UK watchdog bans four mobile game ads as misleading
The Advertising Standards Authority also flagged some Google Play store images, saying the ads misrepresented actual gameplay.
The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that ads for mobile games from King, Scopely, Omnilojo and Visterix must not run again in their current form, according to game.donga.com. The regulator said the ads could mislead players about the content of the games they promoted.
The titles named in the rulings are Farm Heroes Saga, Pixel Flow!, Dark War Survival and Idle Zombie Miner: Gold Tycoon. The ASA also found some of the images used on the games' Google Play store listings problematic.
In the case of Farm Heroes Saga, the ad showed a puzzle rescue scene with no such structure in the actual game. King argued that the ad carried “not in-game footage” and “not actual gameplay” disclaimers, but the ASA rejected that defence.
Room Games' Pixel Flow! ad featured elements that are not present in the game itself, while Dark War Survival's ad presented non-interactive video scenes as if they were gameplay and used laurel decorations that suggested awards.
Idle Zombie Miner: Gold Tycoon's ad showed a digging mechanic that is available in only 4 of the game's 194 mines, and for about 60 seconds in each.
Background
King is best known for its Candy Crush series. In South Korea, Article 34 of the Game Industry Promotion Act bans advertising game content differently from its age-rated content, and the Fair Labeling and Advertising Act prohibits false, exaggerated or deceptive advertising.
Quick answers
Which games were affected by the ASA rulings?
Farm Heroes Saga, Pixel Flow!, Dark War Survival and Idle Zombie Miner: Gold Tycoon.
What happens to the banned ads?
The ASA ruled they must not run again in their current form because they could mislead players about the actual game content.
Were the store listings part of the rulings?
Yes. Some of the Google Play store listing images were also found problematic.