A game user group filed a complaint with the Korea Fair Trade Commission, calling Nexon's recent controversy over false probability labeling and concealment in its mobile game "Maple Idle" a "deception of consumers."
The Korea Game Users Association said on the 28th that, authorized by 1,507 game users, it filed a complaint with the Korea Fair Trade Commission against Nexon Korea for "violating the Act on Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce," and submitted an "application for user damage relief" to the Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAC).
In the complaint, the association argued that Nexon lured consumers using deceptive methods prohibited by the Electronic Commerce Act and, despite recognizing that there was a problem with the product, concealed it and impeded withdrawal of purchase offers.
Previously, in "Maple Idle," from Nov. 6 to Dec. 2 last year, for about a month, there was a problem in which the maximum values of paid "ability options" did not appear according to the stated probabilities. It also recently came to light that the character's attack speed value was not reflected in actual performance as indicated by the displayed number, sparking controversy.
Users who spent money on paid currency to raise ability stats or attack speed protested to Nexon, and as the controversy grew, Nexon unusually posted an apology under the representative's name. Along with this, it pledged follow-up measures, including the dismissal of the person in charge, and compensation.
The association also claimed that the in-game "fast hunting ticket" function qualifies as a paid probability-based item subject to probability disclosure under the Game Industry Act, but Nexon did not disclose it. The fast hunting ticket is an item that, upon use, immediately grants paid currency including a "weapon draw ticket," and can be additionally purchased by paying "red diamonds," a mixed paid and free currency.
The association urged the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) to "issue strong administrative measures against the respondent, such as a corrective order and a penalty surcharge."
Separately, the association said it also filed the first relief request case with the user damage relief center under the Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAC) seeking action on "Maple Idle." The user damage relief center is an organization under GRAC newly established by last year's revision of the Game Industry Act.
The association said, "This case is expected to become the first user relief case handled by the user damage relief center to be established within the Game Rating and Administration Committee starting in February," and added, "Once GRAC completes an investigation into the basic facts, the case will then be transferred to the Content Dispute Mediation Committee, and under the revised Content Industry Promotion Act taking effect on the 1st of next month, there is a very high possibility this case will be handled as the first collective content dispute mediation case."