The European Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network have published a new set of guidelines covering the purchasing of in-game virtual currency today. These new principles were applied after the CPC Network found a game developer to be engaged in a number of practice deemed “harmful to children.”
The European Commission Has Launched a Probe into Star Stable Online
On March 20th, The CPC Network claimed that that a number of commercial practices from Star Stable Entertainment AB were deemed “particularly harmful to children” in their game, Star Stable Online. These practices allegedly include “direct appeals to children in the advertisements,” the use of pressuring techniques, a lack of clear and transparent information, and failing to ensure that influencers promoting the product were disclosing commercial content.
The developers of the children’s game where you collect, accessorize, and race horses now have a month to address the issues highlighted by the CPC Network. However, these issues have made the CPC Network see “the need for European consumers to be better protected.” Thus, they have published seven “key principles” on in-game virtual currencies:
- “Price indication must be clear and transparent.” This effectively requires games to list the real-world money equivalent on any in-game virtual currency or in-game digital content.
- “Practices obscuring the cost of in-game digital content and services should be avoided.”
- “Practices that force consumers to purchase unwanted in-game virtual currency should be avoided.”
- “Consumers should be provided with clear and comprehensive pre-contractual information.”
- “Consumers’ right of withdrawal should be respected.”
- “Contractual terms should be fair and written in plain and clear language.”
- “Game design and gameplay should be respectful of different consumer vulnerabilities.”
The CPC Network hopes these principles will “will help create a safer, more transparent experience for players,” but will also continue to monitor EU gaming companies and “may take further actions if harmful practices continue.” All the newly established principles are based on pre-existing EU consumer laws.
Are virtual currency practices too exploitive of children? Let us know in the comments or on our community forum!
For more information from GPlayr, read Apple Arcade’s reported low usage and profits. Don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter.