If you’ve ever played a social game, you’ve probably experienced the incessant coercion to make in-game purchases. Most players tend to ignore the pressure, but some actually give in. In rare cases, it is actually such a turn-off that it will cause some players to abandon a game completely.
Now, the UK’s Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has introduced a number of fair gaming principles to help protect consumers from the often intrusive marketing methods of social gaming operators.
Clear In-Game Purchases
A common gripe among social gamers is the use of ambiguous language when offering purchases to players. Some games will offer additional in-game content without informing players that a purchase needs to be made. In some cases, this leads players to acquiring extra lives or other items without realizing that they have to pay for them.
As such, the OFT has requested that social gaming operators clearly express when an item must be purchased with actual funds. This will prevent players from accidentally or unknowingly spending money on social games.
Authorization For Purchases
Many social and mobile games are targeted at young people, who do not have the funds required to make in-game purchases. So, when they are prompted to make purchases, there is always the chance that they could charge the transaction to their parents account without their knowledge.
Many parents have expressed concerns that their children can make social gaming purchases on their credit cards, so the OFT has suggested that all apps require authorization from the credit card or PayPal account holder.
Aggressive Tactics
This is the downside of social gaming that we have all experienced. In some games, it is impossible to go a few minutes without a popup ad or a request to make an in-game purchase.
The OFT aims to stop developers from engaging in these practices, especially because young players are more susceptible to this type of marketing. The OFT’s report provides two examples of marketing tactics.
The first is an acceptable method of marketing: “You have run out of cherries. Cherries are available to buy in the shop for real money or you can earn them by completing challenges”.
The second is an aggressive request: “You have run out of cherries. BUY MORE NOW from the shop!”. A link takes the consumer directly to the shop.
The OFT aims to compel social gaming developers to adjust their tactics so they are more like the former example.
How Likely Is It That Social Gaming Firms Will Comply?
The good news is that only a select few operators engage in aggressive and misleading marketing practices. So, we are optimistic that it won’t be long before other social gaming firms fall in line.
