Video game companies face complaint from EU over ‘misleading consumers’ By Reuters

By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Video game companies Epic Games, Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:), Roblox and four other companies were hit with a complaint from a European consumer on Thursday, accusing them of misleading gamers into spending money.

The move came after growing concerns about children becoming addicted to gaming. Some parents alleged that video game makers were deliberately designing products that would cause children to become addicted to games.

The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) and 22 of its members in Europe, including in France, Germany, Italy and Spain, filed a complaint with the European Commission and the European Network of Consumer Authorities on Thursday.

“BEUC members have identified numerous cases where gamers are being tricked into spending money. Regulators must step in and make it clear that, although the gaming world is virtual, it must still play by the rules of the real world,” BEUC Director General Agustin Reyna said in a statement.

“Today, premium in-game currencies are deliberately misleading consumers and taking a heavy toll on children. Companies are well aware of how vulnerable children are and are using tricks to entice younger consumers to spend more,” he said.

The complaint also targets Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:) Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:), Mojang Studios, Supercell, which is majority owned by China’s Tencent, and French peer Ubisoft.

The associations were concerned that consumers, particularly children, were unable to see the true cost of digital items, leading them to overspend. They also said that consumers were often denied their rights when using premium in-game currency.