Hawaii Will Investigate "Predatory" Loot Boxes, Potentially Pursue Legislation to Ban Them

[Swordsmyth]

Belgium's Gaming Commission has already declared loot boxes to be gambling earlier today, but the state of Hawaii has announced that it too will be looking into what they call, "predatory practices in online gaming."
Chris Lee, the Democratic State Representative of Hawaii, announced in a press conference that his office will be looking into legislation that could potentially ban games like Star Wars: Battlefront 2, and other games with loot-based systems. He cites the need to protect young children as part of why Hawaii is looking into loot systems in games.
If Hawaii is successful, this could lead to a national political tide against loot systems in video games.


"This game is a Star Wars-themed online casino," said Lee who specifically cites Star Wars: Battlefront 2 in his press conference. Specifically, Lee announced that Hawaii will look into the "significant financial consequences that [loot boxes] on families." Referencing Star Wars' Admiral Akbar, Lee added, "It's a trap."
It sounds that Lee plans on pursuing legislation to at least ban these games from underage consumers, though the full extent of the legislation has yet to be seen.

More at: http://www.usgamer.net/articles/hawa...on-to-ban-them

[Raginfridus]

"This game is a Star Wars-themed online casino," said Lee who specifically cites Star Wars: Battlefront 2 in his press conference. Specifically, Lee announced that Hawaii will look into the "significant financial consequences that [loot boxes] on families." Referencing Star Wars' Admiral Akbar, Lee added, "It's a trap."
It sounds that Lee plans on pursuing legislation to at least ban these games from underage consumers, though the full extent of the legislation has yet to be seen.

More at: http://www.usgamer.net/articles/hawa...on-to-ban-them

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index...4#post-5370394

You can pay an additional $120 bucks for a $60 game with a $10 value to win every time in online dogfights. How that has any bearing on Hawaiian politics is beyond me... lots of Koreans over there?

[Raginfridus]

http://www.arjel.fr/IMG/pdf/20171120courrier.pdf

Its become a global $#@!storm, with gaming commissions across the West investigating $#@!ty vdya gayms for gambling.

[Swordsmyth]

Despite its long-awaited single-player story and gorgeous graphics and sounds, Star Wars Battlefront II will likely be remembered for one thing: Loot boxes, or the mismanagement of. The game's rewards took so long to earn that players were incentivized to buy crates of randomized extras that could speed the process up...or not. That uncertain outcome paid with real money, which is becoming increasingly common in games, sounds like gambling to some legislators, and Belgium moved to ban SW Battlefront II-style loot boxes outright. This month, a Washington Senator introduced a bill that would require the state's gambling commission to determine whether loot boxes are, in fact, gambling -- and suggest how to regulate them across gaming.
"What the bill says is, 'Industry, state: sit down to figure out the best way to regulate this,'" the bill's author state Senator Kevin Ranker toldThe News Tribune. "It is unacceptable to be targeting our children with predatory gambling masked in a game with dancing bunnies or something."
The bill's text (PDF) includes loot boxes 'and similar types of mechanisms' on online titles and mobile apps, expanding the inquiry across all of video gaming. It would require the Washington state gambling commission to consult with the industry and commit a near year-long survey before submitting their findings by December 1st. The commission's report will also recommend how to regulate loot boxes and restrict the sale of games that include them, especially to young players.

More at: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/state...214800501.html

[dannno]

Hmm, I guess Pokemon Go will be ok because they tell you what is in your loot box before you buy it.

They are saying that the ones where you don't know what is in it is gambling, because there is an element of betting, chance and a prize.

[oyarde]

Hmm, I guess Pokemon Go will be ok because they tell you what is in your loot box before you buy it.

They are saying that the ones where you don't know what is in it is gambling, because there is an element of betting, chance and a prize.

Why would someone buy it if they do not know what they are getting , and who cares ? A fool and his money will soon part.

[Swordsmyth]

Why would someone buy it if they do not know what they are getting , and who cares ? A fool and his money will soon part.

Did Injuns gamble before the white man came?

I think it is a universal human error but I don't know enough to say.

In any case "loot boxes" are foolish but they can't be properly said to be gambling since you can't exchange what you win for cash and you always get something.

[oyarde]

Did Injuns gamble before the white man came?

I think it is a universal human error but I don't know enough to say.

In any case "loot boxes" are foolish but they can't be properly said to be gambling since you can't exchange what you win for cash and you always get something.

Mostly when I gamble it is because I am certain I will win . I think of it more as speculation than gambling .

[Swordsmyth]

Mostly when I gamble it is because I am certain I will win . I think of it more as speculation than gambling .

I would call that "Investing".

[Swordsmyth]

The Federal Trade Commission has agreed to investigate loot boxes in games, along with their impact on kids. The agency's commissioners committed to the probe after Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) raised the issue at a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation subcommittee hearing. Loot boxes offer players in-game items, but because you can often buy them with real money and the virtual goods within are awarded at random, some claim they're tantamount to gambling.

Hassan cited a UK Gambling Commission report from earlier this month indicating that 31 percent of 11- to 16-year-olds have opened loot boxes -- the report didn't state whether those children had bought them with money or earned them through in-game activity. However, the commission remains unconvinced that loot boxes have a direct link to gambling.
The senator previously raised the issue with the Entertainment Software Rating Board, which agreed to add an "in-game purchases" label to physical copies of titles that include them and/or other microtransactions.

