South Korean publisher Nexon has been fined 11.6billion won (£7million) for secretly changing loot box drop rates.
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According to South Korea’s antitrust regulator, Nexon changed the rates for loot boxes in both 2D MMORPG MapleStory and Bubble Fighter “multiple times” between 2010 and 2021 (via PCGamer), violating South Korea’s Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce Act.
In MapleStory, loot boxes are known as cubes and were first introduced in 2010. These randomised cubes are available to purchase for ₩2,000 each (£1.20) and are used to change the power of various in-game items. However, shortly after their introduction, Nexcon changed the frequency in which more powerful cubes were made available without informing players. In August 2011, the publisher shared a statement denying changes to drop rates.
The £7million fine is the largest fine imposed by Korea’s Fair Trade Commision and comes after Nexon was previously hit with a £690,000 fine in 2018 for misleading Sudden Attack 2 players about the drop rate of loot boxes.
“We imposed the largest fine because [cubes are] a core product of MapleStory, the violation period is long, and this is the second violation [by Nexon] following Sudden Attack,” Korea Fair Trade Commission market surveillance department director Kim Jung-ki explained in a statement.
A 2022 report from UK universities claimed that loot boxes cause “financial and emotional harm” to children and should only be available to those aged 18 or older. Last year, the European parliament voted in favour of cracking down on loot boxes in video games while Diablo Immortal was never released in Belgium or The Netherlands due to stricter regulations about loot boxes. Publisher Activision Blizzard was also fined by the European ratings board PEGI for not disclosing the presence of loot boxes in Diablo Immortal.
Epic Games also reached a £200million settlement with the US government to refund Fortnite purchases that had been made by children.
In other news, Nintendo hacker Gary Bowser has denied involvement with a newly revealed Nintendo Switch flash cart.
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