Current Events > Bill to Ban Lootboxes RAPIDLY advancing through Congress

(+) Yeah! (+)

Bill: https://www.hawley.senate.gov/sites/default/files/2019-05/Loot-Box-Bill-Text.pdf

Simplified video summary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UUmObNp2r8" data-time="

Article: https://www.pcgamer.com/us-loot-box-ban-bill-gains-bipartisan-support-in-the-senate/

To be clear. This bill is rapidly moving through Congress but it is not law yet

Highlights:
-Bill defines what a game that is played by minors is. The ESRB rating system is not related to this what so ever.
Examples: Subject matter, visual content, music and audio content, age of characters, celebrity presence in the game, etc

-Bill defines and bans pay to win mechanics
Examples: Paying for advantage, paying for faster progression, restricted areas of the game hidden behind paywalls, etc

-Bill defines and bans a wide variety of Lootboxes INCLUDING cosmetic only. Note: this does NOT ban direct purchase cosmetic items

-Congress mandates a full report detailing micro transactions and pay to win mechanics. Once Congress better understands them, know who they target and how much money they make, they will then re-evaluate the law in 2 years and make adjustments as needed.
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Gaming industry brought this on themselves
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Won't somebody please think of the children!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RybNI0KB1bg" data-time="
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This is the easiest free political points move imaginable. You say you're protecting kids to some voters, going after videogames to other voters, protecting consumer rights to even more voters, and end up only pissing off a tiny number of people.

A bunch of idiot execs killed their golden goose out of pure greed by making the government stepping in absolutely irrestable for politicians. Hope you like losing billions of dollars morons, if only you self-regulated and didn't go to such obvious gambling extremes you'd be reaping it in for years more.
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I mean...this is...good? Everybody hates microtransactions, right?
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Thank you EA for making all this possible
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DepreceV2 posted...

-Bill defines and bans pay to win mechanics
Examples: Paying for advantage, paying for faster progression, restricted areas of the game hidden behind paywalls, etc

I understand wanting to get rid of the boxes that are essentially just slot machines for kids but why get rid of a box that lets people pay to win? Before answering, pretend you aren't a whiny child and I'm not talking about multiplayer games.

Why should the government stop a business from offering that option to people? I don't see the negative. If I don't have time to grind for 40 hours to get some gun upgrade, why should the federal government step in and stop a business from offering me a short cut to that upgrade? Why should the government care if I'm spending my money like that?

Seems like an area of life that doesn't need big brother.
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It won't get through, the video game lobbyists will spend millions and block it.
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Blue_Dream87 posted...

Gaming industry brought this on themselves

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MorbidFaithless posted...

I mean...this is...good? Everybody hates microtransactions, right?

Potentially good. You never know how politicians might fuck something up
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@Irony you mad bruh
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Winning!
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Good. MorbidFaithless posted...

I mean...this is...good? Everybody hates microtransactions, right?

Sadly it wont end micro transactions, I believe its the fact that its basicly gambling that makes Loot boxes bad.
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How do they define a minor?
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MorbidFaithless posted...

I mean...this is...good? Everybody hates microtransactions, right?

Not me, I enjoy how games have been adding free DLC in exchange for adding lootboxes when it's done right.
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Blue_Dream87 posted...

Gaming industry brought this on themselves

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ColdOne666 posted...

It won't get through, the video game lobbyists will spend millions and block it.

They'll try but the lobbyists will fail.
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2 years though.
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Trigg3rH4ppy posted...

MorbidFaithless posted...

I mean...this is...good? Everybody hates microtransactions, right?

Not me, I enjoy how games have been adding free DLC in exchange for adding lootboxes when it's done right.

... So why not just pay for dlc instead of loot boxes?
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I'm glad.
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MC_BatCommander posted...

Trigg3rH4ppy posted...

MorbidFaithless posted...

I mean...this is...good? Everybody hates microtransactions, right?

Not me, I enjoy how games have been adding free DLC in exchange for adding lootboxes when it's done right.

... So why not just pay for dlc instead of loot boxes?

Cuz then free dlc and dont have to actually buy loot boxes?
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Why is everyone happy? This would be a win for the Republicans
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whitelytning posted...

If I don't have time to grind for 40 hours to get some gun upgrade, why should the federal government step in and stop a business from offering me a short cut to that upgrade?

But there is no guarantee you are going to get that upgrade when you spend that money to get loot boxes.
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EndOfDiscOne posted...

Why is everyone happy? This would be a win for the Republicans

Who cares about what party wins? Its about gamers
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whitelytning posted...

DepreceV2 posted...

-Bill defines and bans pay to win mechanics
Examples: Paying for advantage, paying for faster progression, restricted areas of the game hidden behind paywalls, etc

I understand wanting to get rid of the boxes that are essentially just slot machines for kids but why get rid of a box that lets people pay to win? Before answering, pretend you aren't a whiny child and I'm not talking about multiplayer games.

Why should the government stop a business from offering that option to people? I don't see the negative. If I don't have time to grind for 40 hours to get some gun upgrade, why should the federal government step in and stop a business from offering me a short cut to that upgrade? Why should the government care if I'm spending my money like that?

Seems like an area of life that doesn't need big brother.

Why not just not play games that are intentionally made to be shit, then? If the pay to win option can't be included, then presumably the incentive to intentionally make games awful is gone.
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Very WOW
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MorbidFaithless posted...

