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PROHIBITION OF PAY-TO-WIN MTX Thread is locked

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Barnabis
Oct Member 2015

Barnabis

Posts: 3,772 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
How will this effect Runescape?

Treasure Hunter isn't necessarily going to go away. The interface on buying keys will have to be terminated unless Jagex chooses to make this game meant for an 18+ audience. Since Jagex won't make money off TH any more, updates will be very rare and it might just be left as-is with no further updates. Keys will be earned via normal game play by key tokens, D&D completion, and quest completion.

Solomons General Store changes. There is good argument that legendary pets, bank boosters, action bars, and bank presets as pay-to-win. They greatly enhances gameplay behind additional pay walls. Jagex might have to make at least one legendary pet (like upgrade baby troll) freely available, to at least members, this will allow the additional pets being sold like Shadow Drake. The bank boosters, action bars, presets might go in the loyalty point shop...yeh this means time-gates. Loyalty rework better be on the way!

Rune Metrics. Unsure of its fate at the moment.

RunePass. It would have to be cosmetic rewards only. Like a SGS sale I suppose...

RuneCoins / Bonds. These might cost more real-world money.

Most importantly the law is subject to change. It can become more strict against MTX or lenient in video games.

Lastly there will be a review of how this effected the industry in two years. It is possible the gaming industry will hold a class action law suite against congress (Game Industry vs United States) which is a very time consuming process. If it goes to the Supreme Court, it will take several years.

I'm very excited for this law. All video game companies will have to return to their roots in working towards player retention instead of relying on a small population of whales and credit card warriors. The market is so flooded with games that rely on this business model we can afford a weeded out the market.

MTX is coming to OSRS, something like SGS to help offset the loss from loot boxes going away.
Jagex 2019 New Year Resolution... MTX our customers until RS3 SERVER SHUTDOWN PARTY!
The RS3 Community is treated like :@ RUBBISH :@ due to constant TH promotions.

Don't buy keys on Treasure Hunter, if you do Jagex will only make more TH promotions :(

05-Jun-2019 22:03:41 - Last edited on 05-Jun-2019 22:10:02 by Barnabis

Barnabis
Oct Member 2015

Barnabis

Posts: 3,772 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
(a) PROHIBITION OF PAY-TO-WIN MICROTRANSACTIONS AND SALES OF LOOT BOXES IN MINOR-ORENTED GAMES.—
LYN19247 S.L.C.
(1) GAME PUBLISHERS.—It is unlawful for a game publisher to publish—
(A) a minor-oriented game that includes pay-to-win microtransactions or loot boxes; or
(B) an update to an existing minor-ori6 ented game that would enable pay-to-win micro7 transactions or loot boxes in such game.
(2) DIGITAL GAME DISTRIBUTORS.—It is unlawful for a digital game distributor to distribute—
(A) a minor-oriented game that includes pay-to-win microtransactions or loot boxes; or
(B) an update to an existing minor-ori13 ented game that would enable pay-to-win micro14 transactions or loot boxes in such game.
(b) PROHIBITION ON PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBU16 TION OF VIDEO GAMES CONTAINING PAY-TO-WIN MICRO17 TRANSACTIONS OR PURCHASING LOOT BOXES WHERE THE PUBLISHER OR DISTRIBUTOR HAS CONSTRUCTIVE KNOWLEDGE THAT ANY USERS ARE UNDER AGE 18.—
(1) GAME PUBLISHERS.—It is unlawful for a game publisher to publish an interactive digital en22 tertainment product that is not a minor-oriented game (or an update to such a product) if—
(A) such product or update contains pay to-win microtransactions or loot boxes; and
(B) the publisher has constructive know edge that any of its users are under the age of 18.
(2) DIGITAL GAME DISTRIBUTORS.—It is unlawful for a digital game distributor to distribute an interactive digital entertainment product that is not a minor-oriented game (or an update to such a product) if—
(A) such product or update contains pay- to-win microtransactions or loot boxes; and
(B) the distributor has constructive knowl12 edge that any of its users are under the age of 18.
Jagex 2019 New Year Resolution... MTX our customers until RS3 SERVER SHUTDOWN PARTY!
The RS3 Community is treated like :@ RUBBISH :@ due to constant TH promotions.

