New Bill aims to ban Loot Boxes in Games for Minors under 21

[Crossbred]

Well, I’ve never seen a minor older than 20...

[Techstorm970]

5 hours ago, GDRRiley said:

...maybe you shouldn't give your kid the credit card...

Duh!!  How is this not common sense?

[AlTech]

5 hours ago, Master Disaster said:

The UK gambling commission said it couldn't class them as gambling as UK law requires a way to cash out your winnings for it to be classed as gambling.

Oh?

 

Pretty sure I saw an article about them saying it was gambling.

[Ryujin2003]

Lootboxes exist behind Star Wars BF1. It's on mobile platforms and such like that. A 15 year old doesn't need mom's credit cards to play Lootboxes. You get free daily chances and Lootboxes you pay for with in game currency you can eventually win. This conditions children to Lootboxes as an acceptable practice when they get older. Reduces their risk to reward calculations.... It's horrible, and needs to die.

[ravenshrike]

7 hours ago, dragoon20005 said:

i can assure you those players who play loot boxes are above 21 years old

 

I admit i spent a few thousands of real money worth of loot boxes

Most of them are, but games which have them will not be sold in Walmart, Gamestop, or most other retailers. Moreover, the ESRB will finally be forced(which had they done so in the first case no laws would have come to pass) to slap an AO rating on all of them, thus further restricting sales on platforms like Amazon.

[MrDynamicMan]

6 hours ago, dizmo said:

 

You can't buy alcohol, an addictive substance though right? Or cigarettes?

That's never stopped anyone though. 

 

The problem is really that it's super hard to police age restrictions. Anyone who has access to mommy's can lie, or get access to mommy's drivers license too. 

[Doobeedoo]

Whatever, they're just useless and hack peoples brains and it became main thing even before gameplay it self lately. 

Personally I don't even care about them in games. But I would never allow my self to be a sheep of putting so much time and tear out my hair over stupid shit like some do. Like I've seen those people, it's insane. It really became main attention than gameplay for some games. 

Cause if you need such a thing for a game to make people playing and keep coming back then it's a bad game most of the time. 

Now it's not always the case but then I remember kids that can a act like drones starving for crack which feed of RNG garbage for the fake quick "high" which is not even accomplishment gameplay wise. 

 

[Doobeedoo]

7 hours ago, LAwLz said:

I think the age restriction is too high. I was going to point out that you can buy alcohol earlier than you can buy lootbox but apparently the legal drinking age is 21 in all of those states, which I think is crazy. Are you seriously telling me that an 18 year old isn't allowed to drink in these states? 

 

I haven't read the bill, but judging by the title I really don't like it.

1) Age restriction is too high. The US seems to have this really weird view of legal limits where I think everything is too high, except a few things which are too low. No sex until you're 18? No drinking until you're 21? But you are allowed to drive cars at 16? Where is the logic in that?

 

2) This can do some serious damage to games which handle loot boxes well. Games such as Hearthstone where they are easy to earn in-game through regular gameplay. Games like Rainbow 6 Siege where it is only cosmetics (at least from what I know, correct me if I'm wrong).

 

3) Chances are this bill won't actually do anything.

 

4) If something happens, such as a 21 year old rating on games, then chances are it might scare parents off for the wrong reasons. A game like GTA where you do drugs, have sex and kill people? Let's give that a rating of 17. Hearthstone which is a cartoony card game very similar to the Pokemon card game nobody ever had any issues with? Let's slap a 21+ rating on that!

Yeah reason for US having 21 opposed to 18 like many other places is reason they mature later on than others in general.

Definitely some weird gaps for certain things, like driving. Half of people driving are not even good drivers. For drinking I find it funny for Americans when some say they'll drink for the first time on 21. Like what. I don't drink but where I live most had alcohol at around 13. or so. 

[GDRRiley]

7 hours ago, dizmo said:

 that's not fatal though

in the states we had someone who drank 4 or 5 energy drinks and that killed him. (not 100% but got a time crunch this morning)

 

4 hours ago, AluminiumTech said:

Nah, I think 16 is old enough for some mature individual but children do need more education about finance management.

about the only thing most people can agree on.

[Fetzie]

1 hour ago, ravenshrike said:

Most of them are, but games which have them will not be sold in Walmart, Gamestop, or most other retailers. Moreover, the ESRB will finally be forced(which had they done so in the first case no laws would have come to pass) to slap an AO rating on all of them, thus further restricting sales on platforms like Amazon.

The threat of an "AO" rating would also force major brands like Disney to reconsider their publishers or be more stringent in what they allow the game to become, because they wouldn't want their "child friendly" IP to be associated with games that get the same classification as Manhunt.

[goodtofufriday]

2 hours ago, AluminiumTech said:

Oh?

 

Pretty sure I saw an article about them saying it was gambling.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/11/25/uk-gambling-commission-determines-loot-boxes-arent-gambling-under-british-law

 

Literally first link among the entire first page on google  which you're very capable of doing.

[michaelocarroll007]

9 hours ago, GDRRiley said:

Its to hash to me I get under 16 or something but once you can take can drive you should be able to handle loot boxes.

Well if there trying to classify it similarly to gambling as its closest relative in terms of being addictive and similarities  and thats 21+, Though how they enforce this and kids just dont use a parrents account who knows. 

[michaelocarroll007]

42 minutes ago, Doobeedoo said:

Yeah reason for US having 21 opposed to 18 like many other places is reason they mature later on than others in general.

