So, with all that said, why did the ASA uphold the complaint and ban the ad? Well, according to its ruling, it seems the watchdog was pretty clued up on how Dungeon Keeper - and free-to-play mobile games in general - work. They said that even if there was no monetisation in the game a timing mechanism would still be present." Electronic Arts also stated that the timers and premium currency did not only function as a monetisation strategy, but balanced gameplay and provided players with a sense of progression and enabled resource management. "They 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. "They stated that the average player would expect a free-to-play title to be monetised with countdown timers and premium currency, and mentioned popular titles that use this feature," the ASA said. It pointed out that the in-app purchases are stated in the product description for the game, and then explained in the tutorial and the purchase process for the gems.ĮA even provided data for the game that apparently showed that non-spenders were well represented in the number of players who reached the middle and end of the game - and that non-spenders did not reach these points "substantially slower" than spenders.
EA said all the content and activities identified in the ad could be achieved by players who play for free. The issue was whether this was made clear by the ad. Of course, if you want to speed up the process you can buy gems, but EA said because gems were regularly awarded through interaction with the game it was possible to unlock the same content through gameplay.
#Free dungeon master editor for free#
You can buy these with real money or earn them in the game.ĮA said that because players can earn gems by digging out dungeon areas, winning achievements and timed event raids, it was possible for a player to accrue all three currencies for free over time just through normal gameplay. There's also a premium currency called gems, which most free-to-play mobile games use. The game uses two grind currencies: stone and gold, which you get by playing the game. EA, as you'd expect, responded by saying it had not misled or omitted information from the ad, and insisted that "in-game content is available to all players, whether or not they make in-app purchases", and that "gameplay without in-app purchasing is not severely limited".ĭungeon Keeper's in-game currency cropped up in the response. Dungeon Keeper launched earlier this year and was heavily criticised by fans of the Bullfrog original.ĮA's UK branch, based in Guildford, and the ASA had a back and forth over the issue. The complainant understood that gameplay was severely limited unless in-app purchases were made, the ASA said. The ad also included a screenshot of the game which appeared to show a well-developed dungeon, and was accompanied by artwork depicting characters from the game. What are you waiting for, Keeper? Get it for FREE!" A world of wicked fun is right at your fingertips. MASTER THE HAND OF EVIL Cast powerful spells, pillage and plunder other players' dungeons, and slap your imps around to make them work harder. Build the most badass dungeon ever! Raise an army of diabolical minions and lay twisted traps to destroy any opponents foolish enough to set foot in your lair. The Dungeon Keeper ad in question stated: At E3 last month EA boss Andrew Wilson admitted the company had "misjudged" the game's economy and described the project as a "shame", before promising to learn from the experience with future free-to-play titles. Eurogamer's Dungeon Keeper review dug up a 1/10. After an investigation, the ASA found the ad breached its code, and today published its ruling.ĭungeon Keeper was heavily criticised upon its release for its heavy-handed in-app purchases. The Advertising Standards Authority has banned a Dungeon Keeper advert it ruled had misled customers.Ī direct email for the controversial mobile game drew a complaint from one user who "challenged whether the ad was misleading because it omitted significant information", the ASA said.
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