These days, extreme makeovers seem to be all the rage in the MMO genre. Azeroth recently went through some earth-shattering changes (literally) in World of Warcraft’s third expasion, Cataclysm. Now, Nexon’s free-to-play MMORPG MapleStory is experiencing a rebirth of its own thanks to a big bang. The massive, three-part “Big Bang” update is bringing major changes to the long-running online game. In addition to a graphical overhaul, players can expect to see all-new stories, classes and locations, as well as an easier leveling system designed to reduce the grind so familiar to MMOs. GameZone recently had a chance to ask MapleStory Lead Producer Crystin Cox a few questions about what it’s like to rebuild a MMORPG from the ground up.

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