UK Universities Study Confirms What We Already Knew About Loot Boxes.

[Shagger]

After a 3 year study conducted by Newcastle and Loughborough Universities, they have reported the loot boxes in video games cause "financial and emotional harm" to children. The report also acknowledges that the same manipulation found in licenced gambling are used to intice players to spend. They have recommended that games with such systems be regulated so only over 18 year old can buy them and that premium currency be replaced with direct currency shower in, for example in £'s. Full story from Eurogamer.

 

Damb right they should. We're at a point now where governments and industry regulators like PEGI cannot ignore this any longer.

Edited November 30, 2022 by Shagger

[Kane99]

Loot boxes are just one of those things that to me, isn't worth the junk you get. You're gambling for digital items that will likely only be usable for a short period of time. Some games may let you keep them over multiple games, but who's to say that agreement will hold true for long. 

I'm fine with the way Fortnite and some other live service games do it, where it's not some loot box, but instead you can spend your points on items that are released every so often. Loot boxes are gambling, no matter which way you put it. Not everyone may pay for loot boxes, but there are many who do, and they're wasting so much money just to get a few rare items that most others probably already have. 

I hope soon, that games with loot boxes are forced to be rated A for adult or M rated, because of the gambling aspect of it. If they want to have loot boxes in their game, they have to rate the game accordingly, which in turn could hurt their sales, in turn hopefully stopping them from using loot boxes in the first place. 

The only time I accept the idea of loot boxes, is if they're given for free, or given to you based off of challenges and things you earn in the game. They should never be able to charge you real money for them. 

[Justin11]

On 11/30/2022 at 7:00 PM, Kane99 said:

Loot boxes are just one of those things that to me, isn't worth the junk you get. You're gambling for digital items that will likely only be usable for a short period of time. Some games may let you keep them over multiple games, but who's to say that agreement will hold true for long. 

I'm fine with the way Fortnite and some other live service games do it, where it's not some loot box, but instead you can spend your points on items that are released every so often. Loot boxes are gambling, no matter which way you put it. Not everyone may pay for loot boxes, but there are many who do, and they're wasting so much money just to get a few rare items that most others probably already have. 

I hope soon, that games with loot boxes are forced to be rated A for adult or M rated, because of the gambling aspect of it. If they want to have loot boxes in their game, they have to rate the game accordingly, which in turn could hurt their sales, in turn hopefully stopping them from using loot boxes in the first place. 

The only time I accept the idea of loot boxes, is if they're given for free, or given to you based off of challenges and things you earn in the game. They should never be able to charge you real money for them. 

Its just absurd and this video Game companies has been getting away with it for a long time.

I wasn't even aware of the psychological effects Like emotional harm and induced spending behaviours.

I hope this issue is completely eradicated and defaulters punished.

[killamch89]

Not surprised and I hoped the Uk would've prosecuted EA in relation to the whole lootbox debacle but the politicians are too busy playing hot potato with the Prime minister position. 

[Shortie]

I'm actually quite surprised it took them this long to realize that it's an issue to be honest in terms of financial and emotional harm to children. Overwatch was one of the worst for loot boxes I remember and I have teens myself that like to play Overwatch. Luckily I am the one who is in charge of what they spend on their games so I was able to curb them when it came to buying loot boxes on the game but it really was gambling when you think about it due to the fact you were paying for something not knowing what you were going to receive. 

It makes sense now though why they removed them in Overwatch 2 and found other ways for you to get in game items, at least now you know what you are getting and what you are paying for and it's less than a gamble. 

[Reality vs Adventure]

I think you have to be 18 to open your own bank account in the USA. And preteens need a parent. Strange though because I remember having a bank account at 16 without a parent so I guess it changed. But that would make sense to not be able to make any in game purchases if you can't even open your own bank account, meaning purchases should be 18+. The younger teens who have a bank account opened with a parent would ultimately leave the parents partially responsible to look at transaction history to see what their child is spending money on. So should loot boxes be only for 18+ or 15+? I don't know. But for sure no 8 year old should have access to buying anything. 

[Kane99]

1 hour ago, Reality vs Adventure said:

I think you have to be 18 to open your own bank account in the USA. And preteens need a parent. Strange though because I remember having a bank account at 16 without a parent so I guess it changed. But that would make sense to not be able to make any in game purchases if you can't even open your own bank account, meaning purchases should be 18+. The younger teens who have a bank account opened with a parent would ultimately leave the parents partially responsible to look at transaction history to see what their child is spending money on. So should loot boxes be only for 18+ or 15+? I don't know. But for sure no 8 year old should have access to buying anything. 

I thought it was 16 as well, but maybe it is 18, or it depends on your location in the US. I'm 33, so I don't know what the age requirements are in order to get a bank account. I know with a guardian you can start a bank account at any time. I think parents can create a bank account for their kids. 

Loot boxes should automatically render a game with an M rating. Since it promotes gambling, it should be 18+, which would also require the game to be rated M due to it. I believe that's a rule that some are trying to enact. And I think that's fair. Especially if you can buy loot boxes in game. That in my view constitutes gambling and therefore should in turn result in a game being rated as such. 

Loot boxes should never be in a game that's rated below Mature. But, only if it's lootboxes you get via buying in game. If you get free loot boxes from the game and playing the game, then I don't see an issue with it and therefore I see no issue rating that an E or T. But, when it sells loot boxes for real money, then yes, it should be rated M.

To answer your question, loot boxes should only be for legal adults 18+, or in some states 21+. 

[killamch89]

On 12/18/2022 at 2:37 PM, Reality vs Adventure said:

I think you have to be 18 to open your own bank account in the USA. And preteens need a parent. Strange though because I remember having a bank account at 16 without a parent so I guess it changed. But that would make sense to not be able to make any in game purchases if you can't even open your own bank account, meaning purchases should be 18+. The younger teens who have a bank account opened with a parent would ultimately leave the parents partially responsible to look at transaction history to see what their child is spending money on. So should loot boxes be only for 18+ or 15+? I don't know. But for sure no 8 year old should have access to buying anything. 

Parents have to take some of the responsibility and I'm referring to the ones that just willingly give their kids their Credit Card info to make these purchases. They need to interrogate their kids more as well as monitor them to see what kinds of games their kids are into.