Supercell, King, and Sybo CEOs Critique EU's Proposed Regulations

The EU aims to implement stricter controls on how digital currencies are purchased and utilized within free-to-play games, citing the need to protect children and vulnerable players. These proposals resemble cookie consent pop-ups on websites, intending to introduce notifications every time players engage in spending or purchasing virtual currency. Additionally, developers would be required to disclose the real-world monetary value of in-game items instead of their cost in the game's virtual currency.

Paananen remarked to the FT, "Basically, these games would become unplayable in Europe... Mobile games is one of the very few industries where Europe and the Nordics specifically can claim they are the leader, and it is a really scary point if you think about European competitiveness at large." He estimated that under the new regulation, players could encounter EU-mandated pop-ups approximately 40 times during a typical gaming session with Supercell titles.

Earlier this week, King released a report highlighting the economic contributions of EU mobile game developers. Todd Green, president of King, added that removing virtual currencies would likely make games like Candy Crush Saga "confusing and less attractive" for European players. Sybo CEO Nørvig expressed skepticism about Brussels' understanding of the mobile gaming sector, suggesting that fears stemming from anecdotes of excessive in-app purchases among children have led to misguided legislation. He stated, "Some of the legislation proposed now looks more frightened from not understanding, rather than wanting to understand the nuances of what gaming can actually do. Because if you play age-appropriately and games that your parents are engaged in, then the science is overwhelmingly positive on the impacts of gaming."