German regulator warns Outfit 7 and Green Tea Games over in-app purchases Consumer protection body concerned by how studios are targeting minors with microtransactions priced at up to €109.99

James Batchelor UK Editor Thursday 11th October 2018 Share this article Share

Companies in this article Outfit7 Ltd.

Two mobile developers have received a cease-and-desist letter from a major German regulator over in-app purchases in their games that are aimed at children.

Both Outfit7 and Green Tea Games have allegedly violated Germany's child-related advertising laws, according to Marktwächter - the 'market guardian experts' organisation within the Consumer Protection Association Rhineland-Palatinate.

Outfit7 was warned over its title My Talking Angela, a game that appears to target children of primary school age (particularly girls). The title centres around adopting and caring for a virtual kttten, where players can progress faster or buy accessories with in-game currency - but the CPA RP has found a single purchase can cost up to €99.99 or €109.99 depending on the operating system.

Meanwhile, Green Tea is under fire for Dog Run, a jump-and-run game that features a €99.99 purchase that can be activated with a single click.

Both games are also criticised for their use of obtrusive pop-up ads that encourage kids to make these in-app purchases. They also boast big discounts in a way the CPA RP believes makes it unlikely children will properly evaluate the offer before purchase.

High amounts for in-app purchases are no rarity, said the CPA RP's Manfred Schwarzenberg. The providers obviously take advantage of the business inexperience and the play instinct of the children shamelessly.

It can not be that in a kid-designed game app with a click one hundred euros or more can be spent. We are repeatedly reported cases in which children have quickly spent several thousand euros in gaming apps.

Germany's CPA seems to be clamping down on what it deems to be unfair practices in video games. Just a month ago, it issued a similar warning letter to Sony over the terms of service for PlayStation Network.