Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercat (AGCM), the Italian Competition Authority, has launched an investigation into Activision Blizzard over how the company has monetised both Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile.
In a post on its website, the organisation has said that the games firm has adopted “misleading and aggressive practices” in how it offers in-app purchases, in addition to “breaching consumers’ contractual rights”.
“In the Authority’s view, the company may be acting in breach of consumer protection rules and, in particular, the duty of professional diligence required in a sector that is particularly sensitive to the risks of gaming-related addiction,” the organisation wrote.
AGCM has said that the investigation will focus on the “possible use of deceptive” UI design to attract customers back to these games more often, as well as on making them play for longer when they do. Examples of this include prompts about potential rewards inside and outside of gameplay, as well as in messages and notifications, in addition to calls to purchase time-limited items.
“These practices, together with strategies that make it difficult for users to understand the real value of the virtual currency used in the game and the sale of in-game currency in bundles, may influence players as consumers – including minors – leading them to spend significant amounts, sometimes exceeding what is necessary to progress in the game and without being fully aware of the expenditure involved,” AGCM wrote.
The organisation also has concerns about the parental controls within these titles, saying that they automatically default to a “lower level of protection” which allows in-game purchases, doesn’t limit play time or interactions with other players. AGCM is also looking into how consent for personal data is obtained, as well as whether consumers are adequately informed about their rights in these games.
GamesIndustry.biz has reached out to Activision Blizzard for comment.
