Chapter 91
The aftermath of the debate was immense. It far exceeded my expectations. It all began when the full video of the debate was uploaded to WeTube.
Before participating in the debate, I hadn't received any special notice, so I thought it was a Private Debate, but it seemed I was mistaken.
The debate video, uploaded to WeTube the day after the debate, was naturally picked up by Clickbaiters in the Community.
and Users on the Community who watched the debate video exploded.
It was understandable, as every single statement made by the Industry Personnel on the opposing side was a string of outrageous remarks during that day's debate.
“The Industry Damage would be greater than the effect of the regulation,” or
We are even establishing a Policy Organization, unprecedented worldwide, and striving for Self-regulation.
These outrageous remarks were immediately preserved on the internet, and users went a step further, synthesizing them into songs.
Among them, there were countless cases that crossed the line, but the Karma of the Game Industry was so significant that no one said anything.
Thus, while there were cases where images suddenly plummeted due to this debate, there were also cases where images suddenly soared, and I was one of those whose image soared.
My image in the Community was already good due to consistent User-Friendly Game Operation and Transparent Gacha Probability Disclosure.
but my standing on the pro-side in this debate and rebuking the Game Industry Professionals seemed quite shocking from the Users' perspective.
Praise for me began to appear even on the forums of other games, where I was previously met with indifference or viewed unfavorably.
Considering that Mobile Game Users unconsciously have a competitive spirit among themselves and usually don't speak highly of other game Operators...
It was truly remarkable that the Game Industry Professionals had achieved the Unity of Game Users, something no one else had managed.
Thus, public opinion, ignited by the debate, began to advocate strongly for the introduction of the Gacha Item Regulation Bill,
and the Media, which had been quietly observing, gained momentum seriously as they bit the bait.
For Reporters, the most crucial factor was 'views'.
From the perspective of such Reporters, these issues related to Gacha Item Regulation were truly mouth-watering items themselves, so there was no reason not to actively jump on them.
Since it was a hot issue, it generated good views, and there was no need to put in the legwork with direct reporting, as it was an online issue!
Thus, the public opinion on the Gacha Item Regulation Bill, which began online, rapidly emerged as a Contentious Issue offline, and the snowball began to roll.
***
*Inside the Age of Odin Team's Internal Conference Room located at Enson Korea Headquarters.*
It would normally have been the lively and boisterous morning Internal Meeting, but only heavy silence hung in the Conference Room.
The reason was... the controversial Gacha Item Regulation Bill.
Age of Odin, Enson Korea's bread and butter, is a foundational 2D RPG game that has currently been in service for over 10 years.
The majority of the business models (BMs) currently sustaining Age of Odin are Probability-based Items, so if the Regulatory Bill passed, Age of Odin would inevitably suffer the biggest blow.
There was the Stone of Awakening, which among the Probability-based Items purchased with Paid Currency adds potential abilities just to equipment.
the Ancient Beast Summon, which includes a Ranged Item Acquisition Skill to reduce Users' Acquisition Fatigue from dropped items,
And unlike the previous two, there is also a main BM: the Flame of the Ancient God, which can be applied to equipment to grant Additional Stats, though purchased with Free Currency.
It literally meant that all BMs would be Subject to Regulation, so the Conference Room atmosphere was bound to be as unsettled as if struck by lightning.
Age of Odin's Director, Kang Hanseong, asked PM Jo Hyeongseop, his face deeply furrowed.
“Hyeongseop. Any new developments regarding the Gacha Item Regulation Bill?”
“No, nothing. I've been asking everyone I can reach, but public opinion is too strong, so even the Political Circles are just watching nervously...”
“Ah, damn it!”
Kang Hanseong slammed his fist on the desk, unable to contain his rising anger.
The large Kang Hanseong's forceful slam made the Conference Room table wobble precariously, but he seemed to have no time to care about such trivial matters.
He became a Director only just a year ago.
For a regular employee, it would have been enough time to adapt, but not for the position of director.
Age of Odin was not a new game but a game with 12 years of history condensed within it,
which meant there was a mountain of content to Handover.
If regulations were introduced before the Handover was complete, he couldn't even guarantee when or where problems would erupt.
“Why did that Ji Hojin bastard agree to the regulation... I mean, if he just does that on his own, does he not care if everyone else in the Company gets screwed?!”
Kang Hanseong's grumbling caused the Team Members gathered in the Conference Room to start speaking one by one.