Don't buy keys on Treasure Hunter, if you do Jagex will only make more TH promotions :(

05-Jun-2019 22:03:46 - Last edited on 05-Jun-2019 22:04:46 by Barnabis

Barnabis
Oct Member 2015

Barnabis

Posts: 3,772 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ means the Federal Trade Commission.
(2) INTERACTIVE DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCT.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘interactive digital entertainment product’’ means a pro22 gram such as a video game that is accessed by a connected device and provides an interactive entertainment experience for the user.
(B) EXCLUSION.—Such term shall not in2 clude a program if—
(i) a user’s interaction with the pro4 gram is limited to selecting options from a menu of choices; and
(ii) the program would not be consid7 ered a game by a reasonable user.
(3) DIGITAL GAME DISTRIBUTOR.—The term ‘‘digital game distributor’’ means a person that, for commercial purposes, in interstate or foreign com11 merce, distributes an interactive digital entertain12 ment product over an online platform to over 1,000 users annually.
(4) GAME PUBLISHER.—The term ‘‘game pub15 lisher’’ means a person that, for commercial pur16 poses, in interstate or foreign commerce, develops or
finances the development of an interactive digital en18 tertainment product that is distributed to over 1,000 users annually.
(5) MINOR-ORIENTED GAME.—The term ‘‘minor-oriented video game’’ means an interactive digital entertainment product for which the target audience is individuals under the age of 18, as may be demonstrated by—
(A) the subject matter of the product;
(B) the visual content of the product;
(C) the music or audio content of the prod3 uct;
(D) the use of animated characters or ac5 tivities that appeal to individuals under the age of 18;
(E) the age of the characters or models in the product;
(F) the presence in the product of—(i) celebrities who are under the age of 18; or(ii) celebrities who appeal to individ13 uals under the age of 18;
(G) the language used in the product;
(H) the content of materials used to adver16 tise the product and the platforms on which such materials appear;
Jagex 2019 New Year Resolution... MTX our customers until RS3 SERVER SHUTDOWN PARTY!
The RS3 Community is treated like :@ RUBBISH :@ due to constant TH promotions.

Don't buy keys on Treasure Hunter, if you do Jagex will only make more TH promotions :(

05-Jun-2019 22:03:49 - Last edited on 05-Jun-2019 22:04:58 by Barnabis

Barnabis
Oct Member 2015

Barnabis

Posts: 3,772 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
(I) the content of any advertising materials that appear in the product;
(J) other reliable empirical evidence relat21 ing to—
(i) the composition of the audience of the product; or
(ii) the audience of the product, as in2 tended by the publisher or distributor ofthe product; or
(K) other evidence demonstrating that the product is targeted at individuals under the age of 18.
(6) ADD-ON TRANSACTION.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘add-on transaction’’ means, with respect to an inter10 active digital entertainment product, a payment to the game publisher of an interactive digital entertainment product, an affiliate of the pub13 lisher, or any other person who accepts such payment for the benefit of the publisher, of ei15 ther money or an in-game proxy for money, such as a virtual currency, that can be pur17 chased with money, that—
(i) unlocks a feature of the product; or (ii) adds to or enhances the entertain21 ment value of the product.
(B) EXCLUSIONS.—
(i) DIFFICULTY MODES.—Such term shall not include an add-on transaction to an interactive digital entertainment product that provides the user with access to a new mode of play that makes progression through the content of the product more difficult than it would be without the transaction (as perceived by a reasonable user).
(ii) COSMETIC ALTERATIONS.—Such term shall not include an add-on transaction to an interactive digital entertainment product whose only effect is to alter a user’s visual representation within the game provided that it does not, from the perspective of a reasonable user, provide the user with a competitive advantage over other users who do not make such transaction.
Jagex 2019 New Year Resolution... MTX our customers until RS3 SERVER SHUTDOWN PARTY!
The RS3 Community is treated like :@ RUBBISH :@ due to constant TH promotions.

Don't buy keys on Treasure Hunter, if you do Jagex will only make more TH promotions :(

05-Jun-2019 22:03:52 - Last edited on 05-Jun-2019 22:05:11 by Barnabis

Barnabis
Oct Member 2015

Barnabis

Posts: 3,772 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
(iii) ADDITIONAL GAME CONTENT.— Such term shall not include an add-on transaction to an interactive digital entertainment product that adds new content to the product provided that the add-on transaction can be purchased only once by a user and the perceived value offered by such transaction, from the perspective of a reasonable user, is not that it—
(I) eases a user’s progression through content otherwise available within the product without the purchase of such transaction;
(II) assists a user in accomplishing an achievement within the product that can otherwise be accom8 plished without the purchase of such transaction;
(III) assists a user in receiving an award associated with the product that is otherwise available in association with the product without the purchase of such transaction;
(IV) permits a user to continue to access content of the product that had previously been accessible to the user but is made inaccessible after the expiration of a timer or a number of gameplay attempts; or
(V) provides a competitive advantage over other users with respect to a product’s competitive aspects.

