Faced with the threats to which the youngest are exposed, MEPs want to regulate the video game sector. The goal: to preserve their mental health and protect them from certain commercial excesses.
Video games are an extremely lucrative and growing sector. In 2020, in the European Union alone, it represented a turnover of 23.3 billion euros, as recalled West France. But its popularity does not only have positive effects. Although video games are incredible in terms of art, educational support and entertainment, they can also lead to serious problems, especially in terms of the mental health of young people. The World Health Organization has officially recognized video game addiction as a disorder in its own right. The European Parliament decided to tackle the problem and made public, on January 18, 2023, the conclusions of a report, which was adopted with 577 votes for, 56 votes against and 15 abstentions. Its objective: to encourage the growth of the video game sector while strengthening the protection of players, in particular the youngest, from dangerous commercial practices and addiction.
Protection of minors: the fight against micro-transactions
Different business practices in the video game sector, the consequences of which can be serious, are singled out by the European Union. First, it demands that developers and publishers ensure that canceling subscriptions is as easy as subscribing to them, and that policies for purchasing, returning and refunding games comply with European rules. . Thereby, “national authorities must put an end to illegal practices that allow players to trade, sell or bet on video game sites“.
Another problem is the incentives to make in-game purchases, especially when they take advantage of their naivety and lack of knowledge. In December, the United States Consumer Protection Agency (FTC) had also pinned Epic Games and its game Fortnite, where everything was done to push the player to compulsive purchases (see our article). This is a problem that we encounter in almost all games of the type free-to-play with microtransactions – in short, they are free but players can buy items, equipment and costumes (skins) with real money. In particular, the institution called for the regulation, or even the prohibition, of loot boxes (loot boxes in French), which allow you to randomly obtain accessories for virtual or real payment, because “Due to random reward mechanics, loot boxes are very similar to gambling. Some may promote the move to gambling” and their practice “may be linked to financial crime and human rights violations”.
Video games: for a more player-friendly system
But these are not the only points that the European Parliament wants to regulate, as it is determined to make the sector healthier. Thus, the industry must place more importance on data protection, gender balance, player safety and ensure that people with disabilities are not discriminated against. Indeed, women tend to be underrepresented and hypersexualized, even if the studios are making more and more efforts on this point. These efforts are also visible with greater inclusion of people with disabilities, whether with in-game options – such as the highly acclaimed God of War: Ragnarokwhich integrates no less than 60 different options – or at the level of equipment – Sony, for example, presented at CES 2023 its Project Leonardo, a controller specially designed for people with disabilities.
In another section, the European Parliament asks “the harmonization of the rules in order to allow parents to have a good overview and control of the games their children play“. To do this, she mentions a possible modification of the PEGI system, which is currently in force in more than 38 countries, and which is not always respected, whether by parents or sellers. In addition, publishers and developers have an obligation to “take into account the age, rights and vulnerabilities of children”. They should also avoid creating games that could fuel addiction, which can have serious consequences for school performance, health and social relationships. Some countries have already taken steps in this regard. This is particularly the case of China, which has imposed a limit on playing time to 3 hours per week and a ban on playing after 10 p.m.