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The Legislative Fight Over Loot Boxes Expands To Washington State (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: The government backlash against video game loot boxes -- the randomized in-game item purchases that some observers and legislators consider a form of gambling -- moved from Hawaii to Washington state earlier this month. That's when a group of three Democratic state senators introduced a bill that would require the state gambling commission to examine loot boxes and determine "whether games and apps containing these mechanisms are considered gambling under Washington law." "What the bill says is, 'Industry, state: sit down to figure out the best way to regulate this,'" Orcas Island Senator and bill coauthor Kevin Ranker told the Tacoma News Tribune. "It is unacceptable to be targeting our children with predatory gambling masked in a game with dancing bunnies or something."
The bill text puts specific focus on the question of whether children who "may be more vulnerable to gambling addiction" should be allowed to access games with loot boxes, and on the question of "transparency" around "the odds of receiving each type of virtual item." The latter point took on additional salience last month as Apple required such odds to be posted alongside games with loot boxes. Actual government regulation of loot boxes in Washington is still a ways off, though. Ranker's bill needs to be approved by the full Washington state legislature (which is narrowly held by Democrats) and be signed by the governor before being referred to the gambling commission. At that point, the commission would have until December 1 to form its recommendations for any regulatory and enforcement system the state might set up.
The bill text puts specific focus on the question of whether children who "may be more vulnerable to gambling addiction" should be allowed to access games with loot boxes, and on the question of "transparency" around "the odds of receiving each type of virtual item." The latter point took on additional salience last month as Apple required such odds to be posted alongside games with loot boxes. Actual government regulation of loot boxes in Washington is still a ways off, though. Ranker's bill needs to be approved by the full Washington state legislature (which is narrowly held by Democrats) and be signed by the governor before being referred to the gambling commission. At that point, the commission would have until December 1 to form its recommendations for any regulatory and enforcement system the state might set up.
whataboutism
At first they came for the loot boxes, and I said nothing because I don't play that game.
Then they came for the Hatchibles, and I said nothing because I don't have kids.
Then they came for the Magic The Gathering booster packs and there was no one left to speak for me.
Warning: Teh poster of this messaeg is lysdexic
Why is this a problem that needs legislation to solve? As a kid I never had access to my parents credit card or accounts. If I wanted something I had to mow a lawn and decide if that was worth blowing on Magic the Gathering cards. If you don't want to spend money on games don't associate your credit card with them. If the game is honestly worth playing then let the whales pay for development and just leech off the F2P content.
And really, is the person who needs the drop rate on Malibu Darth Vader honestly going to; a) be surprised that it is abysmally small b) do anything differently with that information?
Account -> Discussions -> Disable Sigs
Only - The reason this is exploded is that these loot boxes no longer contain "only cosmetic" items, but stuff that gives you advances in the game. In short - it's a "pay to win" scheme. Mind you - That is for a game you already payed a full price for.
And even more - There are plans to tinker with the difficulty of the game to press you to buy those loot boxes. There is even an AI in development that analyses your behavior in the game, and will try every trick in the book (or better said - In their programming) to force you to buy loot boxes or in-game items. This is not only by tweaking difficulty, but also by "matching" you (if you play on line) with another player that can beat you with the item that they want to sell you. The AI will also be programmed to influence you on a psychological level, so you won't be aware that you are being manipulated.
It's this scary stuff that has to be regulated before it goes out of hand.