Maple Story, which was hit with fines due to probability manipulation, just deleted random items?

Following the 'Flame of Reincarnation' incident and 'Cube', Maple Story's probability manipulation
After imposing the largest fine ever, self-rescue measures are in place and problematic items are deleted.
Has self-regulation failed? Government's 'Gaming Industry Act Amendment' finally takes effect in March

Nexon has begun responding to the controversy over probability manipulation in its MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing) game ‘Maple Story’. Maple Story management announced in an online broadcast the evening before that they would stop selling paid cubes, a probability item, saying, “Changing the fundamental structure of the game is the only way and the beginning to tell users to trust us again.” . It is interpreted that a self-rescue measure has been prepared to change public opinion ahead of the implementation of the revised Game Industry Act in March.

Probabilistic item ‘cube’ probability manipulation

‘Cube’, which is at the center of the Maple Story probability manipulation controversy, is a paid item used for equipment worn by characters. The core function is to change the ‘potential options’ given to equipment with a probability or upgrade to a higher level, and many users have purchased and used cubes to make their equipment stronger. This is why Cube has become a core profit model, accounting for 30% of Maple Story’s total sales.

When the Cube product was introduced, Nexon set the probability of options appearing equally, but from September 2010, 9, it lowered the probability of users’ preferred options appearing when using Cube. On August 15, 2011, the probability structure was changed so that certain combinations of highly preferred abilities will not appear when using the cube until March 8, 4. The problem is that this fact was not notified to users at all. In 2021, they even issued a false notice saying, “There are no changes to Cube’s functions and they are the same as before.”

The problem of probability manipulation also arose in relation to the premium product ‘Black Cube’, which was released on July 2013, 7. Nexon initially set the probability of Black Cube’s potential option rating increase at 14%, but gradually lowered the probability to 1.8% over the next five months (July to December 5). In January 2013, the probability was lowered again to 7%, but the fact that the probability was reduced was not known to users at all.

Can the belated deletion of ‘Cube’ bring back public sentiment?

Maple Story has already faced trouble in 2021 by manipulating the probability of another random item, ‘Flame of Rebirth’. Afterwards, numerous corrective actions and service updates followed, and trust between management and users was only restored over the years. However, on the 3rd, the Fair Trade Commission imposed a correction order and a fine of 116 billion won on Nexon Korea for violating the Electronic Commerce Act, and allegations of probability manipulation related to paid goods, including ‘Black Cube’, surfaced again. MapleStory users’ dissatisfaction exploded due to the ongoing controversy.

Maple Story management, sensing the seriousness of the situation, hurriedly took action to clean up the situation. Kim Chang-seop, director of Maple Story, said in an online broadcast, “Maple Story will no longer sell ‘Cube,’ a probability-based enhancement product,” and added, “Resetting potential abilities is done through Meso (in-game currency), making every hero’s play more valuable.” “I want to make it happen,” he said. Probability items that could be used for a fee were made available only through in-game goods. The Fair Trade Commission also announced that it would later remove the restriction on the duplicate appearance of popular options, which was cited as a reason for sanctions. 

Although the game company has come up with an unconventional improvement plan, users’ concerns are not going away. Some even point out that MapleStory has only changed the form of its BM (profit model), but is actually still ‘inducing charging’. Maple Story announced that it will take measures to allow existing cube functions to be used as Meso, while also limiting the daily supply and demand of in-game goods per user.

In order to obtain more Meso than the daily supply, you must use the ‘Meso Market’ system within the game, which allows you to purchase Meso through billing. Ultimately, this means that in order to use the ‘Cube’ function as much as you want, you must invest cash beyond the goods available in the game. Some users are voicing concerns that the in-game economy itself, including Mesomarket, will collapse due to rapid changes in the system.

In the end, even the government stepped in to ‘force disclosure’ of probability item information

As the controversy over ‘probability items’ spreads inside and outside of Nexon, the industry points out that Nexon’s fine clearly shows the limits of ‘self-regulation’ in the domestic gaming industry. Most game companies have so far disclosed information related to probability-type items through non-mandatory self-regulation. As a result, probability manipulation occurred one after another at many game companies, including Nexon. In some games, low-quality probability items similar to gambling have appeared.

As user losses due to probability items continued to increase, government-level regulations eventually began. At the Cabinet meeting held on the 2nd, the enforcement ordinance of the amendment to the Game Industry Act mandating disclosure of probability items was finally passed. The effective date of the bill is March 3nd. After the bill goes into effect, game companies must disclose the types and probability information of probability items in which real money is invested. Failure to announce this despite a corrective order from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (hereinafter referred to as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) may result in imprisonment for up to two years or a fine of up to 22 million won. 

Some in the industry point out that conscious change in the Korean gaming industry is needed beyond legal revision. This is because the amendment to the Game Industry Act, which is scheduled to be implemented in March, has clear limitations, such as △problems in verifying the accuracy of probability information, △problems in verifying the actual BM operation method, △reverse discrimination against foreign game companies, and △problems inducing charging through expedients. Ultimately, this means that the fundamental problem cannot be solved unless the gaming industry actively shows its will to improve the situation.