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Mind Candy says it has already changed Moshi Monsters after breaching the Advertising Code.
The Advertising Standards Agency issued a ruling against Moshi Monsters, and rival kids online game Bin Weevils, that it was directly exhorting children to make in-game purchases. It followed a complaint made about the game to the Competition and Markets Authority.
Yet, ahead of the news, Mind Candy revealed that it had already been speaking with the ASA to improve the game.
At Mind Candywetake our responsibilities very seriously with regards to how we communicate with all of our fans, especially children,” the firm said in a statement given to MCV.
We have been working with the ASA to ensure that weadhereto best practice and have made changes to the Moshi Monsters game accordingly. We will continue to work with the ASA in any way possible.”
Industry trade body UKIE described the ASA ruling as a ‘useful piece of additional guidance for games companies about how existing laws apply to the new world of free-to-play.’ CEO Dr. Jo Twist said: It builds on the OFT principles for online and app-based games published last year. Since the publication of those principles more than a year ago this is the only action that has been taken, and it has only required a change in language which both games have already put in place. It is good to see that the industry is clearly behaving responsibly and ensuring that children are not being served inappropriate commercial messages."
