Despite Plagiarism Controversy, Users Choose 'ArcheAge War'

Despite plagiarism controversies, users chose Kakao Games' "ArcheAge War." Marking one month since its release, ArcheAge War maintained its position as the third highest-grossing game, surpassing the Lineage series.

According to the mobile game rankings on the big data platform Mobile Index on the 17th, ArcheAge War ranked third in revenue on Google Play. It also recorded fifth place in revenue on the Apple App Store.

Released on the 19th of last month, ArcheAge War was embroiled in plagiarism controversy just two weeks after its launch. On the 5th, NCSoft filed a lawsuit at the Seoul Central District Court against XL Games, the developer of ArcheAge War, and Kakao Games, its service provider, alleging copyright infringement and unfair competition. The claim was that ArcheAge War copied numerous contents and systems from NCSoft’s flagship title, "Lineage 2M."

Although the controversy spread widely, users sided with ArcheAge War. As of the 17th, Lineage 2M ranked seventh in revenue on Google Play. On the App Store, it was within the top 30, with ArcheAge War ahead. While "Lineage M" holds the number one spot in revenue on Google Play, ArcheAge War is closely trailing. On the App Store, ArcheAge War and Lineage M are competing for rankings.

The character selection screen of Lineage 2M on the left and the character selection screen of ArcheAge War on the right.

This appears to reflect the characteristics of MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games). P2W (Pay to Win) ? the model where spending more money leads to greater strength ? is a core element of MMORPGs. Users who made significant payments early in the game to gain a competitive edge have no choice but to continue playing despite the controversy. Additionally, the flood of "Lineage-like" games that incorporate elements promoted by the Lineage series has reduced users’ resistance to similar content.

Meanwhile, Kakao Games chose to confront the plagiarism controversy head-on. In a statement on the 7th, Kakao Games rebutted NCSoft’s claims of copyright infringement and unfair competition, arguing that the contested in-game elements and arrangements are commonly used in games of the same genre and do not violate relevant laws. Subsequently, on the 12th, Kakao Games conducted updates and guild events for ArcheAge War, operating it like any other typical game.

Due to the difficulty in judging similarities inherent in game characteristics, the lawsuit between NCSoft, Kakao Games, and XL Games is expected to take at least two years or more before reaching a conclusion.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.