Dungeon Keeper Ads Misleading, Concludes UK Advertising Watchdog

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

If each and every waiting time in that game for whatever purpose, was simply reduced to zero right now this instant, would it be a good game?

I imagine that devs in design meets sat around a conference table discussing how long everything should take in real time. Surely "mining" the resources and a brief delay is enough resource management? Aren't there better ways to monetise a F2P game, like selling stuff available for in-game currency for those "in a hurry", or unique/exclusive/cool things that aren't game breaking but fun and tempting?

 

[90sgamer]

I dislike EA as much as the next guy, but this issue is ridiculous and serves only as yet another good example of how the UK has become, or is becoming, a nanny-state. THE GAME IS FREE. Regulation of advertisements is to prevent consumers from falling victim to fraud. How do you defraud somebody when you give them something in return for nothing? If EA was charging money for the game and then pulling a bait and switch, then there would be a need for regulation to insure honest advertisement.

I think the point was that customers come up against an very hard to circumvent pay-way almost immediately after they begin to play. The ASA seems to think that advertising something as a functional free game and then bombarding the player with incredibly long time-outs that can only be avoided by paying cash does not live up to the promise of a "Free game".

EA ARE charging money for the game, an almost unlimited amount, to make it playable. They come out with the defense that is theoretically could be completed without monitory investment but the economy is so stacked against the player it is unreasonable to achieve.

Advertising a free game and then doing everything possible to trick and frustrate the player into paying money to make it function is very much a consumer protection issue. So much so that they are being pulled up for false advertising.

This following question can only be answered yes, or no.
Can the game be acquired and played from beginning to end without paying for it?

You know the answer is yes. It also happens to be a shitty experience when played that way, but calling it "free to play" is still accurate. Right? I haven't played the game, but based on overall reviews it does indeed frustrate the player in an attempt to generate revenue. I am not familiar with any other allegations that the game tricks players into paying. Can you elaborate?

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

EA admitted that their design choices for Dungeon Keeper were bad, but now this is them saying "No, it's all a good idea!"

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

When it gets to the point where other advertisers are calling you out on the bullshit you call a game you know you've fucked up.

 

[Royas]

If EA really wants to make a game that would appeal to the old players of Dungeon Keeper, why don't they just make a real new Dungeon Keeper? Not a free to play version, but an actual game? Given its popularity of old, I think they'd have no trouble marketing such a game to new and old players, and they wouldn't be getting dragged across the coals like this. I can't imagine it would be that massive an undertaking, the basic principles of the game play are well established. Updating it for modern graphics and to take advantage of the more powerful systems we have now would be some work and expense (probably more than I'd expect, actually) but I can't see how such a game wouldn't sell well, especially if done as a lower budget game.

Well, I can dream, anyway.

 

[exobook]

I dislike EA as much as the next guy, but this issue is ridiculous and serves only as yet another good example of how the UK has become, or is becoming, a nanny-state. THE GAME IS FREE. Regulation of advertisements is to prevent consumers from falling victim to fraud. How do you defraud somebody when you give them something in return for nothing? If EA was charging money for the game and then pulling a bait and switch, then there would be a need for regulation to insure honest advertisement.

The ASA is nothing to do with the government it's run by advertising firms so that the government does not need to monitor adverts.

When advertisers think your advert is full of shit what does that say about your ad!

Also a F2P game isn't free if it's full of 24 hour cooldown timers.
.

It's a private agency? Did this editorial indicate that? I must have missed it. OK, UK, you are forgiven. For now.

Strictly speaking its a "Self-regulatory organization" while this means it acts as the regulator so the state doesn't have to do it itself. It grew out of the mixed economy of the 1960's when the state was examining whether or not advertising should be regulated by the state. The ASA can be been as an attempt to pre-empt this as the government concluded that the ASA could regulate itself.

As such this state of affairs has continued until this day, though with many of these SRO's there is a lot of discussion and co-operation with the state.

 

[CaitSeith]

[EA] stated their belief that the mechanics of Dungeon Keeper were well within the average length and frequency for the market and that players of combat simulators would therefore reasonably expect them."

Which combat simulators? Risk? Chess? No, even chess matches are much faster than this abomination!

 

[CaitSeith]

For those who defend this kind of F2P, let's put it this way: You go to a nice restaurant that offers free cooked rice. But once your are seated and ready to eat, you are told they'll give you only one grain per hour (and you can't have more than one grain at the time); unless you pay them $0.99 for a single-use coupon that it's worth 10 grains, and then they give you two coupons for free because you are a new client (and they like you). It's still technically free cooked rice...

 

[Trishbot]

For those who defend this kind of F2P, let's put it this way: You go to a nice restaurant that offers free cooked rice. But once your are seated and ready to eat, you are told they'll give you only one grain per hour (and you can't have more than one grain at the time); unless you pay them $0.99 for a single-use coupon that it's worth 10 grains, and then they give you two coupons for free because you are a new client (and they like you). It's still technically free cooked rice...

I always used the example of movies.

It's like getting a "free" movie, but as you watch it, they stop showing the movie after five minutes. The movie usher comes in and tells you that you get to watch another one minute per hour, or you can pay them 99 cents for the next minute to jump right back into the movie. Technically, it's free and if you wait long enough you can see the whole thing...

 

[CaitSeith]

For those who defend this kind of F2P, let's put it this way: You go to a nice restaurant that offers free cooked rice. But once your are seated and ready to eat, you are told they'll give you only one grain per hour (and you can't have more than one grain at the time); unless you pay them $0.99 for a single-use coupon that it's worth 10 grains, and then they give you two coupons for free because you are a new client (and they like you). It's still technically free cooked rice...

I always used the example of movies.

It's like getting a "free" movie, but as you watch it, they stop showing the movie after five minutes. The movie usher comes in and tells you that you get to watch another one minute per hour, or you can pay them 99 cents for the next minute to jump right back into the movie. Technically, it's free and if you wait long enough you can see the whole thing...

That made me remember when I used to watch Youtube videos before I got a decent Internet provider.