Wingz
Being Poor Sucks.
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Didn't wan't to clutter up the game thread with this so I started this one:
Belgium says loot boxes are gambling, wants them banned in Europe | PC Gamer
Hawaiian State Representative Chris Lee announces action to combat predatory practices in gaming, singles out EA | PowerUp!
Obviously this is just all talk so far, no action yet.
However, If we know anything about anything is government in general's ability and desire to regulate something. Especially if they see possible tax dollar signs. Imagine every DLC taxed every micro transaction taxed.
Now of course right now it's for predatory practices because game makers are probably taking DLC too far. Like a .02% chance for an in game item for every pack or crate opened when they're like 10 bucks a piece etc. That's thousands and thousands of dollars for an random chance for an in game item. For those that say this isn't gambling, consider now it's involving lawyers/lawmakers and they are saying you need to be 18/21 to do this.
How will this change the dynamic of games in general from just a mobile game to stuff like BF2 loot crate type stuff.
So several items come to mind:
1) Taxes - if you think that isn't behind this you're kidding yourself.
2) Microtransactions - Do they use real case like mobile phone transactions for mobile games? Do they use fake cash like in game cash you can buy with real currency (Everquest , daybreak cash, ISK in EVE and their in game stores) Each game has it's own stuff.
3) If a state or country gets this going, this will spread and each state / gov't will determine their own rules.
4) Will the games need to be rated 18/21 because of gambling from a gov't prespective? The store is baked into the games after all and if they consider this gambling and it's essential to the game as a whole....
This opens a whole can of worms, especially when you get down to lawyer type definitions of what is DLC and is it gambling?
Discuss....
Belgium says loot boxes are gambling, wants them banned in Europe | PC Gamer
Hawaiian State Representative Chris Lee announces action to combat predatory practices in gaming, singles out EA | PowerUp!
Obviously this is just all talk so far, no action yet.
However, If we know anything about anything is government in general's ability and desire to regulate something. Especially if they see possible tax dollar signs. Imagine every DLC taxed every micro transaction taxed.
Now of course right now it's for predatory practices because game makers are probably taking DLC too far. Like a .02% chance for an in game item for every pack or crate opened when they're like 10 bucks a piece etc. That's thousands and thousands of dollars for an random chance for an in game item. For those that say this isn't gambling, consider now it's involving lawyers/lawmakers and they are saying you need to be 18/21 to do this.
How will this change the dynamic of games in general from just a mobile game to stuff like BF2 loot crate type stuff.
So several items come to mind:
1) Taxes - if you think that isn't behind this you're kidding yourself.
2) Microtransactions - Do they use real case like mobile phone transactions for mobile games? Do they use fake cash like in game cash you can buy with real currency (Everquest , daybreak cash, ISK in EVE and their in game stores) Each game has it's own stuff.
3) If a state or country gets this going, this will spread and each state / gov't will determine their own rules.
4) Will the games need to be rated 18/21 because of gambling from a gov't prespective? The store is baked into the games after all and if they consider this gambling and it's essential to the game as a whole....
This opens a whole can of worms, especially when you get down to lawyer type definitions of what is DLC and is it gambling?
Discuss....
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