Italy’s competition authority has launched a coordinated European investigation into several gaming companies owned by Microsoft, focusing on how virtual currencies are used in video games and whether consumers are being adequately protected.
The investigation, announced on Thursday, is being led by Italy alongside consumer authorities in Norway and Denmark under a wider European Union initiative. It covers Activision Blizzard UK and other Microsoft group companies.
Regulators are examining whether players are given clear information about the real-world cost of virtual currencies and in-game purchases. They are also looking at practices such as selling currencies in bundles, potentially misleading game-design techniques, parental controls and the treatment of blocked gaming accounts.
The concerns are particularly significant for children and other vulnerable players, who may find it difficult to understand how much they are spending when purchases involve several layers of virtual currency.
The action builds on an investigation opened by Italy’s competition authority last December into Microsoft group companies and the games Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty. Regulators had raised concerns about transparency and fairness in their use of virtual currencies.
The wider EU initiative involves multiple major gaming companies and reflects growing regulatory scrutiny of digital marketplaces, particularly where in-game purchases and children’s spending are involved.
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