Are lootboxes gambling & should games be regulated. BF2 and OW under investigation

[Deleted]

- governments want a cut and profit on them; new regulations appear and it would be senseless to set anything less than 18+. Maybe sales drop because of this and other side effects but very likely game prices will rise to cover for the additional tax cut with even more repercussions. Also consider that this way we will end with lootboxes still in place for even additional money expense

This is what will happen, for sure. Regulations and taxes already exist for other gambling systems, it's just adding "lootboxes" to each law and be done with it.

But I don't see the game price rising, that would be a business suicide. I actually see everyone following Rockstar microtransaction system.

[Hablion]

Cause if you really cared that they put gambling in games you would be just as upset about card packs as lootboxes. They both work exactly the same only difference being the resale factor afterward.

With MtG you can at least purchase what you want from it individually unlike with most Lootbox Systems. With BattleFront II you are only able to get specific things via Loot Boxes.

[Orange Joe]

With MtG you can at least purchase what you want from it individually unlike with most Lootbox Systems. With BattleFront II you are only able to get specific things via Loot Boxes.

I won't argue that bf2 and similar systems are shit. At the same time I do not think all lootboxes are bad and actually enjoy them in some games.

[Dhrizzle]

Expects who know way more then you disagree with you about them being addicting.

http://www.pcgamer.com/behind-the-ad...of-loot-boxes/


By all means tell me you know more than this guy.

Doesn't that apply to any game with random rewards such as WoW and most modern MMOs and ARPGs?

[dope_danny]

I won't argue that bf2 and similar systems are shit. At the same time I do not think all lootboxes are bad and actually enjoy them in some games.

Heres the thing i don't understand with people who support lockboxes: You understand before lockboxes this shit was just in game and rewarded for gameplay right? Thats the scam. Things you used to unlock by beating things on certain difficulties or unlocking certain achievements are still on disc but locked behind a real money transaction for a chance at a chance of getting something that for all of gaming pre lockboxes was just ingame rewards.

I genuinely dont understand how people acclimated to this being okay i really don't. Beyond actually starting to get hooked on the aforementioned "designed to be habit forming" animations of opening the box and the 'good feelings' the opening instills to keep you going 'one more box' why would you consider it ever okay as a practice?

[Elim Garak]

Good thing the person they quoted doesn't work for PC Gamer...

Bad thing there's no source and the person quoted wasn't talking about lootboxes in video games.

I get it all you can do is scream people are wrong without proving it.

Right... great argument.

[Coldkil]

This is what will happen, for sure. Regulations and taxes already exist for other gambling systems, it's just adding "lootboxes" to each law and be done with it.

But I don't see the game price rising, that would be a business suicide. I actually see everyone following Rockstar microtransaction system.

Sure about the microtx part, not sure about the rest. It's either you pay the tax and keep lootboxes in game, or not and lootboxes are gone. First case, publishers will try to recover that money from us, second case it's like you pictured.

[Jtbrig7390]

Doesn't that apply to any game with random rewards such as WoW and most modern MMOs and ARPGs?

It can because it can give off the same feeling, The difference is your not dropping $4 at a time for 5 box's and repeating it into the $1000's. When you go to kill a raid boss in wow you are doing it once weekly per character and that's it. No extra cost besides the monthly sub.

There is a such thing as video game addiction (just like drug,food,sex addiction's).

- - - Updated - - -

Bad thing there's no source and the person quoted wasn't talking about lootboxes in video games.

Right... great argument.

Google the name the gave, Its not hard to do.

Also read the whole story...

[Icechaosss]

So genuine question:

Are lootboxes only ok in F2P games then? Or mobile games?

If so why? It's the same principle isn't it? Paying for something where you won't know what you're getting. Except there's no "Entrance Fee" in the form of a retail/full price game.

[dope_danny]

So genuine question:

Are lootboxes only ok in F2P games then? Or mobile games?

If so why? It's the same principle isn't it? Paying for something where you won't know what you're getting. Except there's no "Entrance Fee" in the form of a retail game.

Thats a large part of it for me. They are all scams designed to be habit forming and use rng so you spend far more money to collect all the things. But when you have physically paid for a retail release it is no different than on disc dlc. It is charging you again for shit they already sold you. It is disgusting.

[Hablion]

If done Properly they can be ok for example with Heroes of the Storm you can buy boxes sure but generally a lot of the stuff is generally purchasable from the shop. In most cases though they want that rarity of you can only get it from the crate and it has a 1% 3% chance per crate to drop that rarity then on top of that a 10% or less chance of that 1% for what specifically you want.

