Belgium: Lootoboxes are gambling, potential EU wide ban

[Triggered Fridgekin]

Belgium has a lot of sway in the EU too. Way more than you'd think given its size.

Keep an eye on PEGI.

[Deleted]

It's about making a profit, not whether or not they can.

The devs might be friendly and great, but that doesn't change they have to appease the stockholders and those above them.

Yeah, the game was a HUGE hit, but they're not going to dip into the profit that the actual game sales made for that. That's probably going back to cover the costs of making said game, and then into paychecks/funds/whatever.

What's going forward to cover the updates is the loot box sales. Because, you know, it's a business. I don't think Overwatch loot boxes are bad at all. EA is an example of what to never ever do, Overwatch is the "if you MUST".

EA fucked Blizzard's golden goose. If the momentum picks up in Brussels, then everyone has to rethink their business model.

[TheDeeGee]

This will result in games becoming super grindy... GG Failgium.

[Jester Joe]

EA fucked Blizzard's golden goose. If the momentum picks up in Brussels, then everyone has to rethink their business model.

Which is sad, because it should be a case by case basis really in my opinion.

EA made it feel like you had to buy loot boxes to keep up, while at least Overwatch, outside of events, doesn't do that. And even within events, you could at least spend months saving up currency to buy things that you don't get by the end.

[Jtbrig7390]

This will result in games becoming super grindy... GG Failgium.

And there not now?

BF2 took 40's before to unlock one hero character.
Overwatch is also grindy as fuck to unlock anything.

- - - Updated - - -

--snip--

To be honest I didn't know about that. If company's want to make extra money on games there is way better way's to go about it. Sell us the Skins directly and not this gambling lootbox shit.

[Blade Wolf]

You cannot conflate Trading Card Games (TCGs) with other types of Collectible Card Games imo, because in a Trading Card Game like M:TG, the cards you obtain from packs have market value with established markets dedicated to trading those cards (and also the odds of getting a card are often fully disclosed) while in a game like Hearthstone, the cards have no market value since they cannot be traded. I would not expect M:TG to ever be considered gambling but Hearthstone? It's a fair debate to be had.

This is also a very important point to make. Yugioh for example, for me a special archetype like Timelords might have a huge value but low value for someone else. Then we could trade cards since i might have cards that he needs to finish his specific deck. The player sets the value.

[ombus]

ban trading cards (pokemon, magic ) thats loot boxes -.- its gambling...

[Deleted]

ban trading cards (pokemon, magic ) thats loot boxes -.- its gambling...

It is gambling in several countries. But gambling is legal, that's the entire point. It's not about banning the lootboxes, it's about regulate them like the rest of gambling.

[P for Pancetta]

I don't get the people that say that lootboxxes provide additional content for the games they're part of, what evidence is there? none whatsoever it only shows they've spend valuable development time in creating and implementing a lootbox system which in turn takes away from potential real content. The only tangible addition these lootbox systems provide for games their featured in is more cosmetic things gained from said lootboxxes. Before lootboxxes where a thing games made good money and had enough content in them. And there are still a lot of games being made that make good money and provide a pleasant experience without lootboxxes. I'd even go as far as to say that triple A titles have a much higher chance of being mediocre and content lacking when they do feature a lootbox system as proven by many titles released in the past few years.

[Rekz]

EA fucked Blizzard's golden goose. If the momentum picks up in Brussels, then everyone has to rethink their business model.

Don't be naive. Blizzard fucked Blizzard's golden goose with their greed and their rigged systems.

You reap what you sow.

[Deleted]

Don't be naive. Blizzard fucked Blizzard's golden goose with their greed and their rigged systems.

You reap what you sow.

The lootbox issue blown-up now with EA's system, not Blizzard's. The lawmakers weren't even concerned with the issue.

As always, laws lag behind time until something forces the legislators to think about it.

[Sting]

Good, it's about time we get some regulation.

[Kasierith]

ban trading cards (pokemon, magic ) thats loot boxes -.- its gambling...

When I thought about getting into magic, I did some research and went on a site that let me get prepicked cards for about 140 dollars, no packs needed. When I decided I wasn't interested, I sold them for 90 bucks a year later. There is no OW equivalent

[Greevir]

Belgium said no such thing.

[Jtbrig7390]

I don't get the people that say that lootboxxes provide additional content for the games they're part of, what evidence is there? none

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

The psychology of loot

Why do loot boxes provide such a dark compulsion? Psychologists call the principle by which they work on the human mind 'variable rate reinforcement.' "The player is basically working for reward by making a series of responses, but the rewards are delivered unpredictably," says Dr Luke Clark, director at the Center for Gambling Research at the University of British Columbia. "We know that the dopamine system, which is targeted by drugs of abuse, is also very interested in unpredictable rewards. Dopamine cells are most active when there is maximum uncertainty, and the dopamine system responds more to an uncertain reward than the same reward delivered on a predictable basis."

So what was this about no evidence again? Its been well known for awhile now how its addictive.

[oplawlz]

Which is sad, because it should be a case by case basis really in my opinion.

Why, if I may ask? This whole kerfluffle is about one specific practice - no one is saying Blizzard shouldn't be selling cosmetics. Just stop with the random nonsense and let people buy what they want.

[Deleted]

Hell, was about time.

Who cares even if it is gambling? Why does Europe hate freedom?

Are you truly free if you're an addict?

[Blade Wolf]

Why, if I may ask? This whole kerfluffle is about one specific practice - no one is saying Blizzard shouldn't be selling cosmetics. Just stop with the random nonsense and let people buy what they want.

Bolded for important. Nobody is against cosmetics. It's the way they are obtained that's the problem. HOTS had a good system with how you unlock skins before the revamp. Just straight up buy them and you're done.

[Tech614]

That is not at all what they're saying.

Overwatch gets free updates because Blizzard is still making money from the loot boxes. It's not a claim that loot boxes are the free content.

Titanfall 2 and Splatoon 1/2 somehow managed to get free updates without loot boxes. Street Fighter V is literally upgrading everyone to Arcade Edition for free this January... and has no loot boxes.

Spare me that excuse train. Especially when EA let the cat out of the bag that "turning off loot boxes doesn't effect our revenue projections". They're literally just extra greed, no one accounts for them in their bottom line.

If you want to sell cosmetics, you sell the cosmetics. Not a chance at getting one and who cares? Selling a chance at getting something is a scummy practice. Not one I think needs government intervention but a scummy practice nonetheless and it's hilarious blizzard fans seem to think they're above EA. It's hilarious it took literally the most hated gaming publisher to pull this with a beloved IP before this real outrage happened.

[GennGreymane]

Titanfall 2 and Splatoon 1/2 somehow managed to get free updates without loot boxes. Street Fighter V is literally upgrading everyone to Arcade Edition for free this January... and have no loot boxes.

Spare me that excuse train. Especially when EA let the cat out of the bag that "turning off loot boxes doesn't effect our revenue projections". They're literally just extra greed, no one accounts for them in their bottom line.

If you want to sell cosmetics, you sell the cosmetics. Not a chance at getting one and who cares? Selling a chance at getting something is a scummy practice. Not one I think needs government intervention but a scummy practice nonetheless and it's hilarious blizzard fans seem to think they're above EA. It's hilarious it took literally the most hated gaming publisher to pull this with a beloved IP before this real outrage happened.

thank you!
/10