Despite being one of the most popular video games of all time among children, Minecraft: Java Edition has been hit with an age restriction in South Korea and is now considered an adult-only title in the country. As reported by The Korea Herald (via gamesindustry.biz), Microsoft recently informed Minecraft: Java Edition users in South Korea they would need an Xbox Live account to continue playing the game. Xbox Live accounts are restricted to those aged 19 and older in the country. Users got around this restriction by signing into Minecraft: Java Edition, which is officially rated as a 12+ title by the country’s Games Rating and Administration Committee, with their Mojang accounts, but it seems Microsoft has now taken away that option.The move seems to relate to South Korea’s ‘Cinderella law,’ which prohibits children from playing games between midnight and 6am. Instead of adding systems that could identify when children were playing between those hours, Microsoft decided to change its South Korean policy instead, allowing only those aged 19 and up to sign up for an Xbox Live account. The Minecraft website has been updated to include this disclaimer: “For players in South Korea, you must be 19 years of age or older to purchase and play the Java edition of Minecraft.”Naturally, the move hasn’t gone down well. The Korea Herald reports that 15,000 Koreans have signed a petition asking for the law to be scrapped. However, it doesn’t seem to be all doom and gloom. Microsoft is looking into a solution. In a statement provided to gamesindustry.biz, a Microsoft spokesperson said, “We are proceeding with the global migration of Mojang accounts to Microsoft accounts for Minecraft: Java Edition including for our players in South Korea.”We’re working on a longer-term solution for existing and new players under the age of 19 in South Korea and will have more to share on this later this year.”
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