All they've said is that it doesn't fall under the category of gambling. Which it doesn't. They haven't said they're not looking at implementing something else.
That's bull. Part of the responsibility of the government is to protect its citizens, to protect consumers from predatory and manipulative practices from corporations. When they fail to self-regulate, then the government must regulate them.The ๖ۜBronx;252063950 said:Second to top post there, to add some discussion point.
Slightly off topic: Have any games with gameplay altering loot-boxes (besides card games) implemented a draft (or sealed) event system? Then those items would be added to the user account to use in other things.
I haven't paid too much attention to the loot box implementations recently so, off the top of my head, some things I'd like to see considered (assuming loot boxes won't be going away):
- Odds of getting things,
- Odds for things within each category
+pie in the sky type stuff
- Notifications of which things will be consumable vs permanent
- Refunds on currency if the odds get changed, or new rarities added
- Running totals of how much money has been spent
- Monthly spending limits (possibly with opt-out option)
Considering what the UK has done on porn and the internet they will just ban any game with a monetization structure. Kind of crazy to see people cut off their nose to spite their face after the video game violence regulation debacles of the 1990s. All it takes for gamers to become paragons of morality and virtue is a company reaching for your wallet apparently.
It would be amazing if the UK government does something good for once.
You can defend them how much you want but shitty loot boxes need to be dealt with in some way.
Considering what the UK has done on porn and the internet they will just ban any game with a monetization structure. Kind of crazy to see people cut off their nose to spite their face after the video game violence regulation debacles of the 1990s. All it takes for gamers to become paragons of morality and virtue is a company reaching for your wallet apparently.
OW stuff
This is the publishers and PEGIs fault, no one elses. Neogaf didnt submit this petition. Most of the people against them want the industry to regulate itself, not to have a conservative government come in and mess with it.
If people want clueless bureaucrats with no nuance to solve their problems then they will get a clueless bureaucratic solution with no nuance i.e. flat sales bans.
Yeah I'm not sure either... I have a tough time imagining a world where Hearthstone card packs are suddenly government regulated.Would defining loot boxes as gambling also define stuff like hearthstone card packs as gambling? I'm not really sure how you'd distinguish between the two.
Well then that's too bad. Maybe they shouldn't have been so exploitative in the first place.
Flat sales ban of what?
You're trying to say that game publishers won't change their games to be compliant with the law?
There's no point in arguing with me. I disagree with you. All the self-regulatory bodies that actually matter disagree with you. Customers have tacitly accepted the loot box systems and made them successful. Save your breath, your arguing is simply for your own ego because the fight's over.
We'd get the odds at least.If they toss it over to the Gambling Commission then, assuming anything happens at all (unlikely), we get every game with lootboxes branded 18+ and lootboxes don't actually go anywhere.
Would defining loot boxes as gambling also define stuff like hearthstone card packs as gambling? I'm not really sure how you'd distinguish between the two.
If you sign the petition link in the first post it automatically gives you a link to your local MPs details (email) to let them know you signed it.
It has now passed the 10k mark
Why do many people here think UK officials will outright ban games with lootboxes/MTs instead of actually regulating this stuff (assuming they even address this)? Is gambling banned in UK?
Why do many people here think UK officials will outright ban games with lootboxes/MTs instead of actually regulating this stuff (assuming they even address this)? Is gambling banned in UK?
Why do many people here think UK officials will outright ban games with lootboxes/MTs instead of actually regulating this stuff (assuming they even address this)? Is gambling banned in UK?
Why do many people here think UK officials will outright ban games with lootboxes/MTs instead of actually regulating this stuff (assuming they even address this)? Is gambling banned in UK?
Drugs can be ignored so why does the government bother making them illegal? Let all the cocaine and heroine run wild, people can just ignore it if they don't want it
This tears me whichways... The last few days have shown the industry at large to be somewhat dismissive of concerns about the issue. So stepping up a notch to government, maybe that's the only way to get something done. Conversely, there are some members of parliament that have an axe to grind with gaming.
