New Bill introduce will ban lootboxs and predatory microtransactions if passed.

[cobra]

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/l...utm_content=news_module&utm_campaign=homepage

Can't say I'm surprised considering the likes of EA, Activision, and Bethesda just kept digging their own graves deeper and deeper. I'm not a fan of relying on the government to make things better but but they gave us no choice and they lets this go as far as it did and will reap what they've sow.

 

[Klaptrap]

Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back now.

 

[Zavos]

I think it’s vary half assed. The “ban” only applies to games not rated M(ature) or A(dult). A proper “ban” would only allow games rated A to have “loot boxes”. A single letter might not seem to make much of a difference, but many platforms will refuse to carry Adult rated games on principle. A bill that forces lootboxes to adhere to the same restrictions as conventional gambling would force the market to clean itself up... when EA runs out of lawsuits to protest any regulatory law.

 

[cobra]

Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back now.

You know something i don't?

 

[cobra]

Some of the scummy shit triple-a publishers pull to nickle and dime you with micro-transactions...

I agree with the sentiment and the end, if the industry refuses to self-regulate then let the government kick down the doors for them, I don't care anymore.

 

[null_blank]

"self-regulate"

What, like how the head guy of the ESRB is the ceo of rockstar games? The industry has no clue how to self-regulate.

 

[cobra]

The Federal Trade Commission just had a public hearing on lootboxs recently and it looks like Sony,Nintendo, and Microsoft is now just having games that use lootbox mechanics on their platforms to disclose the odds of getting certain items. Not the results I was hoping for...

 

[MESeele]

It's obvious lip service in hopes of relieving the pressure, but better than nothing I suppose, for now. Though it doesn't help when most think 2% means they're owed the drop after 50 tries. Especially if every publisher gets away with EA-style listed drop rates like the ambiguous <1%.

 

[cobra]

Unsurprisingly, the ESA was gaslighting the whole FTC hearing.

On a side note, fuck Trump, The Republican Party, and the NRA!

EDIT: Wal-Mart just got added to my shitlist.

 

[cobra]

The UK's National health Service says games with lootbox mechanics need to be ban until gambling laws can be amended to deal with them.

 

[cobra]

Regressive corporate-centrist Democratic primary nominee hopeful and Hillary 2.0 wannabe Joe Biden slams triple-A game development and wants to abolish safe harbor protections in an effort to regulate violent video games. Video also has an addendum story on my previous post.

 

[null_blank]

n an effort to regulate violent video games

It always bothers me that the people that vote for and keep our country in perpetual war would be concerned over something as trivial as a violent video game.

 

[cobra]

It always bothers me that the people that vote for and keep our country in perpetual war would be concerned over something as trivial as a violent video game.

What did you expect from boomers? Even though Biden is bit older then a boomer, if your still under 40 then he has no empathy for you.

EDIT: I know not ALL boomers are like that, we seem the have few here if the profiles are to be believed.

 

[Evil]

Boomers aren't going to touch an industry that brings in far more revenue than the combined music and film industries.

 

[cobra]

Here's a more in-depth look on the Biden story from my previous post. #BERNIEORBUST #FIGHTSFORUS

 

[cobra]

Lengthy video by YongYea describing how a plantiff and two lawyers from France plan on suing EA to try and ban predatory lootbox mechanics in their FIFA games.

 

[cobra]

Spain is now the latest country to join many others in banning and/or regulating lootbox mechanics.

 

[cobra]

Koei-Tecmo is now charging for the ability to change hair colors on the characters every time you want to change it in Dead or Alive 5.

 

[Taboo-Sho]

KT DOA has ALWAYS been that way.

KT DW is a bit better about it ,At least with 7 and 8s Empires Custom officer DLC outfits they where like 1 dollar for one outfit or 2 for 2, depending on the set you got.

 

[IATIHIA2]

I'm still an avid believer of "if you don't like it, don't play it". I'm not a fan of Gov't regulations, they rarely help. Especially bills like this.

If all the people talking shit about P2W games would simply stop giving their money, like they constantly say... This problem would nearly solve itself. And on a personal level, if YOU would stop playing them... You wouldn't HAVE to bitch about it anymore.

I don't play any games with lootboxes, it's really not that hard. You don't NEED to immediately buy whatever new game is coming out - wait till some other idiot does it and tells you if it's any good. Instead, look through the HUNDREDS of single player and indie games that are less likely to have any of that. (Not all big games are even like that, though - Halo MCC, ARK, Sea of Thieves, etc)

With the exception of GTA, I haven't played a P2W game in years - GTA isn't even that bad, either, due to how inflated the economy is now, meaning you'd have to spend hundreds of dollars to make a noticable difference.

 

[Evil]

Yeah, but its not about you, its about the kid who takes their parents' credit card and charges several hundred dollars worth of lootboxes.

Its not about you, its about the fact that lootboxes are a form of gambling and target the wrong groups, like kids.

Most parents don't pay attention to what their kids play because in many instances, they don't know how much games have changed since they themselves played.

 

[Paradox01]

You don't NEED to immediately buy whatever new game is coming out - wait till some other idiot does it and tells you if it's any good.

You see the irony in this statement, right?

Yeah, but its not about you, its about the kid who takes their parents' credit card and charges several hundred dollars worth of lootboxes.

Its not about you, its about the fact that lootboxes are a form of gambling and target the wrong groups, like kids.

Most parents don't pay attention to what their kids play because in many instances, they don't know how much games have changed since they themselves played.

This. So much this. I'm all about personal responsibility, but there comes a point where you gotta stop and go, "Now wait a minute, I smell bullshit." P2W games target kids with mom & dad's credit card and people with obsessive/compulsive issues. It's like bleeding to death from a million papercuts.

