Is Blizzard going beyond the Law ?

[Deleted]

Let's be honest. Since Legion launched all we could hear about was "bad luck protection" and only that. But what is it exactly? How does it work? Blizzard had absolutely no proof to sustain their claim, other but words.

We live in an Universe where luck equals chaos, right? Or viceversa. How can one protect himself from bad luck? Or from chaotic events? If we could all do that, then I bet we would all win the lottery.

Since the start of the Legion, Blizzard has played with this phrase way too much. For what reason? For trying to convince their customers that they need to play more in order to get the promised virtual rewards.

So..from this point, if you would play more, their system of the so called "bad luck protection" would activate allowing us to have more chances of getting virtual rewards. I have played for months and still got none. And not only me.

So now, according to "The Law Commission Consultation Paper No 155", we can view "Deception Offences", where "The Theft Acts create eight offences of dishonestly getting something by deception, namely: [...] (3) obtaining a pecuniary advantage [...]".

“Deception” is defined as any deception (whether deliberate or reckless) by words or conduct as to fact or as to law, including a deception as to the present intentions of the person using the deception or any other person."

Therefore claiming there is a system which would award you with items, which some parties proved to not even exist, even it's creator (Blizzard ent.) didn't bring any proof of it, nothing but words, would fall under the incidence of the "Deception" criminal offences. Blizzard obtained pecuniary advantages, making us to play more, therefore paying a monthly sub, in exchange of only words.

No proof that the code would exist, no % droprate, nothing but words.

So what do you think? Is the new reward system illegal ? Should the new system be completely deleted from the game ? Would you agree that any gaming producing companies would have to be obliged to provide their customers with % drop rate ? (something like how Atlas Loot used to show droprate percentages)


Now the correlation between that and this:


1. What is the game that you are playing ? A MMORPG.
What is the main purpose in a mmorpg ? Improving your character.
How do you do that? By getting gear.

2. Are you paying for the Legion expansion? Yes.
Is it the main content of the game? Yes.
The items in order for you to improve your character are found on which expansion? Legion.
How do you earn those items ? By being lucky on loot boxes.

3. How do you earn loot boxes? By playing.
How can you play? By paying.

https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/2/15...oot-box-random

Some countries are banning the lootbox system or are making the game devs provide their customers with droprates.

This is the simplest way I could find explaining the situation.
Do you see the problem?

*taken from WoW forums, but the guy has a point.

[Eleccybubb]

And those lootboxes do not have to be earned at all. They are completely optional.

Those "items" that you speak of to improve your character can be found from way more sources.

You can get 845 from Heroic Dungeons which is just as viable. 850 gear for 400 Nethershards and so on.

The guy has zero point at all. For it to be even close to breaking any laws Legendaries would only have to be obtainable from the caches. And you can't get BiS gear from them either and there are plenty of other sources to earn gear.

[Colmadero]

Although the legion caches have a chance to contain legendaries, they are NOT the only source of legendaries.

Almost all end game content has a chance to drop a legendary and gear relevant to your characters.

[Elim Garak]

Some countries are banning the lootbox system or are making the game devs provide their customers with droprates.

It only applies to loot boxes bought directly. If you get a loot box by playing the game and can freely open it - it's fine.

[Nerovar]

Loot boxes are basically gambling. I guess it's easy money for companies like Blizzard. However this doesn't apply to WoW as you don't buy these loot boxes with realy money. I wouldn't be surprised to see something like that in the future though.

[Deleted]

Ok, understanding that loot boxes are not the primary source of a legendary, then...

What is a purpose of a end-game raider ? To top the metters. How does he do that ? By having the best gear, implicitly, his BiS Legendaries.

So he goes on a hunt doing content day after day, day after day, hoping he would get it. Real droprates and how droprates are increasing should be provided nevertheless. Unless it goes beyond the mentioned law in the link, especially in China.

[Eleccybubb]

Ok, understanding that loot boxes are not the primary source of a legendary, then...

What is a purpose of a end-game raider ? To top the metters. How does he do that ? By having the best gear, implicitly, his BiS Legendaries.

So he goes on a hunt doing content day after day, day after day, hoping he would get it. Real droprates and how droprates are increasing should be provided nevertheless. Unless it goes beyond the mentioned law in the link, especially in China.

And again there are plenty of other sources of obtaining a legendary other than one. Plus the boxes are not bought directly.

Now if Blizzard were selling the caches then yes they would in some countries have to provide some info.

[Deleted]

It only applies to loot boxes bought directly. If you get a loot box by playing the game and can freely open it - it's fine.

You are still paying for them but not directly, using a covered up method, by paying a subscription and Legion license.

[Eleccybubb]

You are still paying for them but not directly, using a covered up method, by paying a subscription and Legion license.