Earlier you Mentioned World of Warcraft gold what did you mean by that using it to purchase battle net balance to buy loot boxes?

[Elim Garak]

Good the name the gave, Its not hard to do.

Then why didn't you link me the source instead of a stupid article from pcgamer?

Also read the whole story...

I read enough of it, it's garbage. Next argument.

[Rekz]

While i agree, there's much more to it. Possible outcomes:

- nothing actually happens. because "just videogames".

- governments want a cut and profit on them; new regulations appear and it would be senseless to set anything less than 18+. Maybe sales drop because of this and other side effects but very likely game prices will rise to cover for the additional tax cut with even more repercussions. Also consider that this way we will end with lootboxes still in place for even additional money expense

- governments go the opposite way and ban them. This won't stop microtx from happening but at least it's a less shady practice. Nothing else actually changes.

I'm not saying the lootbox ban wouldn't be a victory. I would be happy.

Still, i ask myself why some publishers (because they're the ones pushing for this shit, not actual devs) put all of this behind "we need more money for better stuff" while there are games like The Witcher 3, Horizon Zero Dawn, Nier:Automata and many others that have literally ZERO of this crap and general consensus is just positive.

Maybe someone should just stop making excuses and start pushing better products. This is the example that the market is governed by people buying stuff - they job is to MAKE you buy stuff.

You brought up some good points.

I think we've given corporations enough time to try to regulate themselves and they've created self-regulatory groups like ESRB (assembled by large publishers like EA) to keep the government from regulating the industry but we all know they are just corporate shills.

It's fair to say that when we do not regulate an industry and expect corporations to self-regulate, they ALWAYS go the way of the cesspool with unchecked predatory tactics.

I'm hopeful that the result of all of this will be the creation of better products. Time will tell.

[Jtbrig7390]

Then why didn't you link me the source instead of a stupid article from pcgamer?

I read enough of it, it's garbage. Next argument.

So all your going to do is scream everyone is wrong without proving them wrong.

Ya I'm done replying to you. I gave you a source and it doesn't matter if I give you more since all ill get is the same response.

I'm also not the only one who provided you with a source ether.

[Elim Garak]

So all your going to do is scream everyone is wrong without proving them wrong.

I haven't screamed once, this thread is screaming.

Ya I'm done replying to you. I gave you a source and it doesn't matter if I give you more since all ill get is the same response.

You haven't given me any source.

I'm also not the only one who provided you with a source ether.

It was just as irrelevant as yours.

You also failed to present any counter argument.

[Orange Joe]

Heres the thing i don't understand with people who support lockboxes: You understand before lockboxes this shit was just in game and rewarded for gameplay right? Thats the scam. Things you used to unlock by beating things on certain difficulties or unlocking certain achievements are still on disc but locked behind a real money transaction for a chance at a chance of getting something that for all of gaming pre lockboxes was just ingame rewards.

I genuinely dont understand how people acclimated to this being okay i really don't. Beyond actually starting to get hooked on the aforementioned "designed to be habit forming" animations of opening the box and the 'good feelings' the opening instills to keep you going 'one more box' why would you consider it ever okay as a practice?

I haven't played a game that removed items to put them in lootboxes. Many of the items like xp boosts and such were never available in games. Those challenges you talk about still have rewards so no it isn't a scam.

[Deleted]

So genuine question:

Are lootboxes only ok in F2P games then? Or mobile games?

If so why? It's the same principle isn't it? Paying for something where you won't know what you're getting. Except there's no "Entrance Fee" in the form of a retail/full price game.

They aren't, the system is exactly the same.

As I said before, EA fucked everyone by pushing this system further with a triple-A Star Wars game.

[ezgeze]

Are lootboxes gambling & should games be regulated. BF2 and OW under investigation

If a dollar slot machine gave you a penny every time you put in a dollar is it still gambling? If so, lootboxes are gambling.

Lootboxes are designed to sucker in whales, gambling addicts and people who generally don't understand the value of a dollar (kids). While normally I would advocate for less involvement in business, clearly being gambling, it needs to be treated as such.

Lootboxes in general need to go in exchange of solid for sale purchases where you know what you are getting for each dollar spent.

[Jtbrig7390]

If a dollar slot machine gave you a penny every time you put in a dollar is it still gambling? If so, lootboxes are gambling.

Yes just like how lottery tickets are still gambling even tho you can win free tickets.

[Icechaosss]

Well if this holds up as much as OP thinks it is, this is gonna be interesting for the gaming industry.

Card packs in Hearthstone. The chests in LoL. Card packs in FIFA/Madden/any Ultimate team. Call of Duty. It's really become a staple.