So can we get the pitchforks and torches out for Hearthstone, Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, Overwatch and every other game with loot boxes or random chance cards? Or is this just another bitch fest about EA only?
So can we get the pitchforks and torches out for Hearthstone, Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, Overwatch and every other game with loot boxes or random chance cards? Or is this just another bitch fest about EA only?
I think i know the answer....
No, the next game implementing MTs will be COD WW2 on the 21st. They pushed it from the 14th until the 21st due to "Technical Issues". Now what? There's an angry mob and no decoy, so I guess they'll just have to deal with the mob, lol.
So can we get the pitchforks and torches out for Hearthstone, Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, Overwatch and every other game with loot boxes or random chance cards? Or is this just another bitch fest about EA only?
I think i know the answer....
There's change.org petitions attempting to get all loot box games classified as gambling and to have an age restriction that reflects that.
The community is trying to punish every instance of loot crates.
Is that the answer you think you know?
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
So can we get the pitchforks and torches out for Hearthstone, Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, Overwatch and every other game with loot boxes or random chance cards? Or is this just another bitch fest about EA only?
I think i know the answer....
There's change.org petitions attempting to get all loot box games classified as gambling and to have an age restriction that reflects that.
The community is trying to punish every instance of loot crates.
Belguim? i think it is that is currently looking into this game as gambling, if they determine it is, and with the terminology they were using it seems possible that it will be, then EA faces huge fines. It may be that they don't intend to reintroduce microtransactions until after the case is resolved, one way or the other.
Belguim? i think it is that is currently looking into this game as gambling, if they determine it is, and with the terminology they were using it seems possible that it will be, then EA faces huge fines. It may be that they don't intend to reintroduce microtransactions until after the case is resolved, one way or the other.
I see so the celebrations are premature and what prompted it was not the backlash but real fines.
Belguim? i think it is that is currently looking into this game as gambling, if they determine it is, and with the terminology they were using it seems possible that it will be, then EA faces huge fines. It may be that they don't intend to reintroduce microtransactions until after the case is resolved, one way or the other.
I see so the celebrations are premature and what prompted it was not the backlash but real fines.
The backlash is probably what caused the investigation. It's being reported that this has gone as high as the Disney CEO now and that they are the one who told EA/DICE to disable the microtransactions.
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
If this is correct then it's a positive development me thinks. Star Wars is maybe the biggest IP on the planet and i bet that Disney isn't pleased seeing it being dragged through the dirt by EA / Dice.
Belguim? i think it is that is currently looking into this game as gambling, if they determine it is, and with the terminology they were using it seems possible that it will be, then EA faces huge fines. It may be that they don't intend to reintroduce microtransactions until after the case is resolved, one way or the other.
I see so the celebrations are premature and what prompted it was not the backlash but real fines.
The backlash against BF2 is what has directly caused micro-transactions to be turned off.
The legal investigations are another matter entirely. They have been going on for a while now. Shadow of War, Overwatch, Forze 7, Fifa and NBA 2k18 have all been officially investigated. Belgium is currently making the most publicity with their investigations but the UK government is running it's own too.
Unfortunately within the EU, gambling laws only apply if the items won can be converted into real money. This is how the games industry is currently getting away with it - if you were able to sell your Star Cards in BF2 for money, the game would be instantly fucked.
There are also additional consumer protection laws that apply. In the UK, we have Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. This specifically requires business not to, ‘anyone to misleading or aggressive marketing practices, or, for example, direct exhortation to buy products, such as games content, including in-game purchases such as loot boxes.’
This tends to be the main focus on investigations against individual games, but the consequences aren't great. This law basically allows gambling in lootboxes as long as the devs aren't pushing their players to buy them, and even if you are found to be pushing them you generally just have to change your marketing messages. Its rare that you get fined.
With all that said, there are many governments around the world who have now acknowledged gambling within computer games as a problem and are considering new legislation. The UK secretary of state is currently running a commission with the goal of coming up with new consumer protections against lootboxes and microtransactions. So, from my point of view, the writing is on the wall. Whatever new legislation comes through won't remove microtransactions or lootboxes entirely but they will likely protect us against their overly predatory nature. I expect to see more items being sold directly in shops or simply other monetisation methods (more expensive games) to cover the loss of income.
