Loot box disclosure fines are a joke | This Week in Business
Earlier this week, we reported that European ratings board PEGI made an example out of Activision Blizzard and Plaion for leaving some key information out of their submissions for Diablo Immortal and a limited-edition release of Hunt: Showdown, respectively.
Specifically, the publishers neglected to mention that their games contained randomized in-game purchases, or as they're more commonly called, loot boxes.
Now, this is serious business, right? We all know how big a deal this is, especially given the legislative efforts around the world that view loot boxes as an unregulated form of gambling often targeting children.
And if there's one thing we keep hearing from the industry, it's that everybody is taking this seriously. QUOTE | "The games industry takes its responsibility to players very seriously and acknowledges that some people are concerned." – A UKIE spokesperson, in response to the mental health director of Britain's NHS calling for a ban on loot boxes because it was "setting kids up for addiction." QUOTE | "We take seriously the issues raised in the UK Parliament's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee report, but strongly disagree with its findings…" – The Entertainment Software Association tells UK legislators to get stuffed for suggesting that loot box sales to kids should be banned. QUOTE | "We strongly believe that our games are developed and implemented ethically and lawfully around the world, and take these responsibilities very seriously." – An EA spokesperson responds to a 2018 Belgian regulatory ruling that loot boxes in games like FIFA and Overwatch violate gambling legislation.
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