Game Company Forced to Pay for Seized Virtual Items

**Maddux** · 31st December 2007, 05:03 PM

According to Pacific Epoch, the Chinese game company Shanda has been forced to pay 5000 Yuan (around US?680) and apologize to a player for removing six virtual assets from his The World of Legend account.

Shanda (Nasdaq: SNDA) has been ordered to pay RMB5,000 and apologize to a gamer of its in-house developed MMORPG The World of Legend for taking away his virtual tools, reports Changsha Evening Newspaper. The gamer surnamed Zhang discovered six virtual items, worth more than RMB1,500, missing from his game account on November 22, 2006 and contacted Shanda regarding the disappearance. Shanda said that the company had taken the items in accordance with a police investigation regarding the sale of stolen virtual items. According to the report, Shanda failed to follow police instruction and return the items after the investigation ended. Having spent much time away from the game, Zhang said he plans to take Shanda back to court. This time he plans to sue for the RMB150,000 he claims to have spent in the game during the past five years. Zhang sued Shanda in the Hunan Qiyang People's Court.

This is going to go on record as the most expensive customer support case in online gaming to date.

Calell · 31st December 2007, 08:47 PM

I guess we gotta love the litigation-happy society/world we live in these days...

Imagine the consequences should US/Euro gaming companies have to follow suit and return lost or siezed items just because someone purchased them...Especially when it's against the ToS/RoC in the first place?...I double checked before posting this, and unless they JUST changed their ToS, LoM3 already HAD this stipulation in their ToS as well, yet the courts still found in favor of the player?... that's pretty scary. Unless maybe it's worded differently there...I read the English version of the ToS.

Tukaram · 31st December 2007, 10:03 PM

Well it did say they were supposed to return the items after the investigation so I would assume they determined them to be legit.

If the items were legit then I hope he gets everything he is asking for. It's about time game companies give actual support in their supposed customer support.

31st December 2007, 05:03 PM	#1
Maddux I've got Skinnies with RPGS! Twelve o'clock! Join Date: Jan 2006 Shard: Pacific Posts: 6,511 Gold: 21,814 Thanks: 20 Thanked 54 Times in 43 Posts	Game Company Forced to Pay for Seized Virtual Items According to Pacific Epoch, the Chinese game company Shanda has been forced to pay 5000 Yuan (around US?680) and apologize to a player for removing six virtual assets from his The World of Legend account. Shanda (Nasdaq: SNDA) has been ordered to pay RMB5,000 and apologize to a gamer of its in-house developed MMORPG The World of Legend for taking away his virtual tools, reports Changsha Evening Newspaper. The gamer surnamed Zhang discovered six virtual items, worth more than RMB1,500, missing from his game account on November 22, 2006 and contacted Shanda regarding the disappearance. Shanda said that the company had taken the items in accordance with a police investigation regarding the sale of stolen virtual items. According to the report, Shanda failed to follow police instruction and return the items after the investigation ended. Having spent much time away from the game, Zhang said he plans to take Shanda back to court. This time he plans to sue for the RMB150,000 he claims to have spent in the game during the past five years. Zhang sued Shanda in the Hunan Qiyang People's Court. This is going to go on record as the most expensive customer support case in online gaming to date.

31st December 2007, 08:47 PM	#2
Calell Red-Headed Stepchild Join Date: Dec 2006 Shard: Sonoma Posts: 905 Gold: 3,752 My Mood: Thanks: 77 Thanked 74 Times in 59 Posts	Re: Game Company Forced to Pay for Seized Virtual Items I guess we gotta love the litigation-happy society/world we live in these days... Imagine the consequences should US/Euro gaming companies have to follow suit and return lost or siezed items just because someone purchased them...Especially when it's against the ToS/RoC in the first place?...I double checked before posting this, and unless they JUST changed their ToS, LoM3 already HAD this stipulation in their ToS as well, yet the courts still found in favor of the player?... that's pretty scary. Unless maybe it's worded differently there...I read the English version of the ToS. "When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they went skipping about and that was the beginning of faeries." ~Sir J.M. Barrie "Miss Brant, that's NOT the position I hired you for."

31st December 2007, 10:03 PM	#3
Tukaram Old & grouchy Join Date: Apr 2004 Shard: Great Lakes Posts: 1,400 Gold: 91 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Game Company Forced to Pay for Seized Virtual Items Well it did say they were supposed to return the items after the investigation so I would assume they determined them to be legit. If the items were legit then I hope he gets everything he is asking for. It's about time game companies give actual support in their supposed customer support. Tuka Kinsmen are born. Friendship is a gift of the gods.

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