The EU's Digital Fairness Act and what it means for the games industry explained

The European Commission’s Digital Fairness Act has recently stirred a flurry of industry debate on its potential impact on the games industry and free-to-play economics, following Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen’s open letter sounding the alarm.The Clash of Clans studio founder went as far to say new rules could kill the European games industry..To break down what's at stake, Arcanix CSO Oscar Clark and Flux Digital Policy director of policy and public affairs Celia Pontin got together on the PocketGamer.biz Podcast to go through the act in detail.They cover:- Exactly what the Digital Fairness Act is and the potential impacts of any legislation for gaming - which remains some way off.- How regulators perceive the games market and why the industry should engage during the consultation period.- Why the sector should acknowledge the minority of bad actors in the space, rather than ignore these examples.- How games companies can ultimately work with regulators to ensure a better outcome for the Digital Fairness Act, rather than against them.00:00Introduction to the hosts and regulations in the European Union02:49Understanding the Digital Fairness Act05:24Consumer Protection in the Games Industry07:58Cultural Perceptions of Gaming and Regulation10:40The Role of In-Game Purchases and Currencies13:22Transparency and Consumer Trust16:07The Impact of Urgency and Scarcity in Marketing18:40Navigating Regulatory Challenges21:30The Future of Game Development and Regulation32:17Understanding In-Game Currency and Pricing Transparency34:40The Complexity of Currency Systems in Gaming36:54The Impact of Regulation on Game Design40:33Consumer Perception and Game Monetization43:21The Nuances of Game Engagement and Microtransactions45:38The Importance of Fair Regulation in Gaming49:15Engaging with Regulatory Consultations53:08The Future of Game Regulation and Industry Impact** Let's Connect **👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz 👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com