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Written by: Commentary Editing Room
2021-01-17 07:00
Last update date: 2021-01-17 07:00
In recent years, mobile games have become popular, and people's time on the phone has also increased significantly during the epidemic.
From November to early December last year, the Consumer Council selected two popular mobile app sales platforms, including "Slam Dunk" (Hong Kong translation of "Men's Dangling" from the iOS "App Store" and Android "Google Play". 》), "Punch", "PUBG", "One Punch Man" and other 11 free downloadable mobile games to investigate their promotion model and terms of service of "curriculum" (paid purchase of intended goods or services).
The popular lottery, gas-capsule sales model, and even the overwhelming amount of money promotion in the game, behind the game content involving gambling elements, are attracting public attention.
The Consumer Council selected 11 free downloadable mobile games including "Slam Dunk" (Hong Kong translation of "Men's Become a Bottle"), "Yuan Shen", "PUBG", "One Punch Man" and other 11 free downloadable mobile games to investigate its promotion of "class money" Model and terms of service.
(Screenshot of "SLAM DUNK" game)
Overwhelmingly restrictive marketing methods
Users who want to play these free mobile games do not necessarily need a class fee, but game companies have widened the time gap between "class money players" and "non-class money players" from the design.
The Consumer Council pointed out the usual methods they use to promote class fees, including offering first deposit discounts for players who have never paid for class fees, to attract players to taste the class money, and launch limited-time and novice gift packages to encourage players to consume instantly. There are also VIP, monthly cards, subscriptions, etc. The system attracts players to regularly "contribute" to the game.
Although the current payment platforms used in general mobile games have the function of setting the upper limit of the lesson fee, the player's willingness to spend on the game is always a personal decision.
If both players and operators do not pay attention to the setting, it is still difficult to stop the addiction of underage players' money.
Between the freedom of personal consumption and the problem of youth addiction, the authorities really need to study the issue of juvenile players, require application platforms and game providers to add clauses, extend the refund period for juvenile players, or set a ceiling for juvenile players. It may even restrict the pop-up of advertisements related to lottery activities to minors, reducing the attractiveness of tuition fees to young people.
The Consumer Council selected 11 free downloadable mobile games, including "Slam Dunk" (Hong Kong translation of "Men's Danger"), "Yuan Shen", "PUBG", "One Punch Man" and other 11 free downloadable mobile games to investigate its promotion of "class money" Model and terms of service.
(PUBG)
Is drawing card, gashapon, and treasure box drawing close to gambling?
There are endless ways of attracting players' class money in mobile games, and their criticized gashapon, treasure box draws and other gambling-like lottery forms have also made the consequences of indulging in class money more serious.
Among the mobile games selected by the Consumer Council for survey, it was found that nearly 40% of the games did not announce the chance of winning.
Even if the game has an announcement probability, the chance of winning the rarest item can be as low as 0.2%.
In addition, although the lottery mechanism of some games has the so-called "guarantee", the player also needs at least 200 yuan to trigger it, and there is no guarantee that the player will get their favorite character or item.
From time to time, these games attract players with a very small chance of winning prizes, making people hope to win prizes by luck alone.
But for young people, the gambling elements in these mobile games greatly increase the risk of addiction.
The Hong Kong government should refer to the legal requirements of Taiwan and Japan and require operators to announce the probability of winning consistent with the program settings, or inform players in the form of warning that participating in the event does not mean that they can get the relevant gifts, allowing consumers to determine whether the probability of winning and the investment of funds worth it.
Review the "Gambling Ordinance" and integrate gaming supervision
According to the current laws in Hong Kong, only the "Gambling Ordinance" is more relevant at present that can slightly restrict the promotion and sales of mobile games.
The regulations require the organization and operation of "gaming games" that are "business promotion contests" and "lottery activities" including "lottery" activities to be licensed by the government, otherwise the relevant activities are illegal.
Judging from the fact that no mainstream mobile games have been prosecuted under the "Gambling Ordinance", it appears that the gambling elements in mobile games may become out of law.
Of course, for mobile games, the use of the "Gambling Ordinance" is too strong, and the content of the current regulations tends to presuppose that related activities are held in the real world, which cannot fully correspond to the current mobile game operation and promotion environment, so the most ideal application is the application. Platforms, game operators, and players can all be self-disciplined.
However, mobile games have become popular and player addiction has become more serious. It is time for the authorities to study the promotion strategies and lottery mechanisms that restrict mobile games, and follow up with the development of the times with complete regulations.
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