Final Fantasy XI Prompts MMO Legislation

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The Illinois General Assembly has passed a law requiring the developers of online games to allow account cancellations to be conducted online, prompted by complaints lodged at Square Enix's MMO Final Fantasy XI (PC, PS2, 360).

According to Silicon Alley Insider, State Representative Raymond Poe introduced the bill following complaints of Illinois resident Frank Edwards. who ran into difficulties cancelling his son's Final Fantasy XI account.

Unable to locate any means of discontinuing the service online, Edwards called customer support, spending an hour and 45 minutes on hold before the account was finally closed.

The law stipulates that a game's website include clear instructions on how to cancel an account online, adding that no publisher or developer may require phone or mail correspondence for an account closure.

While several popular MMOs such as Blizzard's World of Warcraft (PC) and Funcom's Age of Conan: Hyborean Adventures (PC, 360) employ full-featured account maintenance services on their respective web pages, Square Enix has been repeatedly criticized for its draconian account management system in Final Fantasy XI.

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