The EU's Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network has launched coordinated enforcement actions involving Mojang, Riot Games, King, Supercell, Ubisoft, Crytek, InnoGames, Plarium, and PLR Worldwide Sales Limited over how in-game virtual currencies and items are sold, with particular attention being paid to children and other vulnerable consumers.
Outlined in the announcement are seven principles designed to "promote transparency and fairness":
In a separate statement, regulators said certain business models and design practices can harm consumers.
"The CPC Network seeks to foster a vibrant and competitive European video game market that provides a supportive environment for businesses," the statement reads. "At the same time, the CPC Network is committed to ensuring that rights of consumers playing video games are protected, with particular attention to children and other vulnerable consumer groups. The gaming sector reaches millions of consumers across Europe and generates significant revenues.
"A broad consensus among academics, consumer advocates, and gamers is that some video game business models and design practices harm consumers, especially vulnerable groups such as children," it continues. "These practices are associated with certain uses of virtual currencies, of loot boxes and deceptive techniques such as misleading countdown timers and unfounded scarcity claims, among others. Some video games directly exhort children to make purchases, despite an explicit prohibition in EU consumer protection law. Consumers across Europe should be able to play and interact [with] video games without being tricked into spending more money or time on video games than they want."
The action comes after previous discussions with the video game industry failed to deliver the changes regulators were looking for. The CPC explains that it previously "opened a dialogue" with the industry to ensure these principles were being followed, but that discussions "did not bring satisfactory results."
Regulators subsequently identified several high-profile live-service games that "require further assessment": Minecraft, Forge of Empires, Candy Crush Saga, Hunt: Showdown 1896, Mech Arena, Gardenscapes, Valorant, Clash of Clans, and For Honor.
A parallel action has also been launched against Activision Blizzard UK Limited "to ensure compliance with EU consumer law" in Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.thegamer.com/eu-regulators-video-game-in-game-purchases/
