Blizzard Entertainment is facing growing criticism and outcry from fans and industry experts against its latest hit game Diablo 3 for failing to live up to its proposed expectations, according to various media reports.

Failure of smooth data connections and repeated error messages while logging in or playing the game compelled Korean users, game cafe operators and regulators to take the matter into their own hands.

They have been calling for Blizzard, which made a big name for itself here with the immensely popular StarCraft, to take full responsibility over its poor service, demanding refunds with some interest groups voicing out to the extent of possibility of legal action.

Korea’s Fair Trade Commission, the nation’s anti-trust watchdog, said that it will come up with aid measures for Diablo 3 users by next month after conducting an investigation of Blizzard and its refund policy.

The U.S. gaming company will also soon announce a set of solutions to help relieve consumers’ dissatisfaction, media reports said.

The FTC has been pushing itself to conclude its probe within two months after launching it last May, well ahead of the standard three-month investigative period, as a means to quickly settle the worsening situation and minimize growing consumer losses.

This data-server problem does not only pertain to Korea.

French regulators have also received thousands of consumer complaints over this matter, demanding the U.S. game developer amend its errors in 15 days, while some calling for compensation as well.

German regulators, meanwhile, are reportedly looking into a possible antitrust violation by Blizzard along with consumer complaints over the game’s poor server system.

Blizzard sold over 3.5 million copies of Diablo in the first 24 hours of its release in May, making it the fastest seller in the PC game market, Blizzard said in a press release.

“We’re definitely thrilled that so many people around the world were excited to pick up their copy of Diablo III and jump in the moment it went live,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO of Blizzard. “We also regret that our preparations were not enough to ensure everyone had a seamless experience when they did so. I want to reaffirm our commitment to make sure the millions of Diablo III players out there have a great experience with the game moving forward, and I also want to thank them for their ongoing support.”

Diablo 3 was launched on May 15 in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.

By Park Hyong-ki
(hkp@heraldcorp.com)