According to the game regulating body, the sticking point was the so-called “consolation bonus” that is paid out to online card game players depending on the hand at the end of each game. (image: Kobizmedia/Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Nov. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — NHN Entertainment said its ten popular web board games out of 13 have been given warnings from the government regulators for possible rating cancellation.
The Game Rating and Administration Committee had notified the company on November 6 that it would withdraw the rating approval for ten web board games that it services to millions of users. An NHN Entertainment said, “This is quite unexpected” while adding, “We will try to find the common ground as much as possible.”
According to the game regulating body, the sticking point was the so-called “consolation bonus” that is paid out to online card game players depending on the hand at the end of each game.
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The current game-related regulations forbid any one game’s total betting amount from exceeding 30,000 won (US$27.60). The regulators said the bonus money is in violation of the 30,000-won rule.
The current game-related regulations forbid any one game’s total betting amount from exceeding 30,000 won (US$27.60). (image: Kobizmedia)
The companies given warnings for rating cancellation will have seven days to appeal with detailed explanations on why this is not so. If the watchdog cancels the rating approval despite the appeal, the game companies won’t be able to provide the services any more.
For NHN Entertainment, being cancelled of ten games out of 13 would be a big blow and it is more than willing to negotiate with the government agency to find a common ground.
The same NHN Entertainment official said, “We were given rating notifications after submitting our game applications according to new procedures after the February 24 revision. We are quite shocked to receive the warning recently as there has been no change in the game contents afterward.”
“The issue that the game rating committee found fault with is currently pending with an administrative court in Suwon. We will comply with whatever verdict is out from the court. In the meantime, we will discuss with the government agency within the seven-day deadline to persuade them that this is far from the grounds for rating approval cancellation.”
By Sean Chung (schung10@koreabizwire.com)
