Enraged Uma Musume Pretty Derby users threaten to sue Kakao Games

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Enraged Uma Musume Pretty Derby users threaten to sue Kakao Games

A horse-drawn carriage criticizing Kakao Games' Uma Musume Pretty Derby mobile game takes a spin around the Pangyo neighborhood in Gyeonggi, where Kakao Games is located, on Monday. [YONHAP]

A horse-drawn carriage criticizing Kakao Games' Uma Musume Pretty Derby mobile game takes a spin around the Pangyo neighborhood in Gyeonggi, where Kakao Games is located, on Monday. [YONHAP]

 
Kakao Games may be facing a class action lawsuit from users of its latest mobile game, Uma Musume Pretty Derby, enraged by the company’s game management and reward system.
 
On Wednesday, users held a truck protest outside of Kakao Games’ office in Pangyo, Gyeonggi, two days after a protest on Monday that used a horse-drawn carriage criticizing Kakao Games’ Uma Musume Pretty Derby mobile game.
 
Users are considering a class action lawsuit against Kakao Games and will be demanding refunds for over 4,000 people who have spent money on in-game items amounting to 5 billion won ($3.7 million) as of Wednesday afternoon, according to posts made by users on online community DC Inside.
 
Developed by Japanese company Cygames, Uma Musume Pretty Derby was published in Korea by Kakao Games on June 20. It is a mobile simulation game where players must choose and train their own uma musume — "horse daughters" in Japanese — that have been personified into young girls with horse ears and tails.
 
Since early August, players have been criticizing Kakao Games for managing the game differently than it is serviced in Japan. Users claim that Kakao Games failed to give proper notices on major events that took place within the game and offered less benefits to Korean users compared to Japanese counterparts.
 
Kakao Games made an apology on Aug. 24, saying it will “right all the wrongs we’ve done and give our best to earn users’ trust again.”
 
However, users felt the apology was “half-hearted” and demanded a formal apology from the company’s CEO, according to posts made on online community DC Inside regarding the protests.
 
“We have been continuously voicing our complaints to Kakao Games such as the company’s failure to sincerely communicate or upload content, but the company has only been giving half-hearted excuses and continues to dismiss consumers’ demands,” read a statement written by users.
 
“Should the company fail to communicate directly with the users’ representative and follow up with trustworthy measures, then we will deem Kakao Games as unwilling to communicate and retaliate with extreme class action.”
 
Kakao Games said that it is reviewing the matter internally.
 
“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience we have caused to users,” the company said. “We will heed users’ opinions to improve our game and promise to provide the best service.”

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]
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