Is Minecraft an Adult Game?..."Shutdown Law Must Be Abolished"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] Minecraft, known as the 'online Lego' and popular among teenagers in Korea, is facing the possibility of becoming an adult-only game due to the influence of the Shutdown Law, prompting gamers to take joint action.

On the 2nd, the Naver Minecraft fan cafe 'Uri-deul-ui Minecraft Gonggan' (Our Minecraft Space), along with nine domestic Minecraft-related organizations including the 'Korea Minecraft Forum,' issued a joint statement titled 'Joint Statement on the Adult Gameification of Minecraft in Korea.'

In the statement, they claimed, "With the consolidation of Minecraft Java Edition accounts into Microsoft's Xbox Live accounts within this year, minors will no longer be able to enjoy Minecraft normally," calling for the abolition of the Shutdown Law.

The Java Edition had no age restrictions, allowing minors to purchase and play, but on Microsoft's Xbox Live, due to Korea's game regulation policy, the Shutdown Law prohibits users under 18 from playing.

They continued, "Because Minecraft's characteristic of allowing users to create anything enables creators to be active in various fields such as architecture, design, programming, planning, and entertainment, and teenagers are among the main participants," expressing concern that "Minecraft could become an adult-only game in Korea."

They also pointed out, "Compared to overseas efforts to develop the gaming industry, Korea, despite being known as an IT powerhouse and gaming powerhouse, is shrinking the industry," adding, "If this continues, even Minecraft, once regarded as an educational and creative game and a leader in the metaverse, will fall into an unprecedented adult-only game market."

They urged, "The ineffective Shutdown Law should be completely abolished, and various methods should be sought to promote domestic gaming culture," adding, "We must break away from regulations that are out of step with international standards and prevent the Korean gaming industry from experiencing cultural isolation due to unnecessary entry barriers."

Meanwhile, Minecraft is an open-world game where players can freely enjoy various activities such as building, adventure, farming, and PvP in a world made of square blocks. Over 200 million copies have been sold to date, with 140 million monthly active players.