Children Exploited by Video Game Micro-Transactions
Children are being exploited by video game micro-transactions, and we need to do more to protect them from being treated as cash cows. That’s the argument from an opinion piece by former PlayStation and Xbox games designer Adam Fletcher, who shares some of their own childhood experiences with in-game purchases, and calls for more government and industry action to protect children in the future.
“Shady marketing practices have been rampant in this industry for too long,” Fletcher writes in the opinion piece, published by CNN. “While I was designing a game that used exploitative microtransactions, I realized just how far this problem reaches into the lives of children.”
Fletcher shares anecdotes from their own childhood, and that of their brother, in which they spent large sums of money on in-game purchases, particularly as a result of targeted marketing and advertising. They also point out that there are currently no guidelines globally for this kind of marketing to and profiting off of children, which they believe is ethically murky at best.
“Thankfully, the UK Interactive Entertainment association has stepped in to help,” Fletcher writes, “with guidelines for the industry about loot boxes in Video Games.” The guidelines, released by industry body UKIE, include restricting the purchasing of loot boxes for under 18-year-olds, making refunds more lenient, and disclosing odds before purchase.
The aim is to prevent children from developing problem gambling habits and provide parents with a route for refunds if their children have spent money on something they shouldn’t have. This is certainly a step in the right direction and likely to result in some sort of government action if developers are found to be in violation.
However, Fletcher argues that the problem goes beyond loot boxes and extends to all micro-transactions in games marketed towards children. “Shady marketing practices have been rampant in this industry for too long. While I was designing a game that used exploitative microtransactions, I realized just how far this problem reaches into the lives of children.”
“Child-targeted advertising is ethically murky, especially when it makes it easy for children to spend large sums of money,” Fletcher continues. “The UK Interactive Entertainment association has stepped in to help, with guidelines for the industry about loot boxes in video games.”
UKIE’s guidelines are a step in the right direction, but Fletcher argues that more needs to be done. “Games are having a profound effect on children, and we need to ensure that they aren’t being exploited. I don’t think we can trust companies to do the right thing on their own, so we need legal guidelines for what children can and can’t spend money on.”
“Children should not be allowed to make transactions in video games at all,” Fletcher concludes. “While this may seem like an extreme measure, I believe that protecting vulnerable families is more important than corporate profits.”
The author shares personal stories of themselves and their brother spending large sums of money on in-game purchases.
The article finishes with a call for increased protection for children and families in the gaming industry. You can read the opinion piece in full here.
The UK government is currently considering whether loot boxes should be made illegal in video games.
