In a South Korean court case that could change game development, heads from industry studios appeared at the Seoul Central District Court for a hearing on November 12. The court case that began in 2023 is drawing attention from developers and industry watchers.
The lawsuit focuses on NCsoft's 2019 release Lineage 2M and ArcheAge WAR from competitor Kakao Games, which came out in 2023. NCsoft notes that ArcheAge WAR shares user interface, class-swapping, primary and secondary weapons systems, and PvP features. A bone of contention is the group objective sharing system that NCsoft claims was first implemented in Lineage 2M based on player feedback.
In reaction to these developments, Kakao Games highlights ArcheAge WAR's unique features like naval warfare, original universe, and player pattern-based economic model. The implications of the case might be bigger for the industry. In fact, NCsoft is also suing Red Lab Games over its game ROM: Remember of Majesty, which is supposedly similar to Lineage W. They had also successfully sued Webzen over similar gameplay features in the past.
Kakao Games' Defense and Industry Implications
The argument supported by Kakao Games set out an overall picture of development practices in the gaming industry. The argument was basically that modern games are designed around three main elements: world and narrative, gameplay and systems, and economic model and engagement. Their lawyers said that it should be clear to everyone that ArcheAge WAR differs significantly from Lineage 2M in several aspects. They also said that if the court ruled in NCsoft's favor, it would de facto be granting a monopoly to them, as the aforementioned points are “common mechanics” in the industry.
The Korean judges were apparently receptive to the argument, as they postponed the ruling until December 19 (notably to consider the case of ROM in the meantime). This case doesn’t just affect the parties directly involved. It could also impact game development practices and industry innovation standards. Basically, changes in market competition itself could shift investments in new game projects.
Looking Ahead
The ruling in December could change the way game developers operate. Through the action against Webzen, which was proven successful, and the ongoing lawsuits against Kakao Games as well as against Red Lab Games, NCsoft is at a decisive moment. The court's verdict must address whether features such as class-switching systems, weapon mechanics, and group objectives can be protected, or if they are standard industry practices that have evolved over decades.
If NCsoft wins, it will make game studios think twice before implementing features that exist in other games. On the other hand, if the court decides in favor of Kakao Games, it may further legitimize the industry practice of ‘borrow-and-build’.
