The Chinese version of the game is known as PopKart. A closed beta for an English version (KartRider) began in America on May 1, 2007 and ended on May 31, 2007. The open beta began on October 2, 2007 and ended on March 19, 2008. The English version of KartRider is currently closed for an indefinite period of time, and the official version has not yet been released. The website, which had displayed a notice thanking players for participating in the Open Beta was removed and the site's URL now redirects to the Nexon America homepage. This leads some to believe that it will not be returning. However, at a recent UCLA Career Fair event that took place in 2009, one of the recruiting staff has claimed that the game will be returning during 2010.

South Korean racing phenomenon Kart Rider has finally entered its public beta phase in North America, with its colorful official website allowing players to sign up and download the game client (Windows only).

For those not in the know, Kart Rider is a cel-shaded racing game heavily (and we mean heavily) inspired by Nintendo's Mario Kart series. Players purchase upgrades and cosmetic features for their characters, and go online to race and compete. The Kart Rider client is completely free, and the developers, Nexon, earn all their revenue through virtual item purchases on the official site. The revenue model must be working for them, as Kart Rider is one of the most profitable games in South Korea, directly competing with Blizzard's mega-hit Starcraft. We'll have to wait and see if the game can make the same kind of impact in the States.

Tags: kart-rider, kartrider, korea, nexon.