Depending on the results of investigation, what are the potential impacts of government regulation have on EQ?
The only thing that would probably be effected are things like the Heritage Crates or those Pet Crates they used to do, and maybe the LoN Packs? Think that is mostly it? If they even take any action against 'Loot Boxes', nothing else should really be effected
Lots of different opinions out there. This link is interesting: https://www.tomshardware.com/news/ftc-agrees-investigate-loot-boxes,38165.html as is this one: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/...e-investigated-by-us-federal-trade-commission I thought this bit was especially interesting "... the Australian Senate has finally concluded its investigation into loot boxes, and recommended - well, further research. Its report states it is still too early to propose specific regulations, but argues greater clarification is needed from Australian Government regulators to cover any legal loopholes." Political grandstanding is part of it. The "let's protect the children" argument could gain some traction though. Impossible at this point to say just what MIGHT happen.
I don't get it. Whats the difference between an in game loot box and having to go buy hundreds of magic cards to get rare ones that are only in so many packs ? Or similar card games that do the same thing ? Or how about when you were a kid and bought baseball card packs and kept buying them until you got the player you wanted ?
Baseball cards are not a good example. Many countries already regulate them by disclosing odds or requiring the same number of each card to be printed. Loot boxes are part a video game and offer competitive advantages in said game. The report from Europe is da**ing enough - the uptick in child gambling correlates to loot boxes.
Loot Boxes are the new hotness, old cards had precedent for not hitting you like gambling to buy the 100 packs to get what you want. I guess since the cards had been around for so long before they flipped to adding even more rare stuff in, the rare stuff wasn't seen the same (since the lawsuits against them in the like 90s failed? and were seen as promotion add-ons). They also have collection aspects that Loot Boxes don't have, where (most) Loot Boxes are built to go after the Chase items and ignore the rest, with no general care to the vast majority of items, while the real cards have collect-ability and/or play-ability. Imagine if Loot Boxes get hit hard, then that can give them a chance to re-look at the Card Booster Packs from any game/collection and possibly hit them with the same stuff.
It seems to me that EQ2 would be more affected by regulation as they have 4+ different types of loot boxes (buying power: mercs, familiars, LoN loot, seasonal items, etc). I really like EQ's Heritage Crates; perhaps they can sell the illusion and mount from the crates for $50-$100 each and each suit for $10 if the RNG system is eliminated?
There isn't, I would feel bad for wotc if they weren't trying the same shenanigans as other video game companies in arena.
For the record he answered "Yes" to this question. "“Would you commit to undertaking this project and keeping this committee informed about it?”" He didn't open an investigation. Infact, she asked him to look into loot boxes over a year ago during his confirmation and he hasn't done anything.
Research, by definition, is an investigation. It’s inevitable that some sort of regulation of Loot Boxes occurs. It may not be anytime soon, but it’s going to happen.
It's on the INTERNETZ and you can get your mom's credit card. If you go down to corner store and buy pack of collectable cards where you are still gambling...it's the same thing.' Corner store dude won't even look at credit card. He'll figure you're getting a carton of cigs or 6 pack for someone. People without a Dairy Queen in their town never understand how this works.
This is in response to the Belgian government's proposals, and it will likely spread to include the rest of the European Union. In order to comply, companies will need to remove gambling mechanisms which rely on real currencies. They should be able to keep loot crates as long as the player can choose their own reward from a known list.
I don't know how I feel about governments regulating or taxing gambling. But I unequivocally believe that loot boxes and baseball cards and magic cards are gambling, and should be subject to the same scrutiny and regulations as lottery tickets. It seems absurd that society would regulate gambling and even restrict people under the age of 21 from doing it at all, and yet allow video games (and collector card companies) to market the same thing to children.
Heh. Baseball cards don't need any regulations because they have been dead since 1993. That was my college tuition money when I was a kid - great plan, I know - and it became worthless in a flash.
Only people with DQs in town will know! Or, TDLR... "gambling" is all around in many forms. Only the sensational saliva drippers enraptured with their fear of tech or the internetz drum up things like "Taxing loot crates."
There’s one glaring difference between Cards (which also separates it from gambling) and loot boxes. When you buy a pack of cards, you receive a physical item that can be resold without limitations. There is a secondary market created around these cards and all aspects of gambling can be removed by purchasing from a reseller. For digital items (especially items that can’t be traded), there is no secondary market. Your item is worthless, so don’t even own it, just a license to use it you can’t obtain the item without gambling, gambling is your only option. Also lots of games don’t place the odds of the item your gambling for, making it even more shady.
