The loot box controversy is refusing to die down, as EA’s greed with their egregious monetization in Star Wars Battlefront 2 is turning out to have larger repercussions than just for them or their game- it has squarely brought loot boxes, and the excess of monetization, to the attention of regulatory bodies worldwide.
Of these, we have already reported how Belgium, Netherlands, and Hawaii in the US are now looking at curtailing loot boxes- and now, Australia has joined the party, too. Jarrod Wolfe, a strategic analyst for the Compliance Division of the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation has said on Reddit (via Kotaku) that loot boxes constitute gambling by definition.
“The normalization of gambling vernacular and mechanics targeted at vulnerable persons (minors) is not just morally reprehensible, but is also legally questionable,” he said, adding that”if these companies want to include significant elements of gambling in their products then perhaps we should work with the Australian Classification Board to ensure than any product that does that and monetizes it gets an immediate R rating. I could imagine that this would send ripples through the industry and it would support the objectives of the Gambling Legislation to ensure minors are not encouraged to participate in gambling.”
Wolfe also said that anyone hoping the situation will eventually simmer down is in for a rude awakening, because he said that there are enough people knowledgeable about the medium, and about the implication of loot boxes, in governments worldwide that this situation stands to get worse.
So- hopefully, the situation continues to get worse, and the blow back forces all companies engaging in this RNG gambling bullshit in games to dial back the abuse and exploitation. Loot boxes represent everything that is wrong with modern day AAA gaming.
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