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Main users of'Lineage', the number one game sales in Korea, are expressing strong dissatisfaction against NCsoft, the operating company.
The backlash against policy related to game items is spreading through group protests and boycotts, reporter Kim Ki-tae reported.
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Last year, NCsoft's first ever annual sales of KRW 2 trillion were the number one contributor to mobile'Lineage', which accounts for 70% of total sales.
It was based on loyal users referred to as'Linger', a compound word of'Lineage' and'Uncle'.
The mobile game'Lineage M'was updated at the end of January, and this was the frenzy.
It drastically lowered the cost of acquiring items in the game, but the dissatisfaction of users who already possessed the item exploded.
As dissatisfaction increased mainly among high-value users, NC withdrew this decision after three days and returned the game environment to the pre-update.
Users who spent three days on this item were refunded in the form of'game money', which caused another problem.
When a user requested a refund by paying 160 million won, the controversy grew as users claimed that they only gave 50 million won worth of game money.
[Lee Young-rok/Lineage User: If you do not return the amount you paid, you have to give a clear and justifiable reason for it, but since it is not at all, you feel that you are being scammed.]
Users are planning a boycott, as well as a truck demonstration in front of the headquarters and the National Assembly.
Due to this controversy, NCsoft's stock price from over 1 million won at the beginning of last month has dropped to 800,000 won.
NCsoft said, "We are sorry for the inconvenience, and we will actively review the areas to be improved."
As for NCsoft, 80% of its sales are concentrated in the domestic market, especially Lineage, and if such user backlash spreads, it is expected to hit its performance.
(Video coverage: Kim Hyun-sang, video editing: Park Ki-deok)