EU KIDS Act proposal puts online game retention mechanics under pressure

GamesIndustry.biz's Andreas Lober writes that the draft reaches daily rewards, inactivity penalties, player contact, age assurance and some AI companions.

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TLDR

The European Commission adopted its proposed EU KIDS Act on September 17. GamesIndustry.biz legal analysis says its broad online-game rules could cover persistent worlds and multiplayer modes sold in the EU, requiring providers to avoid encouraging excessive use by minors. Login bonuses and lost benefits after inactivity would often be prohibited for under-18s, though compliant designs may remain possible. The proposal also addresses contact, age assurance, content controls and certain AI companions. It is not final and still needs approval from the European Parliament and EU member states.

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The European Commission adopted its proposed EU KIDS Act on September 17, setting up a legislative fight over how online services must protect minors. While the Commission's announcement foregrounds social platforms, a detailed GamesIndustry.biz analysis by games lawyer Andreas Lober finds that the draft reaches much further into online game design.

Lober writes that the proposed rules would apply broadly to online games sold in EU territories. That could encompass persistent online worlds and the multiplayer component of a game sold on disc, while disc-only games without relevant online modes are clearly outside the scope he describes. Certain educational and nonprofit services would also be exempt.

The pressure point is scheduled return

The draft would require online game providers not to encourage excessive use by minors, who are defined here as people under 18. Lober says login bonuses and systems that remove benefits after a player stays away would often be prohibited for minors. He leaves room for compliant implementations, but the proposal treats those mechanics unfavorably.

That concern goes beyond an obvious daily-reward calendar. In a persistent world, the game can keep changing while a player is gone, producing some of the same pressure to return even without a named bonus. Lober argues that this makes the practical question harder: developers may have to assess whether the overall design pulls minors back on a schedule.

Games would need more than an age box

The analysis says the proposal would also restrict contact between minors and other users and generally require parental controls plus age assurance. Games would have more flexibility than social networks in choosing a proportionate, privacy-preserving method, but self-declaration alone would not be enough. An app store could pass an age signal to a game with the user's consent. Providers would also need controls that let minors manage exposed content and how they communicate or create content inside the service.

Other areas are less settled. The proposal's recitals call for real-money transparency around virtual currencies and protection from variable reward systems, but Lober notes that the operative transaction rules omit games. He says that could be a drafting inconsistency or a sign that game monetization will instead be handled through a code of conduct.

Some AI companions would face separate limits when they simulate or facilitate a social, emotional or interpersonal relationship. The analysis says covered systems could not use interaction history with minors by default, except for safety, and must avoid designs likely to create emotional dependency.

The text is still a proposal. It must be approved by the European Parliament and EU member states, and its wording can change before any final rules take effect.

EU KIDS Act proposal puts online game retention mechanics under pressure

GamesIndustry.biz's Andreas Lober writes that the draft reaches daily rewards, inactivity penalties, player contact, age assurance and some AI companions.

1 Source, 1h ago, first seen 1h ago

TLDR

Featured Source

The pressure point is scheduled return

Games would need more than an age box

The text is still a proposal. It must be approved by the European Parliament and EU member states, and its wording can change before any final rules take effect.

EU KIDS Act proposal puts online game retention mechanics under pressure

TLDR

The pressure point is scheduled return

Games would need more than an age box

EU KIDS Act proposal puts online game retention mechanics under pressure

TLDR

The pressure point is scheduled return

Games would need more than an age box

1 Source

Combined views

Sentiment

Summary

The pressure point is scheduled return

Games would need more than an age box

The pressure point is scheduled return

Games would need more than an age box

Combined views

Sentiment

Summary

Sentiment

Summary

1 Source

1 Source

1 Source