleSN=139784. 
  7. ↑ "关于国服保持长期运营告玩家书" (in zh-cn). 2022-12-11. https://popkart.tiancity.com/homepage/article/2022/12/11/62608.html. 
  8. ↑ "Nexon's KartRider Rush Races to iOS" (Press release). 2011-05-11. Archived from the original on 2025-02-20. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
  9. ↑ "App Store - KartRider Rush". https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kartrider-rush/id422264960. 
  10. ↑ "NEXON MOBILE, KartRiderRush". http://global.nexonmobile.com/?p=960. 
  11. ↑ VGR (2020-05-30). "KartRider Rush+ Review and Giveaway Announcement" (in en). https://www.vgr.com/kartrider-rush-review-giveaway-announcement/. 
  12. ↑ "KartRider Rush+ Is Live With Multiple Modes & 45+ Tracks" (in en-US). 2020-05-12. https://www.androidheadlines.com/2020/05/kartrider-rush-is-live-with-multiple-modes-45-tracks.html. 
  13. ↑ "KartRider Rush+: A SuperParent First Look" (in en). https://superparent.com/article/1353/kartrider-rush-a-superparent-first-look. 
  14. ↑ Kim, Seungjun (13 January 2023). "'카트라이더: 드리프트' 드디어 출시! 새로운 레이스가 시작됐다". https://www.thisisgame.com/articles/165705. 
  15. ↑ CHOSUNBIZ (2025-06-16). "Nexon ends KartRider: Drift service, shifts focus to KartRider Classic" (in en). https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-it/2025/06/16/YDFURUJ6ARG2FF7SSCXDZE6QIA/. 
  16. ↑ Jihun, Han (24 October 2025). "엔진 잃은 넥슨 자회사 ‘니트로 스튜디오’, 결국 파산". https://www.thisisgame.com/articles/405486. 
  17. ↑ "[조영준의 게임히스토리 마리오 왕국의 선봉장 '마리오카트'"] (in ko). 2014-06-23. https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/020/0002596455?sid=105. 
  18. ↑ "국산 온라인게임 표절 '도 넘었다'" (in ko). 2004-05-28. https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/047/0000046261?sid=105. 
  19. ↑ "인터뷰-닌텐도 코리아 코다 미네오 대표이사 - 스마트PC사랑" (in ko). 2008-10-23. https://www.ilovepc.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=1760. 
  20. ↑ Kbs Global
  21. ↑ "Investor Presentation Q1 2020". Nexon. 2020-05-13. http://pdf.irpocket.com/C3659/yCGV/B6S9/ynEy.pdf. 
  22. ↑ "KartRider Rush+ Races Past 10 Million Global Downloads" (in en-US). 2020-05-29. https://www.androidheadlines.com/2020/05/kartrider-rush-races-past-10-million-global-downloads.html. 
  23. ↑ "KartRider Rush+ Downloaded Over 10 Million Times In Just Two Weeks" (in en-US). 2020-06-02. https://www.thegamer.com/kartrider-rush-downloaded-10-million/. 
  24. ↑ "Nexon's 'KartRider Rush+' gets a massive 10 Million download in two weeks" (in en-US). 2020-06-03. https://micky.com.au/nexons-kartrider-rush-gets-a-massive-10-million-download-in-two-weeks/. 
  25. ↑ "Investor Presentation Q2 2020". Nexon. 2020-08-06. http://pdf.irpocket.com/C3659/djAz/PAfi/tLSu.pdf. 
  26. ↑ Mahoney, Owen; Uemura, Shiro (2021-11-09). "Investor Presentation Q3 2021". Nexon. p. 37. https://pdf.irpocket.com/C3659/l3Fa/kCDx/KsjF.pdf. 
  27. ↑ "카트라이더 서비스 종료에 트럭 시위…넥슨, 후속작 징크스 깰까 - 연합뉴스" (in ko). 2022-12-22. https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20221222111100017. 



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