Perhaps those MapleStory banner ads you kept seeing earlier this year weren't so much a desperate plea for attention as they were a flexing of terrible might from Nexon.  Indeed, the MMO operator has proven itself quite learned in the ways of making money despite advertising free-to-play online gaming.  Nexon's revenue this summer only helped cement its "outstanding" third quarter results.

The MMO operator confirms that revenue for the three-month period ending this past September increased by over 36 percent, despite the current economic downturn which the gaming industry is most certainly not protected from.  Though Nexon did not provide any numbers, the company notes that it saw 44 percent year-on-year growth in revenue during the month of September alone.

Nexon America CEO Daniel Kim attributed his company's positive figures throughout its entire third quarter to the continuing success of its flagship online titles: Combat Arms, MapleStory and Mabinogi.  The company was quick to boast its revenue growth in light of not launching any new games for over a year prior to releasing the Dungeon Fighter Online open beta last month.  Although Nexon's latest DFO updates introduced a cash shop for purchases of in-game items, any DFO revenue earned thus far was not factored into Nexon's third quarter financial results.