Koreans aren’t exactly known for being casual gamers – and it’s due to the fact that they love gaming. With nightlifes devoted to hours in PC bangs (net cafes) instead of bars and clubs, it’s safe to say that Koreans take their gaming seriously. How serious? Some disgruntled Diablo III users have resorted to taking serious legal action in Blizzard’s latest hit.
Since Diablo III was released, everyone around the world has taken up similar habits, investing inordinate amounts of time into the game, while also navigating bugs and other in-game issues that rocked its launch. Blizzard has been hard a work addressing these snags and the game has stabilized to a point where these issues are rare. This isn’t enough for some gamers however, and the company is seeing some blowback in South Korea where the Blizzard Seoul offices were recently raided by Korean authorities.
Complaints to the country’s Fair Trade Commission, regarding refunds to unhappy players, led the FTC to launch an investigation into Blizzard’s activities (starting with a raid) to deem whether the company is guilty of violating Korean law on electronic commerce and commercial contracts (since there was no return policy).
The majority of complaints were focused on server shutdowns – after which players demanded refunds but were refused. Blizzard defended itself, citing the double server capacity and pledged to continue improving services for their customers. Regardless, hundreds of users filed formal complaints with the FTC, resulting in an investigation and subsequent raid. The FTC says they have secured documents related to the case along with other evidence that will help confirm if Blizzard sold the game using what they are calling an “unfair” contract to keep players from receiving refunds, despite issues with the game – boiling it down to whether or not the company were knowingly unprepared and released the game anyway. If it’s determined that Blizzard broke the law, the company will be forced to issue refunds to the players requesting them.
Regardless of the the many uphill battles, Diablo III has sold especially well and has been received positively by critics. To see what we thought, read our review.
Diablo III is out now for PC and Mac OS X
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Source: The Korea Times [via Shack News]
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gamers today are so damn whiny.
A lot of times it’s justified.
A raid? Are you crazy!? A raid is JUSTIFIED?
This isnt some videogame where violence and weapons are play things, this is real life.
First of all, you made an OUTRAGEOUS assumption. I said that a lot of times, gamers’ “whining” is justified. You somehow concluded that I said that this raid was justified, when I didn’t even mention the raid. People these days. So stupid.
Second, gamers’ “whining” didn’t directly cause this raid. The gamers didn’t carry out the raid. Gamers filed formal complaints with the FTC, and the FTC decided to raid Blizzard’s offices.
Lol,why so serious? I think you misunderstad what happens during a FTC raid. I doubt a SWAT team showed and forced everyone on the floor.
I didn’t say anything about a SWAT team. I used the word raid like it was used in the article. Yet another outrageous assumption.
Matt, I believe lol was responding to FlandreS.
I would hope so.
Who is the one making assumptions now?
Oh, whoops. I realize my mistake now. I thought lol’s comment was indented, indicating that it was a response to my comment. I was wrong. I apologize. But that’s not really an assumption, Varteras. It’s a mistake.
It’s okay. I still love you.
Awww I love you too, Varteras. <3
I got Error 37 when I tried to read this article, come on GR!
“Some disgruntled Diablo III users have resorted to taking serious illegal action in Blizzard’s latest hit.”
Dont you mean serious legal action?
Servers were down in America as well during launch or at least for me. It took more then 48 hours to even play. Not to sound like an ass hole or anything but there are a lot of moments were I dislike Korean citizens.(If you don’t live in Korea then it doesn’t imply to you) They need to just relax and wait it out. Also WTF refunds? Don’t they get it “Product not refundable” Buy at own risk. If you ask me Blizzard should retaliate. For a good example close down the AH(auction house) or at least the $$ currency one.
My only issue with Blizzard on Diablo 3 is there is no Offline mode that the fans wanted also for if the servers are offline and we can still play. It would of also kept a lot of fans happy. If the servers are down then at least we can still play the game in some form. Blizzard did walk there self into a corner on that one.
If they lost real money in the “real money” auction house then yes the should get a refund, for any of they’re other complaints they should shut the hell up. Server’s suck over here too. With millions upon millions of fans lol I can’t believe there are people out there that thought this release was gonna be seamless… WOW … just wow.
The RMAH isn’t up yet, and the Korean version of the game isn’t likely to get it in the future anyway due to that was the condition of D3 getting a rating (and thereby being sold) in Korea.
Quoting a New York judge here “ignorance of the law is no excuse” if Korean law says that Blizzard violated said law then they did. Blizzard knew that their game was the most anticipated game on Amazon, which Diablo 3 had millions upon millions of fans waiting to play. Blizzard should have anticipated this (especially after WOW) kind of loyalty from there customers.
Unless we Americans are so morally superior only American fair trade laws count (I’ll need a good reason why a carpenter has to pay thousands to have one worker working on a short term basis) as reasonable. Plus Blizzard has lawyers for just this reason, if they didn’t violate Korean law there lawyers well get them off.
Also to one of the posters above me “If you ask me Blizzard should retaliate. For a good example close down the AH(auction house) or at least the $$ currency one.” That would not be a retaliation to me, I very much enjoy the idea of no real life currency auction house.
I cant believe all the people that side with blizzard they are a corporation who only cares about profit.