Ubisoft, EA, And Other Publishers Accused of Breaching Consumer Protection Laws

Expert Verified By

European Consumer Org Accuses Many Publishers!

Story Highlight
  • The EU Consumer Org has accused big giants in the gaming industry of violating consumer protection laws. 
  • The organization thinks these companies are bending the rules in their favour to earn profits. 
  • It has demanded that video game companies stop these unfair practices. 

The European Consumer Organization has recently accused many developers and publishers of breaching EU consumer protection laws. Ubisoft, EA, and Epic Games are some of the renowned ones among the accused. 

The organization seems to be calling on the authorities to ensure that these developers and publishers play by the rules. This is being done to provide consumers with a safe gaming environment.

Why it matters: Live service titles are often just about the microtransactions, which no one is fond of, but some developers and publishers still force them into games while others don’t. 

Ubisoft Stock Value 5 years Low
Ubisoft Stock Value Has Plummeted By Over 80% in 5 Years

In a recent press release, the European Consumer Organization notified the European Commission and the European Network Consumer Authorities about the companies that they believe are breaching the EU Consumer Protection Laws

Companies’ claims that gamers prefer in-game premium currencies are wrong:

Many consumers find this unnecessary step misleading and prefer buying items directly with real money.

-The Eu Consumer Org

One major claim from the org is that these companies claim fans prefer in-game currencies. However, that is completely wrong, as this step could be misleading for many. The org also notes that consumers often can’t see the real cost of digital items. 

Microsoft Xbox Activision Blizzard King
Companies Like Activision Blizzard Plagues A Game With Microtransactions

This leads to overspending because in-game purchases are displayed in in-game currency. The organization believes in-game purchases should always be displayed in real money. Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Mojang Studios, Roblox Corporation, Supercell and Ubisoft were the main publishers mentioned in the press release. 

The organization also pointed out that children are vulnerable to such tactics. According to the organization, children in Europe spend an average of €39 per month on in-game purchases. This shows that something needs to be done by how the virtual currency is being displayed in games. 

BEUC has noticed this bending of rules in the virtual market, and the Director General, Agustín Reyna, states that in the online world, no company should be able to bend the rules to make profits. A virtual world should abide by the rules that are applicable in the real world. 

The Director General also stated that in-game currencies are purposely tricking consumers and are also taking a big toll on children. Moreover, the organization wants the CPC-Network to start coordinated enforcement and demands that the relevant companies stop such practices for consumers.  

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

Phantom Blade On Its Highest Difficulty Still Isn’t As Challenging As Elden Ring

Phantom Blade Zero gameplay is nothing like Souls, and even on the highest difficulty, it still isn't as hard as Elden Ring or Lies of P.

Activision Dismisses Battlefield 6 Threat; Believes COD Is Too Big To Die

According to a new report, Activision doesn't consider Battlefield 6 as a threat because Call of Duty is too big to die.

Battlefield 6 Won’t Have A Server Browser As The Game Uses AI Bots To Populate Empty Matches

In a new interview, Battlefield 6 developers confirmed that the game will be using AI bots to populate servers that don't have enough players.

ARCTIC Expands P Pro Series With Powerful New P14 Pro Fans

ARCTIC introduces P14 Pro 140mm fans with quieter performance, high airflow, and up to 50% discounts. Ideal for custom PC builds.

Battlefield 6 To Get New Content More Frequently Than BF 2042, Teases Devs

Battlefield 6 developers have teased in an interview that it will get new content and seasonal events more frequently than Battlefield 2042.