FTC link, which is non paywalled
The Federal Trade Commission has secured agreements requiring Epic Games, Inc., creator of the popular video game Fortnite, to pay a total of $520 million in relief over allegations the company violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and deployed design tricks, known as dark patterns, to dupe millions of players into making unintentional purchases.
They could make “Dark Patterns” the next Fortnite skin and give it away as a mea culpa to players.
Also, is Roblox next?
Unlike Epic, I don’t think Roblox can afford a fine like that.
I mean, it should be, it appears to be even more predatory than Fortnite. Much more so even.
This bit:
- Used dark patterns to trick users into making purchases: The company has deployed a variety of dark patterns aimed at getting consumers of all ages to make unintended in-game purchases. Fortnite’s counterintuitive, inconsistent, and confusing button configuration led players to incur unwanted charges based on the press of a single button. For example, players could be charged while attempting to wake the game from sleep mode, while the game was in a loading screen, or by pressing an adjacent button while attempting simply to preview an item. These tactics led to hundreds of millions of dollars in unauthorized charges for consumers.
is interesting. I’ve noticed in other (mobile) games that often the buttons to buy stuff are placed exactly where one might normally tap to swap screens or page through or some other normal UI task. Several times I’ve been saved by Apple’s (how I marvel at having to type that!) confirmation gateway that requires me to double-press my iPad’s side button to confirm a purchase.
You could make purchases without any confirmation? That really is scummy, and worth fining.
OMG ALL THOSE FREE GAMES ON EPIC ARE PAID WITH CHILDREN’S BLOOD and whatnot.
Not shockingly, the Apple side (Gruber) is implying this proves Apples point that they are needed to stop greedy companies…and then the other side is saying “See, Apple didn’t prevent this when it was in the App Store!”
Why in the world would Apple want to “stop greedy companies”? Have they ever shown any inclination to do such a thing?
I don’t see any rules against tricking people into paying with dark patterns either, although they would probably take action if a bunch of users started complaining-- and of course every appstore purchase requires a confirmation, which is the real problem here.
I think the idea that the App Store rules keep consumers safe. Which we all know is BS, but…thats the logic.
Wasn’t Apple getting 30% off those purchases?
Yes, which is the point of the other side, Apple doesn’t care, they just want their money. Which makes it amusing that I am seeing articles from each side.
I am sure they will both try to use it in court to their advantage. Is this even still in court? I stopped paying attention.
If Epic is really tricking people into buying stuff with no confirmation they are clearly in the wrong here from a moral stance. The app store cut isn’t comparable.
My kid’s been playing Fortnite on Switch for a year, with cosmetics and shit. I never linked that profile to an Epic account.
I am setting him up on a Xbox Series X. There is no way to retroactively link that switch profile to an Epic games account, is there? ie to carry over all the (my) damn Switch purchases so they are available on the new platform.
If not, man that is Fuuuuuucked.
Can you not just connect the Switch account to an Epic account now? If you do that, it should allow him to use all his cosmetics on any other platform. His V-Bucks purchased or earned on Switch stay there though. That’s true no matter what platform you earn them on I think.
All fortnite purchases should transfer between platforms. The only thing that doesn’t transfer is vbucks in your wallet, those stay on the platform.
I can’t find an option anywhere inside the switch fornite client to provide the option to connect to an Epic account.
I am pretty sure if you don’t connect to an Epic account on first run, you’re basically boned. They set up a ‘dummiy’ Epic ID that is associated with the Switch profile and it can never be changed. The warning on the xbox was pretty much to that effect as well - ‘connect an epic account now, if you skip this you can’t do it later’.
And they don’t do account merges anymore because too many assholes were abusing it.
Found this… didn’t read all the way through.
No, they eventually disabled it because (as @sharaleo said above) too many players were exploiting it.
More evidence that people suck, and it’s almost impossible for the good kids to have unfettered fun. :(
Meh, I told my kid the bad news that he’ll have to start fresh on the xbox. He’s happy enough - the xbox series X is such an improved experience over the switch, he’s a happy chappy. Of course, being relegated to ‘new player’ matchmaking also meant he started with three match wins!
If/when Epic re-enable account merges, I’ll request it then.
Thanks all.