I mean...this is...good? Everybody hates microtransactions, right?

B-b-b-b-but what if they ban, like, games next???? I'm not paranoid!!!!!
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DepreceV2 posted...

EndOfDiscOne posted...

Why is everyone happy? This would be a win for the Republicans

Who cares about what party wins? Its about gamers

Honestly to pass though both branches both parties need to win. Even if more republicans then democrats voted for it.
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I don't care how whoever defines anything. Or what excuse it needs to be.
Anything that rids gaming of this cancerous shit is welcomed. By whatever means necessary.
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I am always amazed by what congress actually manages to sit down and do in full agreement.

crisis with 1000 other things in the country, but these fucks can all get together in complete agreement to stop microtransactions....this is why the country is doomed.

On the one hand like yeah this is good, on the other hand I'm nervous about a bunch of 60 year olds who only know what an NES is passing legislation about video games.

Reminds me of that time they banned all video games in Florida.
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thanks-gohan posted...

kayoticdreamz posted...

I am always amazed by what congress actually manages to sit down and do in full agreement.

crisis with 1000 other things in the country, but these fucks can all get together in complete agreement to stop microtransactions....this is why the country is doomed.

"congress getting together to stop bad thing is why the country is doomed!!!"

what is fucking reading comprehension for $2000 Alex.

Hexenherz posted...

On the one hand like yeah this is good, on the other hand I'm nervous about a bunch of 60 year olds who only know what an NES is passing legislation about video games.

The guy who wrote the bill is 39, and it seems to understand the issues quite well.
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Look, I know we're supposed to hate this because a Republican did it, but fuck Lootboxes.

I'm sure it will end up blowing up in our faces, but I don't even care. This shit has ruined gaming so burn it all down if we must.
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I'd want them to make an entire package and sell it for 60 bucks. No dlc, or microtransactions any more.
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whitelytning posted...

DepreceV2 posted...

-Bill defines and bans pay to win mechanics
Examples: Paying for advantage, paying for faster progression, restricted areas of the game hidden behind paywalls, etc

I understand wanting to get rid of the boxes that are essentially just slot machines for kids but why get rid of a box that lets people pay to win? Before answering, pretend you aren't a whiny child and I'm not talking about multiplayer games.

Why should the government stop a business from offering that option to people? I don't see the negative. If I don't have time to grind for 40 hours to get some gun upgrade, why should the federal government step in and stop a business from offering me a short cut to that upgrade? Why should the government care if I'm spending my money like that?

Seems like an area of life that doesn't need big brother.

Well a game really should be very clear about its P2W microtransactions in advertising and such.

If a game advertises itself as skill based but has a bunch of P2W that could be considered false advertising.

And a game that you pay for and is essentially hobbling the experience unless you pay more money...

Imagine selling a chair but hiding the fact that you have to buy the last leg for chair or else its super wobbly and might break.

Games should have to have clear labels in packaging and advertising if they have P2W at the very least.

It also should be illegal to do lootboxes if you don't very clearly and openly let players know what their chances are.
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See how fast government moves when there are no lobbyists to bog the process down? Sadly it's practically always something that doesn't affect these old fucks nor something their voters would rage at them for
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Remember how Doom Art said he hopes this fails just because a republican came up with it
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TennTux posted...

Remember how Doom Art said he hopes this fails just because a republican came up with it

Doesn't surprise me a bit.
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if they ban loot boxes the price of games will go up $10-20

they've been saying for a while now that loot boxes and dlc is how they make enough money to keep supporting games. they'll use it as an excuse to jack up prices
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nooooo!!!! this is terrible news !

how many games will stop being f2p or shutdown because of this ?

probably a lot of people are going to lose their jobs
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whitelytning posted...

DepreceV2 posted...

-Bill defines and bans pay to win mechanics
Examples: Paying for advantage, paying for faster progression, restricted areas of the game hidden behind paywalls, etc

I understand wanting to get rid of the boxes that are essentially just slot machines for kids but why get rid of a box that lets people pay to win? Before answering, pretend you aren't a whiny child and I'm not talking about multiplayer games.

Why should the government stop a business from offering that option to people? I don't see the negative. If I don't have time to grind for 40 hours to get some gun upgrade, why should the federal government step in and stop a business from offering me a short cut to that upgrade? Why should the government care if I'm spending my money like that?

Seems like an area of life that doesn't need big brother.

How do people say these things with a straight face or without an oh shit moment?

Because they are purposefully designing their games like shit so that you will want to pay to not have to put up with shit, that shouldn't be there in the first place, if this wasnt allowed to get so out of hand.

Its blatantly anti consumer.
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thronedfire2 posted...

if they ban loot boxes the price of games will go up $10-20

they've been saying for a while now that loot boxes and dlc is how they make enough money to keep supporting games. they'll use it as an excuse to jack up prices

This is fucking bullshit.

Rockstar is probably the king of making money off microtransactions with GTA Online, and they never had to rely on lootboxes to do it.

You make content people want, they'll buy it. Putting it behind random chance is bullshit.
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TennTux posted...

Remember how Doom Art said he hopes this fails just because a republican came up with it

Yeah, it was a fucking appalling comment.
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Prices gonna go up for responsible game players now because the irresponsible ones need the gov't to stop them from spending more money.
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