Paid Loot Boxes and Loot Chests Disabled for Players in Belgium

[Hablion]

The US congress is investigating Lootboxes as gambling so there is a big chance they will be disabled or the games will be rated A for adults due to gambling which means games that continue to use it might be screwed. Reason for this is huge fines for selling to minors

[David Lionheart]

What about Hearthstone?

In Hearthstone

- you can buy card packs with real money
- the cards are random and some cards are more rare than others
- they actually have an effect on gameplay and aren't just cosmetic
- it is a lot harder to earn them in game, compared to lootboxes in Overwatch

So Hearthstone is even worse than Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm. Why is it not also considered to be bad to be able to buy card packs in Hearthstone with real money? Because packs are not boxes? Are people so focussed on the physical form of a box? If they changed lootboxes to packs in Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm, would that make a difference?

In my opinion, this serves no one. No one profits from not having the chance to buy these things with real money. You could always just choose to not buy them. At least then players would have the option. And you could buy them basically with gold on WoW that you can convert into battle net balance. People are now robbed of that chance. All because some people have an irrational hate for lootboxes.

[Teri]

Belgium saved people the shock from people that they realise they have nothing when the game shuts down.

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What about Hearthstone?

In Hearthstone

- you can buy card packs with real money
- the cards are random and some cards are more rare than others
- they actually have an effect on gameplay and aren't just cosmetic
- it is a lot harder to earn them in game, compared to lootboxes in Overwatch

So Hearthstone is even worse than Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm. Why is it not also considered to be bad to be able to buy card packs in Hearthstone with real money? Because packs are not boxes? Are people so focussed on the physical form of a box? If they changed lootboxes to packs in Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm, would that make a difference?

In my opinion, this serves no one. No one profits from not having the chance to buy these things with real money. You could always just choose to not buy them. At least then players would have the option. And you could buy them basically with gold on WoW that you can convert into battle net balance. People are now robbed of that chance. All because some people have an irrational hate for lootboxes.

Agree , Hearthstone is worse case, since it's the only Blizzard game where paying actually determines player power in some way.

Or at least, greatly increases the speed of getting X card.

Still, either Blizzard lootbox doesn't compare to the Wargaming "premium" ships, some that cost like €40-60, or others are removed, and then later put into RNG "christmas gifts" you buy for €. (those boxes are also disabled in Belgium)

On top of that, they have Premium time, port slots, permanent camouflage, or currency conversion/captain training that all cost Doubloons to be more effective (paid currency, but given out in very small amounts via some RNG crates)

[Tonkaden]

Yeah... I have every skin I could want and then some. I bought $20 worth of loot boxes in total; it's come up before I've checked lol. I'm bronze 5 stars level, so I haven't played an absurd amount either.

And to the others speaking about just outright buying skins. Well it's here and has been, we have seen what 4 or 5 now (excluding the OWL skins at that)? Congrats, pay those shareholders. Idiots.

Im in your boat as well. I am around the same level as you and I have almost everything in game. Although, I buy the 5 box every event that I enjoy (halloween and xmas mainly). Ive gotten like 3-4 skins from it.

I have pretty much everything I want and still have around 15k gold right now. Ive earned mainly everything through the game and just playing.

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Belgium saved people the shock from people that they realise they have nothing when the game shuts down.

- - - Updated - - -



Agree , Hearthstone is worse case, since it's the only Blizzard game where paying actually determines player power in some way.

Or at least, greatly increases the speed of getting X card.

Still, either Blizzard lootbox doesn't compare to the Wargaming "premium" ships, some that cost like €40-60, or others are removed, and then later put into RNG "christmas gifts" you buy for €. (those boxes are also disabled in Belgium)

On top of that, they have Premium time, port slots, permanent camouflage, or currency conversion/captain training that all cost Doubloons to be more effective (paid currency, but given out in very small amounts via some RNG crates)

Hearthstone is a card game. Go play MtG, Pokemon, the final fantasy physical card game and try to play for free. Without buying anything. How far are you going to get. It doesn't matter that Hearthstone is digital. Its still a card game that requires you to buy packs of cards just like any other, digital or otherwise.

[Teri]

Hearthstone is a card game. Go play MtG, Pokemon, the final fantasy physical card game and try to play for free. Without buying anything. How far are you going to get. It doesn't matter that Hearthstone is digital. Its still a card game that requires you to buy packs of cards just like any other, digital or otherwise.

What I meant with my entire comment was that Hearthstone is the only game in Blizzard's lineup that has non-cosmetic "power" that can be bought with money.

It's playable free, sure, arena doesn't rely on collection, brawl most of time doesn't either, and there's "pve" content.

But high ranks have some form of "meta" where x cards or x classes are dominant, and paying tends to give a bigger collection. So we seem to agree on that.

[Projectmars]

What I meant with my entire comment was that Hearthstone is the only game in Blizzard's lineup that has non-cosmetic "power" that can be bought with money.

It's playable free, sure, arena doesn't rely on collection, brawl most of time doesn't either, and there's "pve" content.

But high ranks have some form of "meta" where x cards or x classes are dominant, and paying tends to give a bigger collection. So we seem to agree on that.

While it is definitely something unique to Blizzard games, it's something extremely common to games in its own genre. And it's that point that most people will be more willing to give it a pass because it's business as usual for Card Games.

[Battlebeard]

This is awesome BUT I don't want my country to apply this UNLESS EVERYONE does it.

It must be a pain to play Overwatch in Belgium and not be able to finish off the collection. To get every item during an event is hard if you do not buy a few boxes.

I don't really like the idea of lootboxes, but 24 lootboxes cost like 20 euros and 50 lootboxes cost 40 euros. I buy either 24 each event, sometimes 50 if I have extra little time. I mean, getting 50 lootboxes by playing equals about 50 hours. Or I can work for 2 hours and have those 50 boxes. Buying this saves me 48 hours.

Though if all loot boxes were gone, Blizzard would change the system somehow. Which would be even better.

[Carenot]

Yeah I've read about the ban of paid loot boxes in the news. Of course this is a step in the right direction and every country should do this. But as long as gambling and betting sites are allowed in many countries it will be hard to accomplish this with loot boxes in Overwatch. And the makers of the game won't be interested in disabling the pay to win feature because it generates them a lot of extra money.

[Projectmars]

Yeah I've read about the ban of paid loot boxes in the news. Of course this is a step in the right direction and every country should do this. But as long as gambling and betting sites are allowed in many countries it will be hard to accomplish this with loot boxes in Overwatch. And the makers of the game won't be interested in disabling the pay to win feature because it generates them a lot of extra money.

Which game? I want to know what to avoid.

In other news: Well Belgium banned most trading card games like Magic the Gathering as well, so looks like it's bye bye Hearthstone too.

[michaello]

I Belgium loot boxes are more expansive than cocaine

[Thirza]

I know I'm in the minority here but I like cosmetic lootboxes that aren't the only way to obtain the same items.

I have liked this stuff since booster packs of collector cards.