The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) has officially opened an investigation into Activision Blizzard, now a subsidiary of Microsoft, over concerns regarding its in-game purchasing mechanisms. The probe focuses on whether the company failed to provide adequate information to players, potentially leading to deceptive financial practices within its popular mobile titles.
The Targets: Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile
The investigation primarily targets two of the company’s biggest "Free-to-Play" hits: Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile. While both games are free to download, they rely heavily on microtransactions—a model that the Italian regulator is now scrutinizing for "aggressive" psychological tactics.
According to the AGCM, the investigation will examine several controversial strategies used to nudge players into spending money:
Frequent and Intrusive Notifications: Using persistent reward-based alerts to lure players back into the store.
Artificial Scarcity: Employing "limited-time offers" and countdown timers to create a sense of urgency, forcing players to make impulsive purchasing decisions.
Obfuscated Pricing: Using complex in-game currencies that make it difficult for players to calculate the actual real-world monetary value of their purchases.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Parental Control Concerns
A major component of the probe involves the protection of minors. Preliminary findings suggest that the default parental control settings in these games may be insufficiently restrictive.
- The regulator noted that "out-of-the-box" settings often allow for unlimited playtime and instant, friction-less purchases. This lack of robust default protection could leave parents unaware of their children's spending habits until it is too late.
- In the international digital law community, these tactics are called "Dark Patterns," which are deliberately designed UI/UX strategies to trick users into making potentially unprofitable decisions (such as impulse purchases).
- Italy isn't the first country to investigate this. Previously, Belgium and the Netherlands banned "Loot Boxes" in Diablo Immortal, deeming them gambling.
- This represents a significant legal test for Microsoft following its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, as Microsoft typically presents itself as a company prioritizing family safety.
- If found guilty, Activision Blizzard could face massive fines and may be forced to revise its game interfaces across Europe, impacting its significant revenue from microtransactions.
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