Definitely some weird gaps for certain things, like driving. Half of people driving are not even good drivers. For drinking I find it funny for Americans when some say they'll drink for the first time on 21. Like what. I don't drink but where I live most had alcohol at around 13. or so. 

i mean Most Americans have had alcohol before 21 also but its just harder to acquire at a young age. ussualy theres that one place that will sell to anyone or that one friends parent who doesn't care.  a lot do go out and have a good time at a Bar/Club type experiance at 21 as you need ID to get in. 

 

Id say 15-18 a Large % of people have had a drink in USA

[Matu20]

This bill will get thrown out at earliest convenience, I have little faith in the US government.

[dizmo]

2 hours ago, MrDynamicMan said:

That's never stopped anyone though. 

 

The problem is really that it's super hard to police age restrictions. Anyone who has access to mommy's can lie, or get access to mommy's drivers license too. 

Thats wasn't the point. The point was that they're age restricted. 

1 hour ago, GDRRiley said:

in the states we had someone who drank 4 or 5 energy drinks and that killed him. (not 100% but got a time crunch this morning)

 

about the only thing most people can agree on.

Yes. People die from drinking too much water. Should that be age restricted as well? A hyper sensitivity to something doesn't really count. 

[Ryujin2003]

7 hours ago, AluminiumTech said:

It'll legally restrict games sales to one of the main target demographics for these games.

Some countries like the UK and Belgium are already fighting this.

 

Hawaii and other states may classify it as gambling in their upcoming bill.

I can assure you that, assuming loot boxes in games is classified as Gambling, many people under the age of 21 let alone 18 have spent ridiculous amounts of money on them.

 

Snip..

The games being treated for AO will not be sold in main stores as well. GameStop, Target, Walmart, EB Games, etc... None of them will sell insider their walls. I haven't seen any adult stuff on PS store it Windows store as well. It'll also make publishers restrictive in games. Licensing still be restricted as well.

[Misanthrope]

Publishers: "Alright alright, we'll quit with the gambling nickel_and_dime bullshit"

Also Publishers: "We're supremely exited to introduce an exiting new feature to Generic Shooter 2018: The bonus container where you can find bonuses for your gaming experience based on a random number generator for a low amount of moon dollars so it's totally not like loot boxes"

[SlipperyPete]

13 hours ago, GDRRiley said:

Its to hash to me I get under 16 or something but once you can take can drive you should be able to handle loot boxes.

it should honestly be 18. if i am old enough to fight and die for my country, i should be able to open a CSGO skin crate if i want

[GDRRiley]

11 hours ago, LAwLz said:

I think the age restriction is too high. I was going to point out that you can buy alcohol earlier than you can buy lootbox but apparently the legal drinking age is 21 in all of those states, which I think is crazy. Are you seriously telling me that an 18 year old isn't allowed to drink in these states? 

 

I haven't read the bill, but judging by the title I really don't like it.

1) Age restriction is too high. The US seems to have this really weird view of legal limits where I think everything is too high, except a few things which are too low. No sex until you're 18? No drinking until you're 21? But you are allowed to drive cars at 16? Where is the logic in that?

 

2) This can do some serious damage to games which handle loot boxes well. Games such as Hearthstone where they are easy to earn in-game through regular gameplay. Games like Rainbow 6 Siege where it is only cosmetics (at least from what I know, correct me if I'm wrong).

 

3) Chances are this bill won't actually do anything.

 

4) If something happens, such as a 21 year old rating on games, then chances are it might scare parents off for the wrong reasons. A game like GTA where you do drugs, have sex and kill people? Let's give that a rating of 17. Hearthstone which is a cartoony card game very similar to the Pokemon card game nobody ever had any issues with? Let's slap a 21+ rating on that!

We are weird country when I comes to age restrictions. You forgot you can fly a plane at  any age with an instructor and 16 by your self if the instructor signs of and 17 fully. 

The drinking age is to old, you can die for the country but not drink? The sex is just a old thing it should be move to 17.

 

2) it will destory many games.

 

3) I have a feeling lawsuits will come if it passes.

 

4)I couldn't agree more

[GDRRiley]

14 minutes ago, SlipperyPete said:

it should honestly be 18. if i am old enough to fight and die for my country, i should be able to open a CSGO skin crate if i want

you can do that at 16 if your parents ok it

[SlipperyPete]

5 minutes ago, GDRRiley said:

you can do that at 16 if your parents ok it

i didnt know that. wow

so you can fight and die for a country but not vote??

10/10 shitty move USA

[GDRRiley]

Just now, SlipperyPete said:

i didnt know that. wow

so you can fight and die for a country but not vote??

10/10 shitty move USA

we have so much stuff screwed up, nothing but starting almost form the start will fix it. 

[HalGameGuru]

does this mean we are going to ban pokemon and magic the gathering? Not only is it gambling its P2W!!!!1!

 

This is political busybodying at its worst. This is not the government's place. This is for individuals and parents to decide.

[HalGameGuru]

4 hours ago, Doobeedoo said:

Yeah reason for US having 21 opposed to 18 like many other places is reason they mature later on than others in general.

Definitely some weird gaps for certain things, like driving. Half of people driving are not even good drivers. For drinking I find it funny for Americans when some say they'll drink for the first time on 21. Like what. I don't drink but where I live most had alcohol at around 13. or so. 

America's drinking age being 21 goes back to prohibition and America's penchant for being a buzzkill in general, the states decide their own drinking age but the feds pegged federal funding for highways to the drinking age being 21 because of the risk of drinking and driving in younger demographics. 99% of all legislation is complete BS

[dtaflorida]

I went to a chucky cheeze last weekend for the first time with my kid. So many games that are based on random chance with huge slant in odds against the player, the like of which I'd expect in a casino. Plz ban kids from dumping money into these games too, it's like prepping them to sit at slot machines.