Italy's Competition Authority has launched two investigations into Microsoft-owned game studio Activision Blizzard, focusing on the mobile titles Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty: Mobile. The agency alleges that these free-to-play games employ "misleading" and "aggressive" monetization practices to persuade players to make in-game purchases.
According to regulators, the games' user interface is designed to encourage longer play sessions while bombarding players with reminders and opportunities to spend real money in-game. This can include messages urging players not to miss out on limited-time items or warnings that in-game currency bundles are available for purchase.
The watchdog is also scrutinizing parental control settings, which it claims are too permissive, allowing players to make in-game purchases and enjoy unlimited playtime without restrictions. Investigations will be conducted into potential breaches of consumer contractual rights, including the EU's 14-day right of withdrawal.
As with many free-to-play games, monetization strategies often rely on loot boxes and other in-game purchases that can blur the line between natural game progression and pay-to-win scenarios. One example of an aggressive player spent $100,000 on Diablo Immortal, highlighting the potential financial risks associated with these models.
According to regulators, the games' user interface is designed to encourage longer play sessions while bombarding players with reminders and opportunities to spend real money in-game. This can include messages urging players not to miss out on limited-time items or warnings that in-game currency bundles are available for purchase.
The watchdog is also scrutinizing parental control settings, which it claims are too permissive, allowing players to make in-game purchases and enjoy unlimited playtime without restrictions. Investigations will be conducted into potential breaches of consumer contractual rights, including the EU's 14-day right of withdrawal.
As with many free-to-play games, monetization strategies often rely on loot boxes and other in-game purchases that can blur the line between natural game progression and pay-to-win scenarios. One example of an aggressive player spent $100,000 on Diablo Immortal, highlighting the potential financial risks associated with these models.
I mean, who does that? Spending 100k dollars on a game?! That's just wild. And now they're being investigated for misleading monetization practices? It's like, come on guys, be transparent about how you're making money off of players' addiction to these games.
The mobile gaming industry is getting some heat from regulatory bodies lately! I think it's about time someone looked into these games' monetization practices. I mean, who doesn't love a good game session, but when you're being bombarded with reminders to spend real money? It can get pretty frustrating and exploitative.
The line between natural game progression and pay-to-win scenarios gets really blurry when you're making decisions while under pressure to spend. I hope these investigations lead to some changes that make games more player-friendly.
. Anyway, I'm all for regulators stepping in and holding them accountable for those misleading monetization practices. It's wild how some games use psychological manipulation to get players hooked and spending more cash than they should be. The EU's right of withdrawal needs to be enforced, tbh 
. And honestly, can't we just have some transparency about loot boxes and in-game purchases already? Transparency would save so many people from getting taken advantage of 
i mean, who wants to spend that much money on a game? it's like, we're already paying for the game itself, do we really need to shell out that kind of cash just to have an advantage over others? 
and what's up with these loot boxes?! they're just trying to manipulate us into spending more money, right? 
. i mean, who doesn't want to have some control over their in-game purchases? especially when it comes to parental controls – that's just basic human decency 
.
I mean, come on, $100k on Diablo Immortal? That's wild! Anyway, it's good that the Italian Competition Authority is looking into this. As a gamer myself, I hate feeling like I'm being nickel-and-dimed every 5 minutes... 
. I mean, who needs to make money when you can just guilt trip people into spending all their cash? These games are literally designed to keep you playing for hours on end so they can rake in the dough 
. The fact that someone spent $100k on Diablo Immortal is wild 
, but I guess that's what happens when you're not watching your spending 
. It's just another reason why gaming regulation needs to step up its game 
.
anyway gotta say tho, if someone spent $100k on a game it's wild to think about how many other ppl might be playing games they shouldn't be 
. And yeah, parental control settings being too lax can be a concern too 
. I mean, we're all about freedom online and all that, but there's gotta be some balance, right? 
100k on just one game? That's wild! 
. The whole free-to-play model can be super exploitative, especially for kids who aren't even adults yet 
. I mean, come on, $100k spent on a game? That's insane! 
. The regulators are right to scrutinize this stuff and make sure players aren't being taken advantage of. 
Players have every right to make choices about how they spend their time and money on games! 
Microsoft's got some 'splainin' to do! These investigations better not be about "big business" being too big for its britches 
It's all about finding that sweet spot between making a buck and not exploiting players. Let's see how this plays out...