ESRB to add "in-game purchases" label in reponse to lootboxes

[johnhoftb]

https://twitter.com/ESRBRatings/stat...16416742805504



Considering this applies to any game where you can buy content or purchases with money, about 90% of games are going to be slapped with this label, since this seemly also counts DLC alongside other microtransactions.

[barackopala]

this is trying to cover the fucking publishers anus a bit before the full on fucking comes from governments going against gambling.

[Florena]

I see no problem with this. I doubt in practice it will result in anything.

[Jtbrig7390]

I see no problem with this. I doubt in practice it will result in anything.

Seeing how it doesn't detail anything at all its a half ass way to protect the publisher's.

[Tech614]

The ESRB is ran by the publishers. It was a puppet company created to avoid government regulation so of course they're going to add fine print to try and once again avoid government regulation on microtransactions.

[bloodrunner]

You mean like product warning - "This product contains lead that the state of Kalifornica has determined to be harmful to rats in Kalifornica." Now we will have to agree to this to get or buy something, more BS. Just do this in the EU, where they want to ban fun activities.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

I'd rather lootboxes be straight up banned, but that won't stop the silent majority who enable these practices in their many different forms anyways.

[Daedius]

You mean like product warning - "This product contains lead that the state of Kalifornica has determined to be harmful to rats in Kalifornica." Now we will have to agree to this to get or buy something, more BS. Just do this in the EU, where they want to ban fun activities.

Like eating Tide Pods!

[Deleted]

if quality cinema can survive despite most of the bucks going to brainless bullshit like the fast and furious franchise or done and tired superhero movies, then i have hope games will survive this bullshit. sure, it is getting really bad, but gaming is growing and more and more people are flocking over to it and there's STILL a market for games that don't have either corridor twitch reflex shooting or 5 buck boxes that can give you a pink dress or a horse.

more relating to the thread - a lot of parents are dumb and completely ignore what their children do on the internet or don't think about what they want/buy, so what are these labels meant to achieve exactly?

[Wilian]

Any game that utilizes lootboxes should get AO rating.

[Tech614]

if quality cinema can survive despite most of the bucks going to brainless bullshit like the fast and furious franchise or done and tired superhero movies, then i have hope games will survive this bullshit. sure, it is getting really bad, but gaming is growing and more and more people are flocking over to it and there's STILL a market for games that don't have either corridor twitch reflex shooting or 5 buck boxes that can give you a pink dress or a horse.

more relating to the thread - a lot of parents are dumb and completely ignore what their children do on the internet or don't think about what they want/buy, so what are these labels meant to achieve exactly?

It's really just the western AAA publishers trying to push this garbage(and Konami cause lolKonami). AA gaming is making a strong resurgence with games like Kingdom Come, Hellblade and what not and the Japanese games are as strong as ever and drifting away from the MT models they flirted with in the PS3 era after backlash.

So yea, gaming will survive it. Not going to stop the Madden/FIFA bros from spending 1000s a year in ultimate team, or the kids from using their parents CCs to make obscene purchases in Overwatch, GTA and Fortnite so that bullshit is here to stay. Just got to look away from it to the games that are actually still made out of love for fun(and still turn profits btw, just not going to make all your suits billionaires profits).

[dope_danny]

And the GDC crowd and their "restera allys" are already planning a "roundtable to strike back against this censorship".

Perhaps their "maxism in gaming is awesome, be political!" talk the other year was secretly a pro lockbox message?

[Laqweeta]

About time.

Most games that come out might as well be fucking app store games

[Deleted]

It's really just the western AAA publishers trying to push this garbage(and Konami cause lolKonami). AA gaming is making a strong resurgence with games like Kingdom Come, Hellblade and what not and the Japanese games are as strong as ever and drifting away from the MT models they flirted with in the PS3 era after backlash.

So yea, gaming will survive it. Not going to stop the Madden/FIFA bros from spending 1000s a year in ultimate team, or the kids from using their parents CCs to make obscene purchases in Overwatch, GTA and Fortnite so that bullshit is here to stay. Just got to look away from it to the games that are actually still made out of love for fun(and still turn profits btw, just not going to make all your suits billionaires profits).

Pretty much. I mean it's a shame to see some of the bigger, "better" franchises or devs like Rockstar/GTA take this route and live off the digital bucks bs despite the gazillions of copies they sold, but it's not like we haven't seen a cool dev/franchise fall to the dark side before.

[Mister Cheese]

Yeah its a blanket "CYA" label. It's bullshit.

[Blamblam41]

if quality cinema can survive despite most of the bucks going to brainless bullshit like the fast and furious franchise or done and tired superhero movies, then i have hope games will survive this bullshit. sure, it is getting really bad, but gaming is growing and more and more people are flocking over to it and there's STILL a market for games that don't have either corridor twitch reflex shooting or 5 buck boxes that can give you a pink dress or a horse.

more relating to the thread - a lot of parents are dumb and completely ignore what their children do on the internet or don't think about what they want/buy, so what are these labels meant to achieve exactly?

Sounds like justified Darwinism if parents are so, so utterly inept at being a parent. But hey atleast spending mom and dads credit card is better than downing a tide pod.

[Deleted]

literally anything is better than downing a tide pod since that's evidence of some serious mental disease.

i mean, christ, these kids aren't this incredibly stupid for no reason, something or someone (hmm) must be at blame here.

[Wondercrab]

I see no problem with this. I doubt in practice it will result in anything.

That's kind of the problem. It's an empty move that will barely do anything to address the actual issues with video game monetisation right now.

[Florena]

It's like the surgeon general's warning on cigarette packs, sure you can slap it on there but does it stop people from smoking? No. Only this will be less helpful. I don't see it doing harm but not doing much good either except maybe now and then keeping a game with micro transactions out of a kids hands.

[Coombs]

That'll show em. Remind me. When was the last time any of you purchased a physical game copy?