Those really annoying puzzle pop-up adverts are now banned
Your daily scrolling and online browsing probably just got a whole lot easier because those really annoying adverts for puzzles and games that pop up all the time have now been banned.
It comes following a series of complaints that the game advertised is misleading.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned certain adverts by the company Playrix which are used to promote the games Homescapes and Gardenscapes, arguing the content of the advertisements are “not representative” of the actual gameplay.
Anyone who regularly uses social media, or plays any free-to-play games on mobile phone devices will immediately recognise the adverts in question as they typically show puzzles where players have to pull various pins in a certain order to help a character evade danger.
But the reality of the game differs quite a bit.
The ASA has argued this is not representative of what the games actually involve, but Playrix has reportedly disagreed with this assessment.
The gaming studio has claimed that the adverts’ themes are actually similar to the product and has contested that the games had “thousands of levels” to them, with each one containing one “match-three” style game.
According to the ASA: “Playrix believed consumers would take from the ads that the games contained the content seen, as well as similar content involving similar characters. Also that the games would have the same design and mechanics, alongside similar gameplay. They believed that the ad appealed to the logic and problem-solving skills required to win during the games.
“They also believed consumers may have thought that their games were not straightforward ‘match-3’ titles, but would include a variety of mechanics.”
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has now ruled the adverts have indeed breached three CAP Code rules by giving misleading advertising, qualification, and exaggeration.
The adverts must never again appear in the form that was the subject of the complaint from here on out.