Earlier this year, the UK’s Online Safety Act forced digital game storefronts like Steam and Itch.io to ban or hide certain forms of adult content, with Steam even adding on an age-verification requirement when viewing said content. This same bill has also led Xbox to enforce age verification starting from next year in order to use certain social features. Now, it sounds like game developers are rethinking how they incorporate online features in their games, with some studios apparently considering doing away with certain “user-to-user” modes.
The Game Business recently spoke with Isabel Davies, a lawyer at media, technology and IP law firm Wiggin, about how this growing trend of online safety laws are affecting the way games are made. She spoke of the importance of risk assessments when it comes to things like children being exposed to potentially harmful content, and how there are simple options like not suggesting users add random strangers to their friends lists, or to not allow messages from strangers either.
But Davies also shared that some studios the law firm has spoken with are considering if user-to-user modes are worth the investment. “I’ve spoken to some already [that are doing that],” Davies said. “Or, they’ve gone ‘We will do it, but maybe not at launch.’ A good example will be … let’s get the core game monetization loop working, let’s make sure the gameplay is good. And only then invest in clan functionality or chat functionality etcetera.
“But some games have got it in their head that the community and social aspect is so core to the game, it’s kind of unavoidable. Some games have been built on that basis.”
Davies did note that a lot of studios do find that they are already following the advice Wiggin offers, and that it’s more about documenting these safeguards properly, or tweaking how players interact slightly, so for many it might not be a massive change. However, she also made the point that “Online safety is not going away anytime soon.”
The EU is working on the Digital Services Act, similar to the UK’s Online Safety Act, and certain states in the US have already put in legislation around access to adult content, so it’s possible that there will be more changes needed in the future.
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