Developer, publisher, and frequent games industry punching bag EA is facing yet another class-action lawsuit, this time in the state of California, for its loot boxes and microtransactions within its lineup of sports franchises over the last four years according to a report from GamesIndustry.biz. The plaintiffs in this particular case alleged that EA’s
Loot Boxes
A report by the House Of Lords Gambling committee in the UK has suggested that in-game loot boxes need heavier restrictions placed against them. The report defines loot boxes as “things in video games where you are handing over money and you are getting something uncertain that is determined randomly in some way.” These items
No matter your opinions on the subject, there’s no escaping this fact: loot boxes, and by extension microtransactions in general, are a hot topic in the games industry right now. While the threat of U.S. legislation has been hovering over the heads of gamers for a few years now, I never thought it would actually
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will hold a public workshop on August 7, 2019, to discuss the many consumer protection issues surrounding loot boxes. We knew this was coming after FTC chairman Joseph Simmons said as much last fall; however, seeing it actually move forward is encouraging. The workshop, titled “Inside the Game: Unlocking the
When speaking to the U.S. Congress recently, the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) chairman Joseph Simmons said that the group plans to investigate loot boxes and their potential harm when it comes specifically to children. Senator Maggie Hassan was the one who pushed for action to be taken and claimed that loot boxes have become “endemic”
Blizzard has announced that paying for loot boxes in Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm has been removed for Belgium Players due to the Belgian Gaming Commission’s report from April that stated the option falls under gambling according to their local law. While Blizzard disagrees with this decision, they have removed the option in order
While loot crates have existing for years on the PC space, console gamers may have only been introduced to the latest microtransaction fad with releases like Overwatch and Rocket League. And with the latest firestorm surrounding the business model, Rocket League is looking to experiment with their business practices in their annual Haunted Hallows (read “Halloween”) event beginning this Monday.