[Yonhap Photo]
Hundreds of smartphone game apps are deleted from Apple and Google's app stores every month, mainly because of little profit. However, the biggest losers are app users who lose their in-game items and cash.
In a 2016 survey of 300 people who experienced the unexpected shut-down of game services, the Korea Consumer Agency found that about 34 percent did not get any prior notice. To prevent such unexpected inconveniences, The Korea Trade Commission (KTC), a state watchdog, established a standardized agreement on the use of mobile games.
All gaming firms should notify users 30 days before the end of service or before they change user terms, through notification systems, emails or text messages carrying specific reasons, dates and plans for refunding with items purchased by users. A game service provider must have an inevitable reason for closing.
South Korea's mobile gaming market is estimated at 4.6 trillion (4.1 billion US dollars), or eight percent of the global industry, according to data released by Korea Investment & Securities Co., Ltd.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
