How Europe might save gaming: the most used Macrotransactions model will soon be illegal.

Apparently nobody dislikes gamers more than game publishers themselves. They treat gamers like cows to be milked endlessly for every penny in their piggy bank through microtransactions and shady business practices. They’re like Immortan Joe, strapping gamers into nipple-milking machines, extracting all the currency they can. But today, I learned the European Commission is trying to put the kibosh on these out-of-control microtransactions plaguing the industry, where they treat the consumer’s wallet like a communal glory hole for them to wiggle their wiener into and dance girthy microtransactions in the community’s face. It’s an admirable battle, but not one we haven’t seen fought before. It always feels like nothing changes. I guess we’ll see if there’s any big repercussions from this.

In a nutshell, the European Commission did an investigation and found a lot of underhanded, dirty tactics used to obscure how much money you’re actually spending in these games through premium currencies. You’ve got these made-up things—let’s call them “glor”—and you have, like, 400 of them, which costs real-world money, say 10 bucks. (I just spit all over myself trying to say a goofy word for a fake currency and accidentally hit some ancient Parseltongue instead.) The real reason why premium currencies exist is because people have an idea of how much things should cost in their own native currency, but if I see something available for Robux, I have no idea how much that is.

The hustle is simple. Premium currencies hide real value. You buy a small bundle that doesn’t give you enough to get anything, so you buy more. Or the bundle gives you way too much, and next time you want something, you’ve got leftover currency, so you only need a smaller pack. That’s the nefarious scheme behind it. The investigation looked at Star Stable Online—no clue what that is; I’m not some cosmic equestrian gamer—and found it particularly harmful to kids. Most games with microtransactions, like Roblox, do this. Something costs X amount of Robux—what the hell does that translate to in real dollars? It’s meant to be confusing, especially for a kid. You’ve got some juicebox-drinking dweeb who wants a Rolex in Roblox, so they convert their parents’ hard-earned cash into Robux. It’s designed to obscure the actual cost.

Premium currencies exist to make more money. There’s no other use. You could argue they’re for brand-building—V-Bucks, Primo Gems, Riot Points—but that’s a desperate Hail Mary. These companies don’t view you as human; you’re a money goblin they can’t wait to slaughter for a couple deloons. Over the years, we’ve seen hoopla about how bad this is, but it never amounts to much change. The European Commission concluded things need tightening up—kids shouldn’t be exploited by companies confusing them with this crap. They came up with guidelines, not laws, so EA execs aren’t headed to supermax cells. But if companies don’t follow them, they’re open to lawsuits with the Commission’s muscle behind them. It’s a step in the right direction, but will it stick? We’ll see.

Key Citations:

• European Commission Press Release (March 20, 2025)  

  • Title: "Commission and national authorities take action to protect children from harmful practices in video games"

  • Source: ec.europa.eu

  • Relevance: This outlines the European Commission’s enforcement action against Star Stable Online, focusing on predatory monetization practices targeting children, which aligns with your mention of the investigation into this game. It details the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network’s involvement and the push for transparency in virtual currency pricing.

• BEUC Complaint on Virtual Currencies (September 12, 2024)  

  • Title: "Consumer groups denounce video games’ manipulative spending tactics"

  • Source: www.beuc.eu  

  • Relevance: The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) filed a complaint with the European Commission about premium currencies in games like Fortnite and Roblox, highlighting how they obscure real costs and exploit consumers, especially kids. Your video’s discussion of premium currencies’ deceptive nature ties directly to this.

• The Gamer Article (March 22, 2025)  

  • Title: "EU Bans Games From Disguising The Price Of Microtransactions With Virtual Currency"

  • Source: www.thegamer.com  

  • Relevance: This article reports on the EU’s new guidelines post-Star Stable investigation, requiring real-world prices alongside virtual currencies. It supports your point about the Commission’s push for transparency, though you note these are guidelines, not laws—consistent with this source.

• PocketGamer.biz Report (March 24, 2025)  

  • Title: "New EU guidelines demand transparency for in-game purchases"

  • Source: www.pocketgamer.biz  

  • Relevance: This details the CPC’s principles, like clear pricing and avoiding practices that obscure costs, mirroring your frustration with bundle mismatches (e.g., buying more currency than needed) and the need for real-money equivalents.