[Exclusive] Push to Reveal List of 'Low-Quality Ads' in Chinese Games

Measures to Regulate Image Strikes
"An Autonomous Guidance Function Will Emerge"

[Asia Economy Reporter Bu Aeri] A list of Chinese games with provocative advertisements that cause frowns is being disclosed. This is the so-called 'low-quality game advertisement list.' It was prepared as a last resort because there is practically no way to block provocative game advertisements from China.

According to the industry on the 6th, the Game Advertisement Self-Regulation Committee within the Korea Game Policy Self-Regulation Organization held a meeting on the 28th of last month and reached this consensus on measures to regulate low-quality game advertisements. The committee plans to impose sanctions on inappropriate game advertisements by announcing the low-quality game advertisements, thereby damaging the image of the game companies. The Game Advertisement Self-Regulation Committee is an industry organization launched last year to address game advertisement issues.

This decision by the Game Advertisement Self-Regulation Committee was made based on the judgment that the provocativeness of game advertisements through social network services (SNS) has gone too far. Chinese games are especially problematic. Games such as 'Wang-i Doeneunja' (The One Who Becomes King), which caused controversy with provocative scenes, as well as 'Wangbi-ui Mat' (Taste of the Queen), 'Zombie Spot: Minyeowa Zombie' (Zombie Spot: Beauty and Zombie), and 'Yong-ui Giwon' (Origin of the Dragon) are blatantly conducting provocative and violent marketing. The problem is that such advertisements are indiscriminately exposed to teenagers through platforms like YouTube and Facebook.

However, under current law, there is no way to block this. According to the Game Industry Promotion Act, the Game Rating and Administration Committee can only conduct post-advertisement review if the content differs from the rated game content. Even if the Game Rating and Administration Committee, which deems the advertisement problematic, issues a correction recommendation, it is not binding, and Chinese game companies often do not comply. In this situation, the Game Advertisement Self-Regulation Committee's disclosure of the low-quality game advertisement list aims to expect a self-purification effect through 'shaming.' The committee evaluates four criteria: ▲promotion of gambling ▲creation of hatred or fear ▲violence ▲provocativeness, classifies them into two stages of caution and warning, and plans to disclose the list of game companies corresponding to the 'warning' stage.

Previously, the Korea Game Policy Self-Regulation Organization disclosed a list of games that did not comply with self-regulation targeting 'probability-type items' (gacha-style items). Moon Cheolsu, chairman of the Game Advertisement Self-Regulation Committee, said, "As a result of monitoring recently released game advertisements, we found serious issues not only with provocative advertisements but also with overconsumption and gambling problems," adding, "If the committee discloses the list of games corresponding to the 'warning' level, it will make the review more effective and, in the long term, create a voluntary guidance function."