That subscription covers your access to the game. By that logic Dungeon caches which have been in since Cata are under the same rule yes?

It's not a "covered up" method at all. When they start selling those caches then the countries that are banning it are free to tell them to provide some information of what the possible rewards are.

[rda]

While Blizzard are pulling no stops at how deceptive they can be while trying to lure people to play their games - with an endless string of things that are specifically designed to be both very appealing yet unreachable as a whole...

...any intervention on that front from governments is worse.

Yes, people end up chasing unicorns they will never have by design. Yes, they end up paying a lot of money doing that. Yes, they end up disgruntled. But regulating it all won't solve anything. Let people chase unicorns to exhaustion. Others will learn looking at them.

[Kalcheus]

You are still paying for them but not directly, using a covered up method, by paying a subscription and Legion license.

That's not how it works at all.

[Deleted]

And again there are plenty of other sources of obtaining a legendary other than one. Plus the boxes are not bought directly.

Now if Blizzard were selling the caches then yes they would in some countries have to provide some info.

Please read more careful. I said " So he goes on a hunt doing content day after day " , that meaning every raid/quests/etc. Now I was talking about revealing your character chances of getting a legendary. Like revealing the droprates percentages.

[Eleccybubb]

While Blizzard are pulling no stops at how deceptive they can be while trying to lure people to play their games - with an endless string of things that are specifically designed to be both very appealing yet unreachable as a whole...

...any intervention on that front from governments is worse.

Yes, people end up chasing unicorns they can never have. Yes, they end up paying a lot of money doing that. Yes, they end up disgruntled. But regulating it all won't solve anything. Let people chase unicorns to exhaustion. Others will learn looking at them.

Deceptive? Tell me how they are being deceptive.

- - - Updated - - -

Please read more careful. I said " So he goes on a hunt doing content day after day " , that meaning every raid/quests/etc. Now I was talking about revealing your character chances of getting a legendary. Like revealing the droprates percentages.

Then that is the choice of the player. Loot has been a core part of RPG's for decades. Gear drops from raids are not subject to that law. You know what you can get from the raids for example because they have loot tables ingame.

Also caches should have their own set of loot table on WoWhead but I'm not entirely sure on that one.

[rda]

Deceptive? Tell me how they are being deceptive.

Loot boxes with no clear chance at the desired item lure people into spending more than they would if they knew the chance.

That's deception.

There are *tons* of other cases.

[Deathquoi]

Jesus these forums are getting dumb.

[Eleccybubb]

Loot boxes with no clear chance at the desired item lure people into spending more than they would if they new the chance.

That's deception.

There are *tons* of other cases.

Uhm they make it very clear what are in their loot boxes. Overwatch for example. Their loot boxes can contain Cosmetics. Skins, Voice lines, Sprays and skins. How is that deceptive? You know damn well what can be contained in them and Blizzard don't try to hide it.

[Shadowsgrace]

Emissary caches, Heroics, Mythics, M+'s (and the subsequent weekly Cache in your Orderhall), LFR, Normal Raids, Heroic Raids, Mythic Raids, Blingatron 6000, 5k Nethershard vendor, 100 Legionfall Warsupply turn in, I think I listed them all, Now which of any.... do you pay Real world Currency (which was the deciding factor in blizzard having to reveal the drop rate chance) to get your chance for a Legiondary. None Legally.... now there are 12 listed opportunities to get a Legiondary, you just choose which ones you do on a daily basis, your "pay" you mentioned... is nothing more than the Subscription fee to play the game. You don't pay for the Emissary Cache, you don't pay for any of the listed sources of drops... with "Real World Currency" Nice try, might want to research a bit more before your next attempt.

[rda]

Uhm they make it very clear what are in their loot boxes for Overwatch. Cosmetics. Skins, Voice lines, Sprays and skins. How is that deceptive?

They don't say what the exact chance of each outcome is.

They don't say that because if they say that, people will buy less.

[Jetstream]

No. They're not breaking any laws.

[Deleted]

Yes, the RNG has never been that high in this game before. So many layers of it now. And not just when it comes to gear but also with all those "holiday events", "weekly events", etc (ensuring that people who are interested in them but might not like the rest of the game resubscribe every once in a while - the seeming novelty effect). This also creates the illusion there is more content than ever before. I mean, wake up, we are still on the damn Broken Shore and the starting content is being perpetuated to death by means of all this RNG.

Also, the gambling cave. Lol. A little bit of self-irony there from Blizzard.

That being said, cannot sue them for that. The ethical viewpoint (juridically correct/wrong) strongly contrasts with the esthetical viewpoint (beautiful, immersive / mechanical, money-milking) in that matter