Uh Oh! The EU is Investigating F2P Games

Well here is some interesting news I came across recently that touches on a subject we wrote about recently on The Pro's & Con's of Free 2 Play Games.  Apparently the EU (European Union) has been involved in an investigation into Free 2 Play (F2P) games to make sure their business practices weren't exploiting people, mainly children. In an article over at Gamasutra, they lay out the case with opinion on the subject describing it as a Nanny State that is potentially overreaching in an attempt to kill business in this hotly growing sector of the Game Industry. They even delve into the psychology of the word "free" and what affect it has on society.

I for one am glad that some kind of entity is looking into this even if it might be a bit of an overreach.  Mainly because they are enacting regulations such as making customer service more accessible as well as taking the "free" out of the selling points if the game indeed requires money to upgrade most every aspect of itself.  So one could argue that it is a welcome change if you've dished out hundreds of dollars.

So what are your thoughts on this? Is the EU overreaching here or should Free 2 Play, err, Pay 2 Win be regulated more heavily due to the way they are marketed and the hurt on your wallet they can cause?