Advertising Standards Authority bans mobile ads from King, Scopely, and others for misrepresenting gameplay

The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has taken action against several mobile game developers, including King, Scopely, Omnilojo, and Vistrex, for creating misleading ads that misrepresented their games' gameplay. ASA senior investigative officer Freddie Alcock emphasized the importance of accurate representation, stating that ads must give players a true impression of the gameplay they can expect.

The regulator banned a Facebook ad from King featuring a match-three puzzle that included elements not present in the actual game, such as nails and a saw. King acknowledged the use of fictional additions but deemed the disclaimer contradictory to the ad's misleading impression. Another ad for Loom Games' Pixel Flow was also banned for showcasing non-existent gameplay elements.

Scopely's acquisition of Loom Games earlier this year is relevant to this case. Three Google ads for Omnilojo's Dark War Survival were found to display non-interactive cinematic sequences and include graphics that differed significantly from the actual game. Additionally, these ads contained misleading badges about award wins that the developer claimed referred to the game's presence on digital platforms, but the ASA ruled otherwise.

Similarly, Vistrex's Facebook and Google Play ads were banned for misrepresenting gameplay by highlighting a 60-second minigame instead of the full experience.