“Minecraft”, “Fortnite” and “Roblox” manipulate children into spending large sums of money on in-game purchases, a number of European consumer organizations believe. Now the giants behind the games are reported.
We basically see an entire industry that has made it their business model to exploit children’s weaknesses, says Sinan Akdag at Sweden’s Consumers.
Sweden’s consumers and 20 other European consumer organizations have become angry at the game giants’ strategies to attract children and young people to spend money on purchases in the games. The strategies are accused of being insidious and manipulative.
The organizations see the use of virtual currencies, such as V-bucks in “Fortnite” or FC Points in the football game “FC” (formerly “Fifa”), as problematic. The players buy, for real money, the virtual currency which is then spent inside the game.
The only reason for this that we can see is that they try to hide the real costs of the purchases from the consumers, says Sinan Akdag, international secretary at Sweden’s Consumers.
Swedish-developed “Minecraft” is one of the designated games.
Swedish-developed “Minecraft” is one of the designated games.
Photo: Jessica Gow / TT
Spend more
Three out of four parents state that their children do not spend anything on games, but of those who do, it was an average of SEK 444 per month last year, an increase from SEK 375 in 2020, according to a survey by the industry body Video Games Europe.
We question whether it is okay to direct this kind of very aggressive marketing towards children in order to make them want to buy these things in the games, and to nag their parents to buy, says Akdag.
Now the organization, together with the European consumer organization BEUC and ten other consumer organizations, is reporting seven gaming giants to the network of EU consumer authorities, CPC.
Rounding rules
Game companies usually require conditions to be approved in order to make purchases, for example that content can be removed at any time, or receive a different price. Regulations are rounded off by claiming that the player only buys a kind of license to use the virtual currency. When it is then used to make in-game purchases, no rules apply.
Then the gaming companies believe that the rest of the consumer rights also fly out the window, says Akdag.
The organizations demand that purchases be reported in the country’s currency, that the basic setting in games should be that the possibility of making purchases is turned off, and that unfair terms cease.
Pretty much the entire gaming industry uses these marketing methods. Right now, we want the Consumer Protection Network to look into these seven games. But we want to see new rules and regulations for the entire industry, says Sinan Akdag
The consumer organizations are critical of the currencies being sold in packages. In “Clash of clans” you can buy 400 elixir for 2 gems in the game, but the smallest gem pack you can buy with real money contains 80 gems.
The consumer organizations are critical of the currencies being sold in packages. In “Clash of clans” you can buy 400 elixir for 2 gems in the game, but the smallest gem pack you can buy with real money contains 80 gems.
Photo: Supercell
Facts: Seven gaming giants are reported
The notified gaming companies and games are:
Activision Blizzard – “Diablo IV”
Electronic Arts – “FC” (Formerly “Fifa”)
Epic Games – “Fortnite”
Mojang Studios – “Minecraft”
Roblox Corporation – “Roblox”
Supercell – “Clash of Clans”
Ubisoft – “Rainbow Six Siege”