Battlefront 2 officially considered gambling

Warhound

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(so I have no idea how ti embed youtube on this site so I will just provide the link)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h03EY02y2WE

Shits happening! Fuck EA.
 

Jamcie Kerbizz

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and yeah, burn EA. Burn. But there are plenty of other corporations in this business that feed happily on this garbage and they need to be all brought in line. Activision, Ubisoft, WB, Bethesda, Square Enix, Take-Two to name biggest ones that have their hands dirty. No more criminal activity in full legality. I hope that these corpos will fall back on messed up EULAs, DRMs and 'games as service' BS and these practises will get investigated next.
Just a tip of an iceberg here. I hope one of investigators will go through what sort of data these companies were collecting on their clients under the guise of 'game as a service, always online required', that's when shit will hit the fan.
 

Phoenixmgs_v1legacy

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That's pretty awesome. I definitely don't like loot boxes and I've never spent a dime on them. The only game that I even played with then is Mass Effect 3's MP and I quit that game because I just wanted to get such and such character to try out but I got tired of playing just for credits instead of just playing to play.

However, at least in the US, I don't get how loot boxes are gambling. How are they any different than buying a pack of baseball cards or a pack of cards for a collectible card game? Same with stuff like HeroClix. That's some sorta dice collectible game too with dice packs, I forget what that is called. Is all that stuff called gambling in Europe too? Because if loot boxes become officially considered gambling, there's lots of other things that will get hit too. That means, at least in the US, I don't see anything happening to loot boxes because there would be too many other companies effected and thus too much lobby money to get any type of bill passed.
 

Jamcie Kerbizz

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Phoenixmgs said:
That's pretty awesome. I definitely don't like loot boxes and I've never spent a dime on them. The only game that I even played with then is Mass Effect 3's MP and I quit that game because I just wanted to get such and such character to try out but I got tired of playing just for credits instead of just playing to play.

However, at least in the US, I don't get how loot boxes are gambling. How are they any different than buying a pack of baseball cards or a pack of cards for a collectible card game? Same with stuff like HeroClix. That's some sorta dice collectible game too with dice packs, I forget what that is called. Is all that stuff called gambling in Europe too? Because if loot boxes become officially considered gambling, there's lots of other things that will get hit too. That means, at least in the US, I don't see anything happening to loot boxes because there would be too many other companies effected and thus too much lobby money to get any type of bill passed.
Cards/collectibles sales schemes are also mild form of gambling, overlooked but if enough of greedy corporations start crying they were just doing what the cards companies did, I hope the house will get cleaned here as well, hence my nuclear launch clip. It will not be pretty but it's for the best at this point.
 

Warhound

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Phoenixmgs said:
That's pretty awesome. I definitely don't like loot boxes and I've never spent a dime on them. The only game that I even played with then is Mass Effect 3's MP and I quit that game because I just wanted to get such and such character to try out but I got tired of playing just for credits instead of just playing to play.

However, at least in the US, I don't get how loot boxes are gambling. How are they any different than buying a pack of baseball cards or a pack of cards for a collectible card game? Same with stuff like HeroClix. That's some sorta dice collectible game too with dice packs, I forget what that is called. Is all that stuff called gambling in Europe too? Because if loot boxes become officially considered gambling, there's lots of other things that will get hit too. That means, at least in the US, I don't see anything happening to loot boxes because there would be too many other companies effected and thus too much lobby money to get any type of bill passed.
I haven't looked into it too closely but you don't have to pass a bill to make something gambling or not, its up to regulatory committees, and things like the ESRB could be talked into changing their ratings to AO, which is not a government body, but every game store/platform chooses not to stock AO games.
 
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Oh man, EA must be shitting themselves right about now. This is not going the way they wanted it to go at all. XD They're probably getting angry calls from Disney as we type.

I, for one, can't wait to watch the fireworks. If I was Blizzard/activision, I'd be taking a good hard look at the loot box systems of Overwatch and Destiny 2 in case this extends to all loot boxes and not just ones that sell power to the players.
 

Neverhoodian

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Normally I'm not a fan of government shoving its nose in gaming, as it usually causes more harm than good. In this case, however...

Fuck lootboxes. They are a cancer upon the medium and I for one would be glad to see them eradicated in all their forms. The industry has clearly demonstrated that they are incapable of restraint or self-regulation on this front, so they have nobody to blame but themselves for this epic blowback. I can only hope this starts a precedent that ultimately results in the complete abandonment of the system (and hey, while they're at it perhaps they could look into season passes, preorder bonuses, paid mods and other such anti-consumer bullshit, as the industry obviously isn't budging there either).

God bless Belgium and Hawaii.
 

Neurotic Void Melody

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Ooh, can't wait to see where this leads. Excellent job, Belgianese gaming commission and Koen Geens (Great name btw, I am jealousiez)!
 

Erttheking

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Good, fucking wonderful. They tried to fuck us all over, so I'm glad THEY'RE getting fucked over.

They went and stuck their dick in the hornet's nest, so now I'm just going to sit back and count the stings.

I'm just gonna sit back and wait to see how Disney reacts to EA bringing gambling regulation into their family friendly franchise. I doubt they're gonna be happy.
 

Quellist

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Oct 7, 2010
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Phoenixmgs said:
That's pretty awesome. I definitely don't like loot boxes and I've never spent a dime on them. The only game that I even played with then is Mass Effect 3's MP and I quit that game because I just wanted to get such and such character to try out but I got tired of playing just for credits instead of just playing to play.

