(image: Microsoft Corp.)
SEOUL, July 6 (Korea Bizwire) — Minecraft, a sandbox video game popular among elementary school children, is on the verge of being limited only to adults in South Korea due to the country’s ‘Game Shutdown Policy’ that bans children under 16 years of age from accessing games between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Microsoft Corp. recently announced via its official website that “South Korean players should be over 19 years of age to purchase and access Minecraft Java Edition.”
In 2014, the U.S. tech giant purchased Mojang Studios, the developer of Minecraft, and has been integrating Minecraft accounts with the Microsoft platform to resolve security issues found in Minecraft Java Edition, the game’s first PC version.
During the process, Microsoft decided not to set up a separate server in the country that blocks certain age groups from accessing the game during shutdown hours. Instead, the company introduced a policy that only allows adults to sign into the game.
Minecraft has been rated PG-13 in South Korea.
“The shutdown policy undermines the rights of young gamers as well as the industry, further isolating the Korean gaming market,” gamers associations said in a joint statement last week.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
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