In Germany, the creators of Fortnite, Clash of Clans, and three other games were accused of using "dark patterns"
The German National Consumer Association (VZBV) has criticized five free-to-play games: Fortnite, Roblox, Clash of Clans, MONOPOLY GO!, and Subway Surfers. It stated that these titles manipulate users, pushing them to spend more time and money on these games.
Clash of Clans
According to VZBV, the developers of the aforementioned games employ so-called "dark patterns." For instance, they launch pop-up windows offering to purchase something right in the middle of a gaming session, use an opaque in-game currency system, and penalize players if they do not log into the game for an extended period.
The organization issued a warning to the developers and demanded that they cease using manipulative techniques. VZBV also urged the European Commission to "adapt consumer legislation to the digital reality."
Epic Games, Supercell, and the other accused companies have not commented on the situation.
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