Nexon, led by co-CEOs Kang Dae Hyun and Kim Jung Wook, announced a collaboration with Hyundai Department Store’s cultural center to host one-day workshops titled Create Your Own Game using the free block-coding platform, HelloMaple. The workshops, targeting children aged 9 to 12, will take place at five Hyundai Department Store locations—Garden Five, Mokdong, Trade Center, Jungdong, and Cheonho—between December 2023 and February 2024.

Each session will accommodate 10 participants, selected on a first-come, first-served basis. Interested individuals can check schedules and availability through the Hyundai Department Store app or website.

Participants will use laptops provided for the workshops to explore HelloMaple’s intuitive features, making it easy and enjoyable to learn coding basics. Utilizing resources from Nexon’s iconic game, MapleStory, students will create personalized avatars with items from the in-game avatar shop and explore themed villages such as Mushroom, Glacier, Ghost, and Toy Town. Through block-based coding, they will build and design their own mini-games, blending creativity with programming fundamentals.

Graduates of the program will receive a HelloMaple Welcome Kit, featuring MapleStory-themed goodies such as notebooks, pens, keycaps, a toothbrush sterilizer, and a mouse pad. Each participant will also be awarded a certificate of completion to commemorate their achievement.

Shin Min Seok, Nexon’s General Director, highlighted the initiative’s goal, stating, “With HelloMaple, we aim to make coding as fun and accessible as playing a game. This program will allow young learners to discover the joy of programming while turning their creative ideas into tangible games. We will continue exploring innovative ways to foster creative experiences for aspiring programmers.”

Launched in September 2023, HelloMaple leverages the extensive resources and engaging world of MapleStory to teach basic coding principles. The platform is designed to inspire creativity and motivate learners by enabling them to produce personalized content aligned with their interests.

By combining an iconic gaming universe with accessible coding tools, HelloMaple serves as both an educational platform and a creative outlet, empowering the next generation to explore the intersection of technology and imagination.

Sayart / Jack Lee, wangjb77@gmail.com