[The Mysterious Game Dictionary] Is 'Gacha' Gambling or a Delight?

[Asia Economy Reporter Buaeri] The term 'Gacha (Gacha·drawing)' is something gamers have likely heard at least once. Gacha is a method of purchasing items in a drawing format. It is a type of random box. In other words, players pay money to buy items in the game, but there is a chance to get good items or not, making it similar to a lottery concept. Nowadays, most games like Lineage 2M and Dungeon & Fighter have adopted the gacha system. Some users spend hundreds of thousands to millions of won on gacha.

Because the probability of obtaining satisfactory items is low, some users criticize this system, but it is also true that gacha, which feels like gambling, is attractive in South Korea where gambling is prohibited. YouTube videos capturing the moment of winning a good item through gacha have easily surpassed 800,000 views. This shows how much interest there is in gacha itself.

Although there is criticism that the system leads to excessive spending because users pay but may not get the desired items, some see this as part of the fun of gaming. One user said, "Once you start doing gacha, you tend to get hooked," adding, "You lose self-control to the extent that you keep going until you get the item you want."

Most domestic game companies voluntarily disclose gacha probabilities, but many overseas game companies, including those in China, do not participate, leading to ongoing criticism that the system remains a 'black box.'

According to the Korea Game Policy Self-Regulation Organization's report released on the 16th of last month, there were a total of 22 games (4 online games, 18 mobile games) that did not comply with the self-regulation on probability-type items, and except for 'Black Squad' and 'Mafia42,' all were overseas games. In particular, three games?Clash Royale, Dota 2, and 'Guns of Glory - Age of Guns'?have never disclosed probabilities since the start of self-regulation.

Meanwhile, the government has set a policy direction to actively regulate 'gacha.' On the 26th of last month, the Fair Trade Commission announced an administrative notice to revise the 'Notice on Providing Information in Virtual Transactions,' requiring the disclosure of probability information to consumers when selling probability-type game items.