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EU to ban free-to-play unless they're actually free


Badnik Mechanic

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So what will the price area say instead when browsing products?  Just $0.00?

 

 

I think it's a bit silly to bring everything down under the same umbrella though.  Perhaps they should introduce icons, kinda like you get with ESRB for "Fear" "Drugs" "Violence" etc, but clearly stating what sort of microtransactions are in a game.  Or they'd need a board of experienced gamers to rate the percentage of game content they feel is enjoyable without paying.  (Aesthetics bonuses would not count towards a percentage, only core gameplay - so for example, TF2 hats?  Doesn't factor in.  TF2 inventory size limitations?  That'd knock a few numbers of the percentage.

 

 

I just dunno though, I'm sure trying to categorise different kinds of microtransactions cleanly would still be impossible.

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I really like the idea of a ratings tag for microtransactions.  After all, if you're guarding your child's purchases, isn't the possibility of them blowing their/your cash just as important as the kind of mature content present in a game?

 

I'm also inclined to suggest, though, that games with microtransactions should have to openly and prominently display when purchasing what the highest-priced microtransaction in their game is.  That $0.00 price tag doesn't look so great when right below it says "Microtransactions up to $70.00," does it?

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This is a stupid and completely useless government regulation. It'll change literally nothing.

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This is a stupid and completely useless government regulation. It'll change literally nothing.

Continue to think that while you continue to see games like Star Trek: Trexels and Dungeon Keeper advertise themselves as playable without microtransactions.

I'm sure Escapist Magazine's Jim Sterling can rant more about his pure hatred of them, such as here:

It may not change anything in the US until they do the same, but for the EU it's an improvement.

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Continue to think that while you continue to see games like Star Trek: Trexels and Dungeon Keeper advertise themselves as playable without microtransactions.I'm sure Escapist Magazine's Jim Sterling can rant more about his pure hatred of them, such as here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLdujxNaQacIt may not change anything in the US until they do the same, but for the EU it's an improvement.

I don't care if some games abuse the system. They're rightfully shamed and criticized by the media.

The government has no business getting involved in this. Unnecessary government regulation is dumb and goes against the idea of proper capitalism. This is unnecessary.

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I'm personally okay with this. Giving games that use microtransactions a warning note as you start up the game or, like Jez said, a new PEGI picture for microtransactions let's parents know that their kids might use their card details to purchase stuff without thinking. The games that Jim Sterling mentions (free to wait) are the ones that really need to be stopped though. Candy Crush Saga, Dungeon Keeper and that horrible Final Fantasy iOS game are a disgrace and deserved to be banned without question.

 

Microtransactions for me have been a terrible addition to this new generation of gaming and I hate the way it's been exploited in most games. It wasn't so bad before with DLC but then there's Crapcom with its on disc DLC, EA shoving microtransactions into games like Dead Space 3. Hell half the games on Xbone have bloody microtransactions! And I hate those messages that pop up saying "Wanna beat the game real quick and easy? Buy this!" I know they're not as annoying as those found on mobile games, but I don't like how this has become common place in almost every videogame released nowadays.

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I'd see it as an improvement; this is a problem and the EU is stepping in to make sure customers know what they are downloading. "Free to Play" is almost gaming jargon and the casual player or app user might not know what it really means. It makes sense to provide customers with information.

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