More at: https://www.engadget.com/2018/11/28/...ng/?yptr=yahoo

[spudea]

I think some elements can absolutely be gambling and its not represented honestly. Take the new card game Artifact. When you buy card packs, you are not buying a specific set or product, you are buying a random chance to obtain a number of cards, some cards are good, some cards are $#@!. So even though you are paying the same amount for each pack, the actual value of each pack of cards you obtain swings wildly. Its like a slot machine in a casino complete with fancy opening graphics, music, and sounds!

But I guess its no different for physical card trading games you would buy in a store. Like buying baseball cards, was there ever any way to know if you were getting a rare card or something?

[Kilrain]

But I guess its no different for physical card trading games you would buy in a store. Like buying baseball cards, was there ever any way to know if you were getting a rare card or something?

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I remember buying Garbage Pail Kids packs as a kid. You got some gum and a couple of (supposedly) random cards, no one ever thought of it as "gambling".

I don't really like where computer gaming has gone, with things like micro-transactions, pay-to-win and endless and expensive DLCs. Instead of releasing "complete" games, companies release half-finished games and make you pay them to get more content. You might argue that it can make the games better, since the game development goes on for a longer time, making games gradually more polished, but I mainly find it annoying and stick to older games and play the "vanilla" version.

As far as "protecting children", that's on the parents. Giving a kid access to debit card information is about as dumb as letting them play with Semtex.

[Swordsmyth]

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) proposed a bill on Wednesday that would ban so-called 'loot boxes' and microtransactions for video games targeted at minors, as well as adult games in which kids are known to make in-game purchases.

Titled "The Protecting Children from Abusive Games Act," an outline of Hawley's proposed bill also bans game makers from offering "pay-to-win" schemes where players must spend money to gain in-game advantages or additional content, disrupting what Juniper Research estimated could grow into a $50 billion industry by 2022.
Multiplayer shooter Fortnite, for example has made Epic Games over $1 billion in microtransactions since its july 2017 release.

"Social media and video games prey on user addiction, siphoning our kids’ attention from the real world and extracting profits from fostering compulsive habits," said Hawley in a statement. "No matter this business model’s advantages to the tech industry, one thing is clear: There is no excuse for exploiting children through such practices."
(And exploiting their parents' credit cards)

Offering one “notorious example,” Hawley’s office pointed to Candy Crush, a popular, free smartphone puzzle app that allows users to spend $149.99 on a bundle of goods that include virtual currency and other items that make the game easier to play. -WaPo

"When a game is designed for kids, game developers shouldn’t be allowed to monetize addiction,” Hawley said, adding "And when kids play games designed for adults, they should be walled off from compulsive microtransactions."
According to Polygon, Hawley's outline is modeled after the 1998 Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
Loot boxes in particular have been criticized for encouraging gambling and other addictive behavior, particularly among children - as they offer what psychologists call "variable rewards" - outcomes that are better or worse depending on seemingly random factors.

Last fall, the Federal Trade Commission promised to investigate loot boxes following a letter from Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) that she wrote in the wake of 2017's string of games featuring the heavy usage of predatory microtransactions, such as Middle-earth: Shadow of War and Star Wars Battlefront II. Although some companies have pulled back on the practice, popular games like Overwatch, FIFA, and Apex Legends continue to make big money off randomized microtransactions. Many of those games are played by both adults and children. -Kotaku

With microtransactions and pay-to-play loot boxes coming under fire, some game makers have made it a point not to wade too deeply into that pool - while others, such as Epic Games and Electronic Arts (EA) have become notorious for pay-to-play.
One company who has drawn a line between mandatory and optional microtransactions is 2K Games, which has elected to only 'cosmetic' in-game purchases in their highly anticipated sequel to the Borderlands franchise: Borderlands 3. In short - players won't be able to buy weapons, gear or anything that affects gameplay.


More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-...jected-rake-50

[Danke]

"game developers shouldn’t be allowed to monetize addiction'

How about politicians too?

[angelatc]

I think some elements can absolutely be gambling and its not represented honestly. Take the new card game Artifact. When you buy card packs, you are not buying a specific set or product, you are buying a random chance to obtain a number of cards, some cards are good, some cards are $#@!. So even though you are paying the same amount for each pack, the actual value of each pack of cards you obtain swings wildly.

But I guess its no different for physical card trading games you would buy in a store. Like buying baseball cards, was there ever any way to know if you were getting a rare card or something?

Thats a really good analogy.

[angelatc]

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) proposed a bill on Wednesday that would ban so-called 'loot boxes' and microtransactions for video games targeted at minors, as well as adult games in which kids are known to make in-game purchases.

They're from the government, and they're here to help.

A lot of the games I play are free, with loot boxes and other optional play items available, but not necessary to play. The companies literally make their incomes selling optional items.


Whiny ass gamers.

[AngryCanadian]

They're from the government, and they're here to help.

A lot of the games I play are free, with loot boxes and other optional play items available, but not necessary to play. The companies literally make their incomes selling optional items.


Whiny ass gamers.

Ugh. EA games FIFA,Madden games are a example of how not to do games with loot boxes.

[dannno]

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index...4#post-5370394

You can pay an additional $120 bucks for a $60 game with a $10 value to win every time in online dogfights. How that has any bearing on Hawaiian politics is beyond me... lots of Koreans over there?

Filipinos.