HomeNews
UK advertising authority set guidance for in-game purchasesThe Advertising Standards Agency wave a warning finger
The Advertising Standards Agency wave a warning finger
As various UK agencies and organisations continue to regard microtransactions and loot boxes with escalating curiosity and suspicion, the Advertising Standards Authority have laid out new guidelines for advertising in-game in purchases. Basically, they think games should be clear about what they’re selling and how much things cost in real money, and that advertising shouldn’t pressure or mislead. The ASA are relatively toothless but fairly prolific, and their interest might lead to more official interest.
The ASA last week issued new guidance on advertising in-game purchases, our corporate siblingsThe European Gamernoticed. The ASA are the UK advertising industry’s self-regulatory body, and don’t establish or enforce regulations but they aren’t wholly useless. UK broadcasters are required to follow ASA rulings, and the ASA can refer issues to bodies with actual teeth. They also issuepublic shamingswhich can: 1) apply pressure 2) be funny.
Legacy Of The Droid | Mystery Steam Reviews (Video Games With Robots)Watch on YouTube
Legacy Of The Droid | Mystery Steam Reviews (Video Games With Robots)
As for loot boxes, the ASA acknowledge that they’re an issue for some folks, whether they just dislike them or have “specific vulnerabilities.” Accordingly, “marketers should ensure that advertising for the game makes clear that the game contains in-game purchasing and, if relevant, that this includes random-item purchasing”.
More on the free-to-play side, they say in-game ads like “pop-up offers to purchase extra resources to complete or retry a failed level, or to skip waiting times,” should “avoid the use of mechanics that may place undue pressure onto players and prevent them from making an informed choice or mislead them as to the nature of the purchase.” But that’s the whole point of those, to pressure people. Lot of quibbling over ‘undue’ to come, I imagine.
When it comes to marketing games themselves, they say gameplay in trailers should be “generally representative” of the actual game and any footage that isn’t should be labelled as such. Advertisers also should be careful not to imply paid extras are included with the basic game.
You can read the ASA’s full guidanceover here. They also publishedresponsesfrom various bodies they asked to comment on the guidance, both in favour and against, anda statementreflecting on those responses. Yeah, the industry really isn’t keen easing up.
I have experienced so many of the practices the ASA warn against, especially in free-to-play mobile games. For years the games industry have honed the art of obfuscating information and pressuring players. The ASA’s guidance won’t put an end to it but is another indicator of authorities' increased interest, and that could lead to change.
