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UrekMazino said :
Dilbert2001 said :
Quote the "anti-loot box laws" if they are not fake please. Don't just tell me that GDPR is loot box law.
I never did? You brought up the GDPR from the Michael case, which was a law that forced EA to release his personal information, nothing to do with loot box. Did you actually read the article? Are you actually reading my replies or just skimming?

Dilbert2001 said :
Don't tell me the failed "UK petition" is law. Don't tell me the Failed Chris Lee Loot Box BILLS are laws.
Did I ever say any of that? Don't try to put words in my mouth.

Anyways, for every failed bill to pass, there will be one that will be successful.

US - https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=04c83f73-6a42-43ec-baf3-dd30b7094ab0

Dutch - https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-43906306

Dutch - https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/04/dutch-government-rules-some-loot-boxes-count-as-illegal-gambling/

Dutch pressuring EU - https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-04-20-dutch-gaming-authority-wants-eu-wide-loot-box-legislation

Belgian - https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/325085/2K_tweaks_loot_boxes_in_NBA_2K_to_comply_with_new_Belgian_gambling_laws.php

China - https://techraptor.net/content/chinas-loot-box-law-may-actually-help-games-like-overwatch-get-more-money

Hawaii - https://techraptor.net/content/hawaii-proposes-bills-regulate-games-loot-boxes

Before you say these aren't getting rid of MTX, let me remind you that the point we were talking about is new laws regarding MTX in general, or modifications on existing ones. So that I may save myself a reply before you inevitably misunderstand me or deliberately change the topic/move goal post.

In other words and in a nutshell, no new LAWS have been passed and nothing even said in the future.

03-Oct-2018 18:54:15

03-Oct-2018 19:00:17

UrekMazino said :
Dilbert2001 said :
In other words and in a nutshell, no new LAWS have been passed and nothing even said in the future.
No?

LOL. Obviously they are not anything new.

For instance, you quoted:

"China - https://techraptor.net/content/chinas-loot-box-law-may-actually-help-games-like-overwatch-get-more-money"

But check the date please. It was 2016, definitely not anything new. And we knew the result already now in 2018. Loot boxes are absolutely, totally, 100%, completely not banned in China.

The Loot Box Law actually helped games like Overwatch to get more money in China part is absolutely true though. You know why? Because it cleared the blur line between legitimate Overwatch loot boxes from illegal 3rd party gambling. So consumers are comfortable to spend their money on a healthy legal commercial products.

03-Oct-2018 19:09:00 - Last edited on 03-Oct-2018 19:13:54 by Dilbert2001

03-Oct-2018 19:16:40

The good thing about the real governments trying to clear the blur line between gaming and gambling is it actually helps the play for fun users. It only hurts the players who are in games for real money gain, mind it real money trading or simply illegal offsite gambling.

Rest assured, "games" with all random loot boxes but no actual elements of a game or virtual world like Big Fish Casino should be considered gambling but Runescape has 18 years of content. It is certainly a game but not gambling.

Last year now, we heard a lot of "UK petitions" and such but this kind of players have noticeably been missing in almost every game. Just a couple left now. Why? Because most of them get smarter. They knew they more they cry against loot boxes, the more the real government will investigate and fix the real problems. The blur line is obviously in real money trading and offsite gambling. The most the world government can do to loot boxes is just like what the Chinese did - ESRB/PEGI labels (which is happening already) and odds reveal.

Offsite gambling is obvious bad. I have no sympathy with this group of "players". However, to the more legitimate players who play the game for real money player trading gains in games like DoTA and CS:GO, they certainly find the dominoes falling to the wrong side.

03-Oct-2018 19:32:52 - Last edited on 03-Oct-2018 19:34:29 by Dilbert2001

03-Oct-2018 19:48:05 - Last edited on 03-Oct-2018 19:50:00 by UrekMazino

Sine Jagex is a company mostly operated in UK. The UK gambling laws are the ones that affect them the most.

Last year around this time, the UK Gambling Commission have their stance on loot box "gambling" revealed:

"According to UK Gambling Commission Executive Director Tim Miller, loot boxes in games like Star Wars Battlefront 2 and Overwatch aren’t gambling because the items obtained in these loot boxes can’t be considered money or money’s worth. What this means is that the items players get in games like Star Wars Battlefront 2 can’t be resold or used outside the game, so they don’t fall under the umbrella of gambling activity."

https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/news-action-and-statistics/news/2017/Loot-boxes-within-video-games.aspx

It is really obvious, loot boxes in any game that can't be resold or used outside the game don't fall under the umbrella of gambling activity. Runescape doesn't allow players to cash out any of the in game items/currencies, TH is obviously not a gambling activity.

Apparently UK gamers learned a lot already, so no more UK Petition against loot boxes since then.

03-Oct-2018 20:07:21

04-Oct-2018 03:05:29