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European Commission considering renaming f2p in EU, put in child protections
- Thread starter geordiemp
- Start date
Mendax
Member
I do have experience with for example LOTRO, one of the first mmos to adopt f2p and that is considered as one of the "better" implementations of it, and it is just terrible how much they have gated through in app purchases, even if you subscribe to them there is still a lot you can only get through IAPs and there are even things that could be obtained through normal gameplay before that are now only in the ingame store. which imo is VERY bad design. There is a clear IAP "creep" that is getting worse over time.
Maybe they should force the use of Nintendo's term.."free to start".
In a way it's false advertising if any "free to play" game has in-app purchasing.
It would be quite interesting to see what the result of some complaints to the advertising standards authority (or similar group) might have in regards to the term "free to play".
In a way it's false advertising if any "free to play" game has in-app purchasing.
It would be quite interesting to see what the result of some complaints to the advertising standards authority (or similar group) might have in regards to the term "free to play".
Mendax
Member
This is nonsense of the highest order.
There are a LOT of games that get F2P right. Star Trek Online for example.
Sir_Crocodile
Member
Fantastic, I've been wanting something like this ever since I found out about the despicable practices of these f2p companies in gamastura's expose last year.
Hopefully some of the curbs they introduce will help vunerable adults as well as children.
Hopefully some of the curbs they introduce will help vunerable adults as well as children.
Haunted
Member
I don't think anyone on GAF dislikes the F2P games with a fair business model that respects the customer, but this is a case where the 0,2% of F2P games who do it right probably shouldn't prevent action against the 99,8% designed to be exploitative, manipulative anti-consumer traps.
SolidSnakex
Member
I don't think that there's anything necessarily wrong with the term. There are many F2P games that are perfectly playable without ever having to pay a penny for additional content. I've seen people praise games like Warframe and Loadout for how well they handle it. The problem is that companies have found a way to abuse the concept. EA most recently showed that off with Dungeon Keeper. It's hard to believe that its design revolved around anything other than trying to get as much money out of the player as possible. It quickly gates off basically everything unless you pay or wait. That's the type of bullshit that needs to end.
tiggerkiddo
Member
I wonder if this would have a chance of hell in the US. I do think some of the stuff they pull with F2P games as pretty scummy.
lol, but surely bananas arent as complex as the f2p market, are they
I don't know.
Bananas: bent and yellow good, straight and green bad.
f2p: scam bad, not a scam good.
Although it isn't really that black and white, there should maybe be an Ponzi-Abagnale rating, a score of 10 Ponzi-Abagnales and you know it's a stinker, a score of 1 Ponzi-Abagnale and you should be safe letting the children play it.
There are vastly more that get it wrong. It's a destructive business model and the sooner its banned the better.
OminoMichelin
Member
In this very thread there are people who despise F2P on principle.
I just hope that the commission is able to put some sensible guidelines in place.
ComputerMKII
Banned
European Commission attacking freedom? Who would have guessed. I can't wait for the day this super-government disappears.
CheDominik
Member
The freedom of children getting scammed is surely a high valued right.
Fuck. That. I mean seriously, you want to go back to the days of subscription-only MMOs? Bloody hell...
Bring in legislation to clean up the scumbag teams that build their model around exploiting the ignorance of kids, but don't throw out the numerous games that get it right.
ComputerMKII
Banned
If you don't want children to make in-app purchases then do your job as a parent and monitor what games your kids play.
European Commission aiming to protect consumers against shady business practices? Par for the course. Can't wait for the day there's no need to. Of course that day will never come as greed will always try to find a way.
Shmuppers
Member
And Vindictus. And almost everything Nexon churns out.
cardinalmind
Member
Even when I am not a european I firmly support this. Hope ASEAN follows EU on this.
NekoFever
Member
I-don't-see-a-problem.
But a crackdown has been a long time coming, and it will happen. If a lot of these F2P games were put in an arcade cabinet they'd immediately be classes as gambling machines and be banned from places with children.
thehunter01
Banned
But that actually takes effort, and we can't have that.
Parents should have some responsibilities. Kids can't buy shit if you don't give them password. Every tablet and mobile phone comes with manual that will explain how to secure your device. Consoles even have parental locks these days.
Now although this does make sense there is a problem with some f2p games that are solely aimed and marketed towards children that have huge amounts of in app purchases, this is disingenuous at best, a scam at worst. It would be nice for parents to assume that any fun little game they get their child doesn't have the possibility to bankrupt them if they've forgotten to set a preference, or are just too tech illiterate to even know.
That's still shifting your responsibilities. If you are too lazy to read the manual and actually pay attention on how your children spent their time then that's your problem.
I do think that once your tab goes beyond certain amount of $, company providing the game should have customer service contact you and see if you really planned make the purchase and to confirm to lift your tab.
Mister Chippy
Member
LOL
No. No you're not. The vast majority of the shit in those crates is worth a few cents at most. Basically the only way you're gonna get your money back is if you get one of the items you have a 1 in 100 chance of getting.
I love all those games, but that business model is actually really shitty for people with gambling problems. People will constantly buy hundreds of dollars of keys in the hopes of getting one rare item worth a few thousand.
andthebeatgoeson
Junior Member
Not really a parent,I see. I don't load any games on my phone and make all app purchases behind a pin but a lot of parents don't have the will power.
It is predatory to have a system where $1000 can be wasted with a few clicks of a button. And it's easy to avoid if the platforms weren't interested in only taking your money.
Sloane_Ranger
Member
Good job EU commission! Hope it comes to fruition.
US lawmakers jump on this bandwagon!
US lawmakers jump on this bandwagon!
Basileus777
Member
Good news. Many uses of IAP are essentially gambling or casino games, they should and need to be regulated.
To start with, they should ban uses of multiple fake currencies which game designers use to confuse and trick customers, and require all IAP to be made using real money.
To start with, they should ban uses of multiple fake currencies which game designers use to confuse and trick customers, and require all IAP to be made using real money.
geordiemp
Member
I think a good solution would be ANY in game purchase requires you to re-enter in FULL your credit card details, expiry date, pin number and CVC code - every single purchase, even for 10 p
If you really want it, then you can buy, but not at the click of a button....
That would sort out the wheat from the chaff.
If you really want it, then you can buy, but not at the click of a button....
That would sort out the wheat from the chaff.
Where the hell did you get that from? I'll ask you not to put words in my mouth thanks.
I dont like sub based MMOs (or MMOs for that matter), but f2p is a scam model. That doesn't mean I think subs are ok.
CheDominik
Member
You can't watch children 24/7 and by that logic we should make cigarettes,gambling and alcohol available for 12 year olds because parents should monitor what their kids are doing, right?
CheDominik
Member
ЯAW;102602450 said:
I am not only talking about children from 0-12. A lot of teenagers have their own bank accounts and are also vulnerable to these practices, they have to be protected.
Speaking as perhaps the most dumbshit nation of the union, Italy, THANK GOD FOR EUROPEAN COMMISSIONS.
I've lost count of how many dumb ideas have been struck down and\or removed from existance thanks to european law and commissions.
I thought me the same. This is a good step in the right direction.
OminoMichelin
Member
So you don't want F2P, and you don't want Subs? What does that leave?
F2P is not a scam model in itself. Have you played Star Trek Online? Neverwinter?
ComputerMKII
Banned
I've drunk alcohol under supervision of my parents when I was below the legal age and I'm doing just fine. Governments shouldn't substitute themselves for parents' authority.
sixteen-bit
Member
Fee to pay