European regulators open nine inquiries into in-game purchases

European consumer regulators, including the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets, have opened nine formal investigations into how game companies sell in-game items. The move follows talks with the businesses that failed to produce the changes regulators sought, ANP reported in a dispatch published by Nieuws.nl. Companies behind Candy Crush Saga, Minecraft and Clash of Clans are among those facing scrutiny. [1]

The regulators say pricing items such as upgrades and weapons in fictional currencies rather than euros can make their real cost unclear. They are also concerned that virtual currency is often sold in amounts that do not match an item’s price, leaving players with a balance that may encourage further purchases. [1]