"$0.99 for a new widget? That's not even a dollar!"

*autopay*

*rinse and repeat until you've spent $400 on a "free" game*

 

[IATIHIA2]

Yeah, but its not about you, its about the kid who takes their parents' credit card and charges several hundred dollars worth of lootboxes.

Its not about you, its about the fact that lootboxes are a form of gambling and target the wrong groups, like kids.

Most parents don't pay attention to what their kids play because in many instances, they don't know how much games have changed since they themselves played.

Thats just called bad parenting. It's a social issue, not a legislative one. Social issues are not solved through laws.

That being said, at least in America, if we didn't incentivize having lots of kids, then maybe we would have less of an issue of parents not giving a shit - or being woefully incompetent. Parents then would be forced to take responsibility and do their bloody job.

You see the irony in this statement, right?



This. So much this. I'm all about personal responsibility, but there comes a point where you gotta stop and go, "Now wait a minute, I smell bullshit." P2W games target kids with mom & dad's credit card and people with obsessive/compulsive issues. It's like bleeding to death from a million papercuts.

"$0.99 for a new widget? That's not even a dollar!"

*autopay*

*rinse and repeat until you've spent $400 on a "free" game*

I agree, and that is certainly very dirty tactics...
In the end, the developers aren't the one pressing the "buy" button.

And nowadays, it's incredibly easy to simply switch off a card, so parents really have no excuse no being unable to stop their kids.

It's not even like they can claim "oh, I didn't notice it happening..." - YOU DIDNT NOTICE $400 COMING OUT OF YOUR ACCOUNT EVERY MONTH??

 

[Evil]

Thats just called bad parenting

How is it bad parenting to not know how much the gaming industry has changed, not just the last 20 years or the last 10 or even the last 5 years.

I'm 35 and I have friends whose kids are starting to become gamers. The last time some of those friends were themselves gamers was when MGS Snake Eater came out. Their own parents still thought games were like Sonic the Hedgehog. I've actually sat down with those friends and had to explain what they should be looking out for if their kids are playing, because so much of these changes have gone under the radar. We're all gamers from a time when a multiplayer party meant getting two or three consoles and setting them up or setting up a time in the evening to play on the internet.

Its not bad parenting when game developers are targeting kids for microtransactions or micro dlc or loot boxes. Its entirely on the games developers.

 

[IATIHIA2]

How is it bad parenting to not know how much the gaming industry has changed, not just the last 20 years or the last 10 or even the last 5 years.

I'm 35 and I have friends whose kids are starting to become gamers. The last time some of those friends were themselves gamers was when MGS Snake Eater came out. Their own parents still thought games were like Sonic the Hedgehog. I've actually sat down with those friends and had to explain what they should be looking out for if their kids are playing, because so much of these changes have gone under the radar. We're all gamers from a time when a multiplayer party meant getting two or three consoles and setting them up or setting up a time in the evening to play on the internet.

Its not bad parenting when game developers are targeting kids for microtransactions or micro dlc or loot boxes. Its entirely on the games developers.

I'm not talking about the content, I'm talking about spending the money.

How the hell are these kids able to purchase things without their parents' approval? That IS bad parenting.

Do you think your friend's parents would have tolerated them stealing money to go buy the new sonic game? No. That's what I'm refering to.

And even if the kids DO have permission, it I still bad parenting to let them have unlimited access, or even just slightly limited access to their parent's money.

Again - do you really think parents 40 years ago would tolerate their kids blowing all their money on every new game that came out? On every little accessory? Every piece of merchandise?

Additionally, ignorance is no excuse.

Not trying to understand what your kid is doing when they are blowing your money in Fortnite skins is irresponsible, and, as i said before, is bad parenting.


Edit:

You see the irony in this statement, right?

Uh, no, not really. Maybe I am missing something here?

 

[Paradox01]

Uh, no, not really. Maybe I am missing something here?

You implied that everyone should just be smart and not do it, but then you suggested that people wait for someone else to do it first. If everyone took your first bit of advice, they wouldn't be able to follow your second bit because no one would do it. Ergo, ipso facto, snake eats its own tail.

I'm not trying to bust your balls, man, but you make it seem so simple. "If no one did drugs, we wouldn't have a drug problem." You're not wrong, but there's an inherent flaw in that logic.

 

[IATIHIA2]

You implied that everyone should just be smart and not do it, but then you suggested that people wait for someone else to do it first. If everyone took your first bit of advice, they wouldn't be able to follow your second bit because no one would do it. Ergo, ipso facto, snake eats its own tail.

I'm not trying to bust your balls, man, but you make it seem so simple. "If no one did drugs, we wouldn't have a drug problem." You're not wrong, but there's an inherent flaw in that logic.

Ah, i get what you mean. I should have... explained it better.

I actually said

If all the people talking shit about P2W games would simply stop giving their money, like they constantly say

Not everyone likes to go around bitching about it.
Additionally, there are enough idiots, hypocrites, and folks who just don't care, anyway. Not to mention all the sites with dedicated game review pages you can search for.

I still stand firm in that we(gamers) are the primary reason the industry is screwed up, and that we are the ones who have to fix it. I mean... I'm not sure I'd die on this hill, but I'll give a fighting chance.

(I actually would kind of like to deconstruct the drug analogy you made, but I'm feeling kind of lazy, and you still made your point)

 

[cobra]

Next is Sega who in now paywalling new game+ in their latest Yakuza game. This hurts me personally because i was a Sega fanboy back in the day, i own almost every Sega game system.

 

[Paradox01]

Present company excluded, of course.

 

[cobra]

Facing more and more scrutiny towards loot boxs and other monetization tactics in video games, The ESRB is finally introducing a "in-game purchases" label. Whether this will actually change anything is up in the air but I doubt it.