European Consumer Organization alleges game companies including Activision, Electronic Arts, Epic, and Ubisoft are 'tricking' consumers with premium in-game currencies
The European Consumer Organization, along with 22 member organizations from 17 countries, has filed a complaint with the authorities who enforce EU consumer protection laws accusing Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Ubisoft, and other major game companies of «purposefully tricking consumers» with in-game currencies that are «used to confuse and disconnect consumers from the real value of their in-game spending.»
«In the past years, videogame companies have adopted business models relying significantly on in-game purchases made through premium virtual currencies purchased with euros (or other local currencies),» BEUC director general Agustín Reyna said in a letter sent to the CPC-Network (via Reuters). «Based on our analysis and the accompanying evidence (in attachments), we have strong reasons to believe that consumers may fall prey to several deceptive practices when buying premium virtual currencies, and that the latter are essentially used to confuse and disconnect consumers from the real value of their in-game spending.
»We therefore take the view that the concerned traders fail to provide consumers—and especially children—with safe online environments fully complying with EU consumer rules."
The complaint targets Microsoft-owned Activision Blizzard and Mojang Studios, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Roblox Corporation, Tencent-owned Supercell, and Ubisoft. It also claims that the rising misuse of virtual currencies is «particularly worrying» because it's going beyond the boundaries of videogames and into social media platforms like TikTok and Twitch, and online marketplaces like Amazon.
The complaint turns on four major points:
«Gamers shouldn’t need to rely on a calculator anytime they want to make an informed decision on how much they want to spend,» Reyna said in a separate statement. «The money they spend should be displayed in real money and deceptive practices must be stopped.
»Today, premium in-game currencies are purposefully tricking
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