“An acquaintance of mine works at EnsonGT, and people there say he's a complete dictator there. No one can stop him.”
“And his personality is trash; they say he doesn't respect anyone above or below him.”
“Jihui-ssi, you heard that too? I did too. They say his President/CEO covers for him, so no one can even talk to him.”
Thus began the backbiting about Ji Hojin.
However, while such gossip might make them feel better, it couldn't be a solution...
After much deliberation, Kang Hanseong finally instructed his Team Members to conduct a Full Investigation into the Probability-based Items' BMs and to perform a Probability Adjustment for the Flame of the Ancient God item.
Even if other content was fine, the Flame of the Ancient God had clearly been tampered with by Former Directors for generations, so it was bound to have problems.
They proceeded without ever anticipating what results these instructions would bring.
***
Around the time Kang Hanseong was repeatedly agonizing over the Gacha Item Regulation Bill,
I, too, found myself in a difficult situation.
My current location was the CEO's Office on the top floor of EnsonGT Headquarters.
Needless to say, the reason I was summoned to the CEO's Office was the debate regarding Gacha Item Regulation.
Suyeon, who had just finished a phone call, immediately sat on the sofa side opposite me with an expression of utter annoyance.
Then, Suyeon sighed deeply, looking at me.
“Hojin-ssi.”
“Yes.”
“I've worried about everyone else, but I've never once worried that Hojin-ssi would cause trouble, you know?”
“...”
“But this time, our Director has caused a Major Incident.”
Honestly, I was utterly speechless, so I just nodded without answering.
“There are many things I want to ask... but first, why did you do that at the debate? You could have softened your words a bit. Did you have a grudge against Enson Korea?”
“No, not really... I actually thought it was a Private Debate, so I might have been a bit too aggressive.”
Suyeon sighed again at my words.
“I don't want to scold Hojin-ssi about this matter, but I'm getting too many complaints.”
“I apologize...”
“So, what are you going to do now?”
Suyeon leaned towards me, asking as if genuinely curious.
Her expression, contrary to her words, held a mix of anticipation and interest.
“First, I don't plan to make an Official Response.”
...Really? Then I'll keep getting complaints, won't I?
“For that... I'd appreciate your understanding.”
My Troubled Expression as I said that seemed to amuse Suyeon, and she burst out laughing.
Suyeon waved her hand at my reaction and said in her usual voice.
“I was just teasing Hojin-ssi, so relax your face. It's not a big deal, aside from being a bit annoying. However, one thing I'm curious about is what if Enson Korea's complaints don't die down? What will you do then?”
Suyeon asked in a serious tone, unlike just a moment ago.
At her question, I had no choice but to reveal the plan I had in mind.
“Well, actually—”
After Suyeon heard my plan to the end, her expression was one of surprise.
I had even prepared myself for Suyeon's rejection, thinking it might be too much,
but Suyeon's reaction seemed better than I expected.
“So, if Enson Korea keeps bothering you, you're going to shed the Subsidiary Company label and go head-to-head with Enson Korea?”
“I didn't say it quite like that, but...”
Suyeon smiled and nodded, seemingly pleased with my sullen reaction.
Then, she suddenly asked me again with a suspicious expression.
“Just to be sure, I'm asking again: you didn't really come up with this plan because you hold a grudge against Enson Korea, did you?”
“Absolutely, I hold no personal animosity towards Enson Korea. It's just that if our relationship with Enson Korea deteriorates, I'm considering the option of severing ties.”
“If that's Hojin-ssi's plan... then I'll consider it positively.”
“That's enough.”
With the conversation roughly concluded, I stood up to return to my Office.
and Suyeon said to me with a tired expression.
“Hojin-ssi, I won't tell you not to cause trouble... but please tell me before you do. Understood?”
Suyeon's Strong Admonition required two confirmations before I could finally leave the CEO's Office.
***
Time passed, and it was about two weeks after the new year, 2017, began.
Despite the Game Industry's obstruction, the Gacha Item Regulation Bill ultimately passed the National Assembly Plenary Session.
I heard that the amount the Game Industry spent on lobbying to block the Regulatory Bill was roughly equivalent to the Game Sales of a typical game.
However, despite such efforts, they ultimately failed to prevent the Gacha Item Regulation Bill from passing.
and as a result, the abyss of BMs that the Korean Game Industry had desperately tried to conceal began to reveal itself to the world.