(8) LOOT BOX.—The term ‘‘loot box’’ means an add-on transaction to an interactive digital enter3 tainment product that—
(A) in a randomized or partially random5 ized fashion—
(i) unlocks a feature of the product; or (ii) adds to or enhances the entertainment value of the product; or
(B) allows the user to make 1 or more additional add-on transactions—
(i) that the user could not have made without making the first add-on transaction; and
(ii) the content of which is unknown to the user until after the user has made the first add-on transaction.
Jagex 2019 New Year Resolution... MTX our customers until RS3 SERVER SHUTDOWN PARTY!
The RS3 Community is treated like :@ RUBBISH :@ due to constant TH promotions.

Don't buy keys on Treasure Hunter, if you do Jagex will only make more TH promotions :(

05-Jun-2019 22:03:55 - Last edited on 05-Jun-2019 22:05:25 by Barnabis

Barnabis
Oct Member 2015

Barnabis

Posts: 3,772 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
SEC. 3. ENFORCEMENT AND APPLICABILITY.
(a) ENFORCEMENT BY THE COMMISSION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise pro21 vided, this Act shall be enforced by the Commission under the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.).
(2) UNFAIR OR DECEPTIVE ACTS OR PRAC25 TICES.—A violation of this Act shall be treated as a violation of a rule defining an unfair or deceptive act or practice prescribed under section 18(a)(1)(B) of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 57a(a)(1)(B)).
(3) ACTIONS BY THE COMMISSION.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection (c)(1), the Commission shall prevent any person from violating this Act in the same manner, by the same means, and with the same jurisdiction, powers, and duties as though all applicable terms and provisions of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.) were incorporated into and made a part of this Act, and any person who violates this Act shall be subject to the penalties and entitled to the privileges and immunities provided in the Fed17 eral Trade Commission Act.
(B) VIOLATIONS.—
(i) IN GENERAL.—In an action brought by the Commission to enforce this Act, each pay-to-win microtransaction or loot box sold to a user who is under the age of 18 through an interactive digital en24 tertainment product that does not meet a requirement of this Act shall be treated as a separate violation.
(ii) CIVIL PENALTY.—Notwith4 standing section 5(m) of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 45(m)), a civil penalty recovered for a violation of this Act may be in excess of the amounts provided for in that section as the court finds appropriate to deter violations of this Act.
(iii) FIRST VIOLATIONS.—In an action brought by the Commission to enforce this Act, the Commission may seek a civil pen13 alty for any violation of this Act, including any violation that is the first violation ofthis Act that a person against whom the action is brought has committed.
Jagex 2019 New Year Resolution... MTX our customers until RS3 SERVER SHUTDOWN PARTY!
The RS3 Community is treated like :@ RUBBISH :@ due to constant TH promotions.

Don't buy keys on Treasure Hunter, if you do Jagex will only make more TH promotions :(

05-Jun-2019 22:03:59 - Last edited on 05-Jun-2019 22:05:40 by Barnabis

Barnabis
Oct Member 2015

Barnabis

Posts: 3,772 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
(b) ENFORCEMENT BY STATE ATTORNEYS GEN18 ERAL.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—
(A) CIVIL ACTIONS.—In any case in which the attorney general of a State has reason to believe that an interest of the residents of that State has been or is threatened or adversely af24 fected by the engagement of any person in a practice that violates this Act, the State, as parens patriae, may bring a civil action on be2 half of the residents of the State in an appro3 priate State court to—
(i) enjoin that practice;
(ii) enforce compliance with this Act;
(iii) obtain damages, restitution, or other compensation on behalf of residents of the State; or
(iv) obtain such other relief as the court may consider to be appropriate.
(B) NOTICE.—
(i) IN GENERAL.—Before filing an ac13 tion under subparagraph (A), the attorney general of the State involved shall provide to the Commission—
(I) written notice of that action; and
(II) a copy of the complaint for that action.
(ii) EXEMPTION.—
(I) IN GENERAL.—Clause (i) shall not apply with respect to the fil23 ing of an action by an attorney general of a State under this paragraph if the attorney general of the State determines that it is not feasible to provide the notice described in that clause before the filing of the action.
(II) NOTIFICATION.—In an ac5 tion described in subclause (I), the at6 torney general of a State shall provide notice and a copy of the complaint to the Commission at the same time as the attorney general files the action.
(2) INTERVENTION.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—On receiving notice under paragraph (1)(B), the Commission shall have the right to intervene in the action that is the subject of on the attorney general by the laws of that State to—
(A) conduct investigations;
(B) administer oaths or affirmations; or
(C) compel the attendance of witnesses or the production of documentary and other evi7 dence.
Jagex 2019 New Year Resolution... MTX our customers until RS3 SERVER SHUTDOWN PARTY!
The RS3 Community is treated like :@ RUBBISH :@ due to constant TH promotions.