I guess if developers, publishers and PEGI wanted to hold course, this is the risk they run. Keith Vaz is probably salivating at having a new in-road to chastise videogames.
Are you seriously comparing Health regulations with regulations for a small part of an entertainment industry? Not comparable at all.
A loot box is either used an ingame currency - so who cares. Or uses real money - in the box you know that you are or going to get an item(s) for use within that game. Gambling is where there is an odds that you won't receive anything . I.e. Take a risky action for a desired result. There is no risk with loot boxes. The user is guaranteed items to use in the game.
How gambling principles and seductive animation compel players to drop cash on card packs and weapon crates.
Are you seriously comparing Health regulations with regulations for a small part of an entertainment industry? Not comparable at all.
A loot box is either used an ingame currency - so who cares. Or uses real money - in the box you know that you are or going to get an item(s) for use within that game. Gambling is where there is an odds that you won't receive anything . I.e. Take a risky action for a desired result. There is no risk with loot boxes. The user is guaranteed items to use in the game.
How common are games where you use money to purchase loot boxes?
I dont mean the purchase of in-game currency that can be used to buy loot boxes or other items, I mean you are directly handing over money for the loot box and only the loot box.
Yeah you guys be sure to have fun with those old guard violence alarmists and moral gatekeepers who would love to have a new chance to take a run at broad actions on video games again.
He's saying there's no point in the government regulating lootbox gambling because people can just ignore it. Well people can just ignore drugs or even alcohol/smoking too.Are you seriously comparing Health regulations with regulations for a small part of an entertainment industry? Not comparable at all.
How common are games where you use money to purchase loot boxes?
I dont mean the purchase of in-game currency that can be used to buy loot boxes or other items, I mean you are directly handing over money for the loot box and only the loot box.
How common are games where you use money to purchase loot boxes?
I don't mean the purchase of in-game currency that can be used to buy loot boxes or other items, I mean you are directly handing over money for the loot box and only the loot box.
Halo 5 and Overwatch are two I think of immediately.
It's becoming normal now. Shadow of War, Forza 7, Battlefront 2, and CODWW2 all have them.
Not sure about the others, but that doesnt fit my question at all.
Buying currency for the loot box is pretty much the same as buying the loot box. I'm not sure what the distinction is between key and box itself? Both lead to money being used to open it.
Buying currency for the loot box is pretty much the same as buying the loot box. I'm not sure what the distinction is between key and box itself? Both lead to money being used to open it.
Buying currency for the loot box is pretty much the same as buying the loot box. I'm not sure what the distinction is between key and box itself? Both lead to money being used to open it.
Yeah, im also confused, whats the difference?
Because if you can use the in game currency to buy things of definite worth (i.e. you know what youre buying) then the purchase itself is not subject to RNG. In Halo 5 it is, where your cash is explicitly used to buy a REQ pack, for example.
Any regulation can only control the purchase, not the usage. If its the usage that determines whether or not a loot box is unlocked, then thats distinctly different.
I think it's a technicality thing, no real difference in practiceBuying currency for the loot box is pretty much the same as buying the loot box. I'm not sure what the distinction is between key and box itself? Both lead to money being used to open it.
The box is subject to RNG regardless. Some games do allow in game earned currency to be spent on items from within the box, or on the box itself. However, when money can be paid to open the box and done so repeatedly to an uncapped amount, you're still paying for RNG. Usually you'll find what is needed to buy the box with in game currency is a lot less than the items themselves. The lure is for people to go after the boxes to try and win with their currency, or at least break even. What often happens in these systems to make a profit is you always lose more than you win.
Im not talking about the way the consumer sees it, Im talking about how legislation can control it. And that would only be able to have a say if you are explicitly purchasing something thats random.
I'd recommend signing the petition. It's over 10k now but more signatures help. After you sign it, it will give you a link to your local MP for email
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/201300
[...]and can lead to real money being lost/earned.
Currently only china has introduced new laws to force companies to display the odds of winning which had been standard in the uk gambling industry for years