However, at least in the US, I don't get how loot boxes are gambling. How are they any different than buying a pack of baseball cards or a pack of cards for a collectible card game? Same with stuff like HeroClix. That's some sorta dice collectible game too with dice packs, I forget what that is called. Is all that stuff called gambling in Europe too? Because if loot boxes become officially considered gambling, there's lots of other things that will get hit too. That means, at least in the US, I don't see anything happening to loot boxes because there would be too many other companies effected and thus too much lobby money to get any type of bill passed.
Although it technically makes no difference to whether its gambling or not with physical cards you have a product with value outside of the companies control. You can play those cards, trade them with other people and display them however you like. With lootboxes you can't use your 'rewards' outside of the game enviroment nor can you trade them with other players
 

Canadamus Prime

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One small victory. It's still a long road before we squash this shit for good, be let's celebrate what victories we can.
 

McElroy

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I think they should be allowed. I'm for the mythical Smart And Aware Consumer who doesn't spend money on stupid shit.
 
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McElroy said:
I think they should be allowed. I'm for the mythical Smart And Aware Consumer who doesn't spend money on stupid shit.
I think the probable issue here is that they will need to be regulated as gambling and not for sale to children rather than banned as a thing altogether.
 

McElroy

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Zykon TheLich said:
McElroy said:
I think they should be allowed. I'm for the mythical Smart And Aware Consumer who doesn't spend money on stupid shit.
I think the probable issue here is that they will need to be regulated as gambling and not for sale to children rather than banned as a thing altogether.
Yes, children shouldn't be able to make in-app purchases on their own at all.
 

Gethsemani_v1legacy

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This is, to borrow a phrase from Churchill, not the end or even the beginning of the end. It is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-11-22-star-wars-battlefront-2-loot-crates-belgian-gaming-commission-hawaii-chris-lee] has already pointed out that this is little more then a declaration of intent. There's no strategy, no legislation, no nothing and even if there was it would be for Belgium only. This won't have an impact until all of the EU legislates to make loot crates gambling, which is likely several years off.

It is a good start, but a lot remains to be done before EA has any cause for concern about their poor monetization model.
 

EternallyBored

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Gethsemani said:
This is, to borrow a phrase from Churchill, not the end or even the beginning of the end. It is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-11-22-star-wars-battlefront-2-loot-crates-belgian-gaming-commission-hawaii-chris-lee] has already pointed out that this is little more then a declaration of intent. There's no strategy, no legislation, no nothing and even if there was it would be for Belgium only. This won't have an impact until all of the EU legislates to make loot crates gambling, which is likely several years off.

It is a good start, but a lot remains to be done before EA has any cause for concern about their poor monetization model.
In EA?s case they already have concern because I imagine them, and that Hawaiian legislator specifically calling out battlefront and comparing it to cigarette companies using joe camel to advertise to kids, is likely going to get them to pull back on loot boxes for the moment, at least to the extent Battlefront and need for speed tried to do them. I imagine they will pull back and resume gradually pushing forward again trying to push the line on what consumers will tolerate. We will likely see some changes, maybe something like their FIFA games where they relegate the pay to win mechanics to a specific game mode.

Otherwise, I am glad we are at least starting on this now, government moves slow so it?s good to get the debate and discussion started because who knows how far companies will push things in the next few years. I am just waiting for energy bars and wait timers that are so frequent in mobile games to start showing up in full price releases.
 

Canadamus Prime

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Gethsemani said:
This is, to borrow a phrase from Churchill, not the end or even the beginning of the end. It is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-11-22-star-wars-battlefront-2-loot-crates-belgian-gaming-commission-hawaii-chris-lee] has already pointed out that this is little more then a declaration of intent. There's no strategy, no legislation, no nothing and even if there was it would be for Belgium only. This won't have an impact until all of the EU legislates to make loot crates gambling, which is likely several years off.

It is a good start, but a lot remains to be done before EA has any cause for concern about their poor monetization model.
I'll take my victories where I can get them. Hell I live in Canada and I have no idea what our government is doing about this. Baby steps.
 

Gethsemani_v1legacy

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Canadamus Prime said:
I'll take my victories where I can get them. Hell I live in Canada and I have no idea what our government is doing about this. Baby steps.
Don't get me wrong, this is a good thing and I am happy that governments are finally becoming aware of the shady practice of loot boxes in games. But, and this is important, we should not be hailing this as a great stride for consumer rights or a great blow to greedy business practices. This might be the first silenced shot in a long legal struggle regarding the juridical definition of loot boxes, but it might also be a punch into thin air or some bluster that goes nowhere. We'll only know in half a decade or so if this really materializes into actual legislation.
 

kasperbbs

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McElroy said:
I think they should be allowed. I'm for the mythical Smart And Aware Consumer who doesn't spend money on stupid shit.
I wouldn't mind their existence if the game didn't suffer for it. If this continues them soon our Console/PC markets will be no different than the garbage you find on IOS and Android marketplace, except the initial 60$ price tag.
 

Canadamus Prime

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Gethsemani said:
Canadamus Prime said:
I'll take my victories where I can get them. Hell I live in Canada and I have no idea what our government is doing about this. Baby steps.
Don't get me wrong, this is a good thing and I am happy that governments are finally becoming aware of the shady practice of loot boxes in games. But, and this is important, we should not be hailing this as a great stride for consumer rights or a great blow to greedy business practices. This might be the first silenced shot in a long legal struggle regarding the juridical definition of loot boxes, but it might also be a punch into thin air or some bluster that goes nowhere. We'll only know in half a decade or so if this really materializes into actual legislation.
Not necessarily. Considering that legislation covering gambling already exists, simply ruling that loot boxes count as gambling means that they are accountable to existing legislation.