We chatted with Jaeho Hwang, the producer of Pop Tag!, Nexon's latest bomberman-esque MMO to come from Korea.

As gaming technology marches forward and MMORPGs get more and more complicated, sometimes it's nice to take a step back from all of it to remember the good 'ol games. In particular, does anyone remember the classic days of Bomberman on the SNES? Well, apparently so does Nexon, as their next MMO to hit North America is a cutesy, light, bomberman-esque game they call "Pop Tag!"

Now, while Pop Tag! might not be on par with Nexon's incredibly popular Maplestory and Dungeon Fighter Online (in terms of MMO depth), the game does make up for itself with some addictive gameplay and some great MMO additions that allow players to have a great time playing with each other. We decided to sit down with Pop Tag!'s producer, Jaeho Hwang, about their new game, as well as Nexon's "lighter" MMO direction, and their decision to rebrand themselves within North America. Read on to find out more!

ZAM: Hello and congratulations on bringing yet another MMO to North America! This time around, your new MMO is Pop Tag! Let's talk about what this game is all about.

Nexon: The game is really easy to learn and very addictive. Basically, the only thing you need to do is drop a water balloon at the right time and trap your opponent with a water splash. Of course, there are a lot of items that influence strategy and make the game more fun. The game delivers two types of game modes: PvP and PvE (Monster Mode).  Up to eight players can compete in PvP mode, playing against everyone else, or four players can team up to beat the monstrous boss.

ZAM: It's no secret that Pop Tag! bears a striking resemblance to our childhood classic game, Bomberman. Have you ever talked to Hudson Soft (developers of Bomberman) about the development of Pop Tag!, or in what way does Pop Tag! go above and beyond the original?

Nexon: I am aware some people liken PopTag! to Bomberman. However, I think it's a case of different games in the same genre. Although the fun factor might overlap in some ways, the MMO element makes a big difference. Even gameplay-wise, if you get your hands on PopTag!, you will see that trapping and tagging makes game more cooperative and competitive.

ZAM: Will Pop Tag! feature a plethora of options that can be purchased from the cash shop? Will it mostly be clothing customization and EXP bonuses, or will you be trying a new approach with Pop Tag?

Nexon: Most of featured items in the cash shop will be decorative. And for people who don't want to spend too much money on non-functional decorative items, we will release 'rental coupons' for avatar items. You can rent as many avatar items as you want, or own it if you decide. It's like going to a video rental store (remember those?). Furthermore, we will release new functional items in the future that will add levels of variety and fun.

ZAM: Pop Tag! is clearly designed to be fun and quick to get into, and it seems to stay away from the heavy time investment MMOs that we see these days. With Pop Tag! having already been released in Korea a few years back, why release it now? Do you feel that the market is more accepting of a lighter MMO like Pop Tag! than it was a few years back?

Nexon: Yes, I do. A few years ago, downloading and network issues were bigger hurdles than they are now. So there was some hesitation downloading a client over 100MB for a "casual game."  However, we now have better technology available, so people have started to enjoy casual games with their PCs.  Although those "casual games" are often web flash games, I think small client and superior game experience gives us a competitive edge. The PopTag! client is now just 86MB.

ZAM: When we were checking out the Nexon page, we noticed a message on the front page that said Nexon would soon become BlockParty.com. Can you elaborate on this transition? What's the difference between the classic Nexon.net game portal and this new BlockParty.com portal? What spurred this change?

Nexon: During 2010, Nexon America will be rebranding from Nexon.net to Blockparty.com. Our attempt is to make a central hub for all of our games, as well as adding social networking tools in order to bring our players closer together. We think this will make for a more enjoyable experience with our games and allow players to make friends faster and team up with their friends easier. More details will be coming out later.

ZAM: To go back to Pop Tag!, how will you create a sense of progression for the character? Some games simply give character ranks that signify a certain level of skill in comparison to other players, but aside from that, will Pop Tag! feature any MMO-style character progression, like stats, equipment or other attributes?

Nexon: We have an achievement system implemented in the game called, "Quests." Users who complete the designated missions will be rewarded. In addition to that, you can meet other people in Town or connect with your best friend using the "Sweetie" system.

ZAM: What about this 'sweetie' system? Will there be any fun benefits to be had by getting married in-game, or is it more of a fun little tag to have?

Nexon: Specifically, the Sweetie system helps players get and stay connected so that they can help each other. There will be a special item that can only be used between Sweeties, so those connected by this feature can save each other from a distance. Additionally, those who take advantage of this feature will get more in-game money (Lucci) and EXP when they play together.

ZAM: Finally, is Pop Tag! an indication of the style of new MMOs to come from Nexon? With the coming of BlockParty.com, will you be focusing more on lighter social games? Does this change in development direction affect, at all, your commitment to previously released MMOs like Maple Story, Dungeon Fighter Online or Mabinogi?

Nexon: We will continue to deliver a variety of games to our customers. This includes casual-style games such as iTCG Online and PopTag!, to more intense action games such as Dungeon Fighter Online and Dragon Nest. Our goal is to have options for any type of gamer.

ZAM: And that's all we have for now for Nexon's latest MMO, Pop Tag! The open beta began on January 26th, so remember to join up for some water balloon fun! Thanks for talking to us!