Italy’s competition authority said on Friday it has opened investigations into Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) Activision Blizzard division over what it described as allegedly “misleading and aggressive” sales practices linked to the video games “Diablo Immortal” and “Call of Duty Mobile”.
The watchdog, which is also responsible for enforcing consumer protection rules, said the company was “operating in a manner that violates consumer protection legislation and, in particular, the professional diligence required in a sector highly sensitive to the risks of developing gambling addiction.”
Microsoft’s Italian press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the regulator, the investigations are centred on incentives encouraging players of the free-to-play titles to purchase additional content, both during gameplay and outside gaming sessions, through in-app messaging and push notifications. The authority warned that the use of virtual currencies could lead gamers, “including minors, into spending significant sums, even more than those necessary to progress in the game, without fully realising it.”
Both franchises rely on virtual currencies that allow users to buy in-game items or related content. These currencies can be acquired with real money or, in some cases, “earned” through gameplay.
“Call of Duty” and “Diablo” rank among the world’s most popular video game franchises.
The regulator also raised concerns over default parental control settings and the way information on players’ contractual rights is presented, “which appears to lead them to unknowingly waive them.” It further pointed to limited options for contesting potential account suspensions, which could result in the loss of money spent on digital content — an amount that, it said, can at times be substantial.