The EU is about to make some serious changes in how they handle virtual currency in online games, like Marvel Rivals and more, with the passing of a new law.
We’ve all treated ourselves with a skin or two, at the least. Paying real money for some exclusive or premium cosmetics is a common practice in today’s world of gaming. It is also another way for the companies to earn some revenue back, after purchasing the game itself, along with selling the Season Passes, DLCs, and more. The trend has grown over the years and marketing has become more and more aggressive, with some companies using every trick in the book to make you spend more and more of your hard-earned cash on their games. And a sad fact is that the children, being the most gullible of us all, are the prime targets for this. And that is why the EU is taking action against it.
The Authorities in the EU Are Preparing a New Law About Virtual Currency in Video Games, Such as Marvel Rivals, Overwatch, etc.
On March 21, the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network, the authority responsible for enforcing consumer protection laws in the European Union, took action against a game called Star Sable Online. The gist is that some of the game’s commercial practices violate consumer protection laws, such as intentionally appealing to children, urging them to buy in-game items, not providing clear information about in-game currency and purchases, and more.
This has led the CPC Network and the European Commission to publish a set of guidelines that promote transparency and fairness for all online games and their use of virtual currency. The bare minimum is something along the lines of:
- clear and transparent pricing and pre-contractual information;
- avoiding practices hiding the costs of in-game digital content and services, as well as practices forcing consumers to purchase virtual currency;
- respect of consumers’ right of withdrawal;
- respecting consumer vulnerabilities, in particular when it comes to children;
The end goal is to create a safe and more transparent experience for consumers when it comes to video games and their in-game purchases.
So what does that mean for Marvel Rivals? While we can only speculate for now, most likely we will see clear indicators of how much money some skins cost, for example. “So… instead of stuff like “2500 wacky coins” we’ll start to see like, $15?” assumes Random_User27.
In conclusion, this can only be beneficial to gamers, as we all know the drama virtual currency and infamous loot boxes can make. Hopefully, this will have the intended impact and the rest of the world will follow suit.
