After becoming the subject of controversy last week, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is attempting to win back favor with the industry with the announcement of a new regulation policy that will affect all games on all three major console platforms. Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft will now be required to disclose the odds of paid microtransaction lootbox drops for future games releasing on their systems. Other publishers have also agreed to the new policy, such as Activision Blizzard, Bandai Namco, Bethesda, Bungie, Electronic Arts, Take-Two, Ubisoft, W.B. Interactive, and Wizards of the Coast. All of the aforementioned companies must adhere to disclosing the probability of all their lootboxes by the end of 2020. Any new game, or any update that adds in-game purchases will now have to allow for players to see the percentage of rare item drops when opening a lootbox with real-world currency.

In addition, several of ESA’s publisher members already disclose the relative rarity or probability of obtaining in-game virtual items from purchased loot boxes, and other major publishers have agreed to do so no later than the end of 2020. Together, these publishers include Activision Blizzard, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, Bethesda, Bungie, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Take-Two Interactive, Ubisoft, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and Wizards of the Coast. Many other ESA members are considering a disclosure. The disclosure will apply to all new games and updates to games that add such in-game purchases and will be presented in a manner that is understandable and easily accessed.In addition, several of ESA’s publisher members already disclose the relative rarity or probability of obtaining in-game virtual items from purchased loot boxes, and other major publishers have agreed to do so no later than the end of 2020. Together, these publishers include Activision Blizzard, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, Bethesda, Bungie, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Take-Two Interactive, Ubisoft, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and Wizards of the Coast. Many other ESA members are considering a disclosure. The disclosure will apply to all new games and updates to games that add such in-game purchases and will be presented in a manner that is understandable and easily accessed.

Source

 

[DarkKaine]

A decent company would, after a fair amount of social media backlash, opt to completely remove this kind of shit and gain money through actual expansions that people are more than happy to pay for and issue a public apology.
A shitty company would try and find loopholes in laws just so they can keep selling you their fucking crap, or release a good game without microtransactions and after they get good reviews they'll be added anyway.
Publishers can be considered villains at this point.
Seriously, modern gaming is shite. If it wasn't for the occasional good game and indie developers I would have walked out on this hobby a long time ago..

 

[DBlaze]

Scapegoat mechanism with 0 meaning in the hopes everyone else will shut up about loot boxes.

 

[leon315]

E.A. motto is "Loot boxes are just surprise mechanics"


My motto is almost the same "its not piracy why i pirate EA games, its surprise ownership"

hope u support other devs like CDprojekt?? if not ur a bad guy

 

[FAST6191]

hope u support other devs like CDprojekt?? if not ur a bad guy

What if CDprojekt are bad people? I mean I see on many game media sites they have both long hours and put their virtual characters into ghettos sometimes.

As long as the lootboxes dont give you any benefits, I don't see why anyone should ban them.

What are benefits? Better camo? Different optics? Different weapons that still do the same effective damage? Stuff that skips hours of grind?
We could probably agree on stuff where stuff is overpowered (pay to win being the usual term) but if I know I am playing against a normal player rather than a paid up one then they have few strategies to employ.

 

[RedBlueGreen]

What the big three doxxed someone?

The ESA had an unencrypted spreadsheet featuring the personal information of all the game journalists attending E3. Included were names, home addresses, email addresses, and I believe phone numbers as well. This was literally an unencrypted plaintext document that was on an unencrypted server.

 

[71r3n]

Just had a short laughter, when i saw ubisoft an E.A. on that list... xD

 

[leon315]

What if CDprojekt are bad people? I mean I see on many game media sites they have both long hours and put their virtual characters into ghettos sometimes.

invasive loot boxes are Cancer of gamindustry, but when last time did u see any loot boxes in humble CDprojekt 's games?

 

[Bladexdsl]

what a fucking joke they can't just get rid of their precious micro transaction can they? it's not good enough to get your $ from buying a game these days they have to wring every fucking cent possible out of you. even nintendo has jumped on the bandwagon with that garbage piece of shit dr mario mobile TRASH. gaming sure has fallen far from the greatness it used to be...

