EU Consumer Organization Accuses Game Devs of Using In-Game Currency

Yesterday, BEUC, the European Consumer Organization, together with 22 members from 17 countries, filed a complaint with EU authorities regarding consumer rights protection, in which they accuse leading game developers of "unfair practices."

The Organization claims that the game industry "maximizes consumers' spending by using premium in-game currencies." They elaborated that because of the use of digital currency and the need to buy extra currency in bundles, consumers cannot see the actual cost of digital items, which leads to overspending.

They also note that companies' claims that players prefer using in-game currencies themselves are not true, and consumers are often denied their rights when it comes to using premium in-game currencies due to "unfair terms favoring game developers." Apart from this, the organization states that children are more vulnerable to video game companies' tactics and provides statistics that children in Europe are spending, on average, €39 per month on in-game purchases.

Agustín Reyna, Director General of BEUC, commented: "Gamers shouldn't need to rely on a calculator anytime they want to make an informed decision on how much they want to spend. The money they spend should be displayed in real money, and deceptive practices must be stopped."

The game companies concerned are Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Mojang Studios, Roblox Corporation, Supercell, and Ubisoft. 

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