Videogame firms hit with EU complaint over ‘tricking consumers’

By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Videogame companies Epic Games, Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:), Roblox and four others were hit with an EU consumer complaint on Thursday accusing them of misleading gamers into spending money.

The move came amid rising concerns about children turning into gaming addicts, with some parents claiming videogame makers intentionally designed products that caused them to become addicted to games.

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

“BEUC’s members have identified numerous cases where gamers are misled into spending money. Regulators must act, making it clear that even though the gaming world is virtual, it still needs to abide by real-world rules,” BEUC Director General Agustin Reyna said in a statement.

“Today, premium in-game currencies are purposefully tricking consumers and take a big toll on children. Companies are well aware of children’s vulnerability and use tricks to lure younger consumers into spending more,” he said.

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

The associations said they were concerned that consumers, especially children, could not see the real cost of digital items, leading them to over-spend, and that consumers were often denied their rights when using premium in-game currencies.