Currently Playing: WAR RoR - Spitt rr7X Black Orc | Scrotling rr6X Squig Herder | Scabrous rr4X Shaman
Karma for what they did to Mass Effect: Andromeda.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
This is still not over, the transactions are only TEMPORARILY disabled and may well come back just as intrusive after launch.
Wow.. I did not know that scores bellow 1 (0.8 ATM) are actually registrable in metacritic.
It's still early but the Xbox score is even lower - sitting at 0.4 at the moment.
"Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community ... but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots”
― Umberto Eco
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?” ― CD PROJEKT RED
"Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community ... but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots”
― Umberto Eco
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?” ― CD PROJEKT RED
What I wonder is how much of the blame, if any falls on DICE's shoulders. The first BF wasn't very good due to the game being rushed out to capitalize on the hype of The Force Awakens. They did a much better job with BF2 but then tanked it by building it around the obnoxious and predatory loot box system. I have a feeling that both of those decisions weren't made by DICE but by someone at EA.
The worst part of this is even if the pay to win items don't come back, players are still left with the lousy progression system which seems to exist only to entice players towards the cash shop.
I wonder why this was the game to truly anger the players. I would love to see all games with loot boxes be given an adult only rating and subject to strict rules.
EPIC dodged a bullet with Fortnite and its loot box progression which i found equally as bad. Maybe because it was in early access or its systems were a bit more subtle than the in your face of EA's.
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I'm not an IT Specialist, Game Developer, or Clairvoyant in real life, but like others on here, I play one on the internet.
I think i know the answer....
No, the next game implementing MTs will be COD WW2 on the 21st. They pushed it from the 14th until the 21st due to "Technical Issues". Now what? There's an angry mob and no decoy, so I guess they'll just have to deal with the mob, lol.
Crazkanuk
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The community is trying to punish every instance of loot crates.
Is that the answer you think you know?
anyone know?
Please do not respond to me, even if I ask you a question, its rhetorical.
Please do not respond to me
https://www.ea.com/en-gb/games/starwars/battlefront/battlefront-2/news/pre-launch-update
The legal investigations are another matter entirely. They have been going on for a while now. Shadow of War, Overwatch, Forze 7, Fifa and NBA 2k18 have all been officially investigated. Belgium is currently making the most publicity with their investigations but the UK government is running it's own too.
Unfortunately within the EU, gambling laws only apply if the items won can be converted into real money. This is how the games industry is currently getting away with it - if you were able to sell your Star Cards in BF2 for money, the game would be instantly fucked.
There are also additional consumer protection laws that apply. In the UK, we have Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. This specifically requires business not to, ‘anyone to misleading or aggressive marketing practices, or, for example, direct exhortation to buy products, such as games content, including in-game purchases such as loot boxes.’
This tends to be the main focus on investigations against individual games, but the consequences aren't great. This law basically allows gambling in lootboxes as long as the devs aren't pushing their players to buy them, and even if you are found to be pushing them you generally just have to change your marketing messages. Its rare that you get fined.
With all that said, there are many governments around the world who have now acknowledged gambling within computer games as a problem and are considering new legislation. The UK secretary of state is currently running a commission with the goal of coming up with new consumer protections against lootboxes and microtransactions. So, from my point of view, the writing is on the wall. Whatever new legislation comes through won't remove microtransactions or lootboxes entirely but they will likely protect us against their overly predatory nature. I expect to see more items being sold directly in shops or simply other monetisation methods (more expensive games) to cover the loss of income.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
The worst part of this is even if the pay to win items don't come back, players are still left with the lousy progression system which seems to exist only to entice players towards the cash shop.
EPIC dodged a bullet with Fortnite and its loot box progression which i found equally as bad. Maybe because it was in early access or its systems were a bit more subtle than the in your face of EA's.