Don't buy keys on Treasure Hunter, if you do Jagex will only make more TH promotions :(

05-Jun-2019 22:04:01 - Last edited on 05-Jun-2019 22:05:55 by Barnabis

Barnabis
Oct Member 2015

Barnabis

Posts: 3,772 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
(4) ACTIONS BY THE COMMISSION.—In any case in which an action is instituted by or on behalf of the Commission for violation of this Act, no State may, during the pendency of that action, institute an action under paragraph (1) against any defendant named in the complaint in the action instituted by or on behalf of the Commission for that violation.
(5) VENUE; SERVICE OF PROCESS.—
(A) VENUE.—Any action brought under paragraph (1) may be brought in any State court of competent jurisdiction.
(B) SERVICE OF PROCESS.—In an action brought under paragraph (1), process may be served wherever the defendant—
(i) is an inhabitant; or
(ii) may be found.


SEC. 4. STUDY OF COMPLIANCE.
Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to each com4 mittee of Congress with jurisdiction over the Commission a report on—
(1) the actions taken by game publishers and digital game distributors to comply with this Act; and
(2) other Federal or State laws relating to pay10 to-win microtransactions and loot boxes.
Jagex 2019 New Year Resolution... MTX our customers until RS3 SERVER SHUTDOWN PARTY!
The RS3 Community is treated like :@ RUBBISH :@ due to constant TH promotions.

Don't buy keys on Treasure Hunter, if you do Jagex will only make more TH promotions :(

05-Jun-2019 22:04:05 - Last edited on 05-Jun-2019 22:06:11 by Barnabis

Barnabis
Oct Member 2015

Barnabis

Posts: 3,772 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
SEC. 5. STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF PAY-TO-WIN MICRO12 TRANSACTIONS AND LOOT BOXES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to each committee of Congress with jurisdiction over the Commission a report on the use of add-on content, including pay-to-win microtransactions, loot boxes, and other kinds of add-on transactions in the design of interactive digital entertainment products for audiences of all ages.
(b) CONTENT OF REPORT.—The report required under subsection (a) shall—
(1) analyze the use of pay-to-win microtrans24 action and loot box design practices in specific interactive digital entertainment products;
(2) analyze the psychological effects of pay-to2 win microtransactions and loot boxes on users;
(3) study game development practices relating to pay-to-win microtransactions and loot boxes, in5 cluding A/B testing of various pay-to-win micro6 transaction or loot box designs;
Jagex 2019 New Year Resolution... MTX our customers until RS3 SERVER SHUTDOWN PARTY!
The RS3 Community is treated like :@ RUBBISH :@ due to constant TH promotions.

Don't buy keys on Treasure Hunter, if you do Jagex will only make more TH promotions :(

05-Jun-2019 22:04:07 - Last edited on 05-Jun-2019 22:06:34 by Barnabis

Barnabis
Oct Member 2015

Barnabis

Posts: 3,772 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
(4) analyze the effects of pay-to-win microtrans8 actions and loot boxes on investment and production in the digital entertainment industry;
(5) document different types of pay-to-win microtransactions and loot boxes found in interactive digital entertainment products; and
(6) analyze whether other forms of add-on transactions to interactive digital entertainment products, such as those altering a user’s visual rep16 resentation within a product, can induce compulsive purchasing behavior by minors.
(c) USE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH.—The Com19 mission may conduct or commission psychological research on users of interactive digital entertainment products to inform the report required under subsection (a).

Reference:
https://odinlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Loot-Box-Bill-Text.pdf
Jagex 2019 New Year Resolution... MTX our customers until RS3 SERVER SHUTDOWN PARTY!
The RS3 Community is treated like :@ RUBBISH :@ due to constant TH promotions.

Don't buy keys on Treasure Hunter, if you do Jagex will only make more TH promotions :(

05-Jun-2019 22:04:10 - Last edited on 05-Jun-2019 22:08:30 by Barnabis

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