Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Belgium says loot boxes are gambling
PsYcHoGBR
Member UncommonPosts: 482
Looks like loot boxes are going to get banned in Europe.
http://www.pcgamer.com/belgium-says-loot-boxes-are-gambling-wants-them-banned-in-europe/
http://www.pcgamer.com/belgium-says-loot-boxes-are-gambling-wants-them-banned-in-europe/
Comments
Sadly, the way things are here in the US, EA will probably pay a few politicians and loot boxes will still be the way of things here.
EA, Blizzard and friends are being stopped. Companies can't continue feeding gambling addictions on of games that are played by kids.
Now we will see how it's negotiated and what stays/goes.
All time classic MY NEW FAVORITE POST! (Keep laying those bricks)
"I should point out that no other company has shipped out a beta on a disc before this." - Official Mortal Online Lead Community Moderator
Proudly wearing the Harbinger badge since Dec 23, 2017.
Coined the phrase "Role-Playing a Development Team" January 2018
"Oddly Slap is the main reason I stay in these forums." - Mystichaze April 9th 2018
"Be water my friend" - Bruce Lee
Brenics ~ Just to point out I do believe Chris Roberts is going down as the man who cheated backers and took down crowdfunding for gaming.
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
So does this mean the collapse of the mobile market? There are so many of these models in mobile I wouldn't be surprised if this is a multi billion dollar decision.
oh! And since it's a multi billion dollar decision you know there will be a loophole or alternative monetization scheme.
Crazkanuk
----------------
Azarelos - 90 Hunter - Emerald
Durnzig - 90 Paladin - Emerald
Demonicron - 90 Death Knight - Emerald Dream - US
Tankinpain - 90 Monk - Azjol-Nerub - US
Brindell - 90 Warrior - Emerald Dream - US
----------------
But it would take deep jabs on Valve with CS Go and so.
And as we see, things on the US are also moving against loot boxes so they are not getting any safe heaven there.
Well done EA, you've ruined it for everyone else. Good stuff.
I would consider it in the grey area if the high end rares in the box are so rare that they can not be achieved by purchasing a REASONABLE amount of boxes. The value of reasonable is still left unclear.
If a game tells you odds of getting each item and provides you the opportunity to convert loot box items into tickets. Then, you use X amount of tickets to purchase any items that you could normally get out of a box. Then this defiantly not be gambling. ( It would be nice if they disclosed the minimum number of boxes and total price if you converted the items to purchase the most expensive item, but this is unnecessary as long as odds were displayed.)
what makes you think B2P would survive?
I could see it harming B2P in the MMORPG industry, but Archlyte's post doesn't seem to be focused on just MMORPGs.
B2P, F2P, B2P with microtransactions, F2P with microtransactions and many other models will survive even if predatory models go the way of the dodo. However, predatory models will not go the way of the dodo. I only hope predatory models get extreme pushback so that they don't become the standard.
EDIT: Had a dumb moment there.
B2P in general without microtransactions doesn't make much sense for an MMORPG. It means the customers pay a one-time payment for an ongoing service. How is that supposed to ever be sustainable in the longer term?
But at least maybe should this loot box = gambling thing progress further, this will keep the loot boxes out of non-MMORPGs. Loot boxes are starting to seep into those (even offline games!)
Guild Wars 2 has certainly been a consumer friendly game overall (as it does not charge a subscription fee nor devolve into pay-to-win cash shop items), but it has had cosmetic loot boxes from the start, and that is just an unfortunate reality of the game.