Rule prevents release of sequel to hit game Modoo Marble in S.Korea

The sequel to the popular real estate board game Modoo Marble is unavailable in South Korea because of the country's ban on play-to-earn (P2E) games based on blockchain.

South Korean game developer Netmarble Corp. on Monday said it will release on April 19 the metaverse-based Modoo Marble 2: Metaworld on the global market. This is the follow-up to Modoo Marble, which has been played by 200 million people worldwide and features the metaverse space Meta World.

Meta World is based on real cadastral maps of major cities like New York and offers players an array of content and activities such as owning land and erecting and upgrading buildings. Netmarble is offering preregistration for the new game through its official website, Apple's App Store and Google Play, with those who preregister receiving a character acquisition ticket usable after the game's release.

Yet Modoo Marble 2 will be unavailable in South Korea because of the P2E element allowing users to exchange goods won in the game for cash. The game utilizes the MBX platform of Mabrex, a subsidiary specializing in Netmarble's blockchain. Users get Meta Cash exchangeable for the public token MBX through board game play and rewards in Meta World.

Article 28 of the Game Industry Promotion Act in principle prohibits a game from giving prizes. In January, the Seoul Administrative Court upheld the ruling of the Game Rating and Administration Committee that prevented the domestic release of the P2E game.

Write to Seung-Woo Lee at leeswoo@hankyung.com