UK Government on Loot Boxes Thoughts
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I wanted to give my thoughts on the UK government stance towards loot boxes. The UK Government released this press release today which says Companies must do more to ensure safe and responsible gaming and take action on loot boxes to protect young people children and young people should not be able to buy in-game purchases known as loot boxes in video games without parental consent. The players can purchase the loot box with real money to receive random items including power-ups to help a player compete better in the game and cosmetic items such as virtual clothing. Government's call for evidence has unveiled a link between loot boxes and gambling harms as well as wider mental health financial and problem gaming harms. Government calls on game companies to step up and improve protections for children as well as players of all ages from risk of harm video game companies and platforms must do more to make sure children cannot make in-game purchases known as loot boxes without their parent’s consent the culture secretary has said some game platforms such as Xbox have already taken steps to improve productions such as including options that require parental permissions for under 18s to spend money within games.
I personally feel that this will fall on deaf ears sorry to say that simply companies who feel that they can get away with loot boxes or DLC or repackage them in some other way. They will keep doing it as long as they can take the money from people simple as that. They'll find any work around to work with it. Some game companies like Xbox do work very well to prevent this from happening but some game companies are exactly the opposite. They just want as much money as possible and they will find any loophole in order to get as much money from the customers as possible. I do agree on protecting vulnerable children but generally I do think that boxes should be banned completely. I am completely okay with cash shops. Cash shops would include for example cosmetic items. Simply, you see the cosmetic item for a fixed price you get it guaranteed. The gambling aspect of the loot boxes is what I don't approve of the idea that you get a chance of getting the item why not just sell it for a price. There is no situation where they're a good thing.
As an experienced gamer myself, someone who's been gaming for close to 30 years, it's a case of I do not see any benefit whatsoever in loot boxes. It doesn't add to any game experience. It makes the content creators who cover loot boxes look really awful and greedy. It also makes the companies show their true colours. It leads to a lowering in quality for a game so that initially it is launched broken and then all the gaps are filled with loot boxes and paid DLC. Gamers generally have been very frustrated by this idea of a game launching only at say 60 percent what it could have been and then the rest is tacked on with a price tag afterwards. I don't think this is enough but at least it's a step forward. At least the Government has said something. Other countries have gone ahead and banned them completely. We will see in the future if the UK Government also adopts complete bans on blue boxes in video games.
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