 

[Enryx25]

what a fucking joke they can't just get rid of their precious micro transaction can they? it's not good enough to get your $ from buying a game these days they have to wring every fucking cent possible out of you. even nintendo has jumped on the bandwagon with that garbage piece of shit dr mario mobile TRASH. gaming sure has fallen far from the greatness it used to be...

Dr.Mario is free

 

[Kubas_inko]

What if CDprojekt are bad people? I mean I see on many game media sites they have both long hours and put their virtual characters into ghettos sometimes.


What are benefits? Better camo? Different optics? Different weapons that still do the same effective damage? Stuff that skips hours of grind?
We could probably agree on stuff where stuff is overpowered (pay to win being the usual term) but if I know I am playing against a normal player rather than a paid up one then they have few strategies to employ.

I think the quote says it quite well. As long as it does not benefit you, its totally ok. For example, Overwatch.

 

[Bladexdsl]

Dr.Mario is free

yeah free for what 10 minutes than you run out of energy and can't play. stop defending your precious nintendo!

 

[Rommstain]

The ESA had an unencrypted spreadsheet featuring the personal information of all the game journalists attending E3. Included were names, home addresses, email addresses, and I believe phone numbers as well. This was literally an unencrypted plaintext document that was on an unencrypted server.

Small note: It wasn't just game journalists, but also content creators and streamers.

 

[RedLuigi7890]

Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft: Finally! Now video game companies will no longer make gamers gamble!

EA: Observe.

 

[tiamat999]

Now can these 3 work on a simple refund policy for digital downloads

 

[DANTENDO]

Now can these 3 work on a simple refund policy for digital downloads

I can't think of reason why you would refund a game so you tell why

 

[FAST6191]

I can't think of reason why you would refund a game so you tell why

Lack of demo or the demo lies about the final deal.
Turns out your internet connection is not up to the task.
In most other places you can return resaleable goods. Being bits you have all kinds of hashes for then you can be sure the item can be resold just fine to someone else.
Combo of the previous two in the case of multiplayer.
Game makes you sick to play it.
For PC games you have the it won't ultimately work with the hardware as listed specs are a work of fiction.
Some tell me that having to buy it from a different shop is such an egregious failing that it demands return of invested monies. Don't see it myself here (functionally the same machine, minor software tweak aside, and all that) but ideas of failing to deliver on promises are also an option. I found the mass effect 3 ending stuff to be a bad plan but if it made it to class action status.
Turns out the company is fond of reselling data and you don't care for that.
This could go on for a while.

Personally I would much rather have the ability to resell games and lend as I see fit but refunds are a nice step along the way.

 

[DANTENDO]

Lack of demo or the demo lies about the final deal.
Turns out your internet connection is not up to the task.
In most other places you can return resaleable goods. Being bits you have all kinds of hashes for then you can be sure the item can be resold just fine to someone else.
Combo of the previous two in the case of multiplayer.
Game makes you sick to play it.
For PC games you have the it won't ultimately work with the hardware as listed specs are a work of fiction.
Some tell me that having to buy it from a different shop is such an egregious failing that it demands return of invested monies. Don't see it myself here (functionally the same machine, minor software tweak aside, and all that) but ideas of failing to deliver on promises are also an option. I found the mass effect 3 ending stuff to be a bad plan but if it made it to class action status.
Turns out the company is fond of reselling data and you don't care for that.
This could go on for a while.

Personally I would much rather have the ability to resell games and lend as I see fit but refunds are a nice step along the way.

Loads of pathetic excuses ther especially the sick one thts laughable

 

[FAST6191]

Loads of pathetic excuses ther especially the sick one thts laughable

So if one gets a VR game and the people coded it badly thus making the whole seasickness thing kick off then one is supposed to wear it and chalk it up to experience?

 

[DANTENDO]

So if one gets a VR game and the people coded it badly thus making the whole seasickness thing kick off then one is supposed to wear it and chalk it up to experience?

Put it this way if it doesn't make at least 1 person sick then thers nothing wrong with it - buy another vr game and if keep getting a sickie feeling then vr isn't for tht person

 

[FAST6191]

Put it this way if it doesn't make at least 1 person sick then thers nothing wrong with it - buy another vr game and if keep getting a sickie feeling then vr isn't for tht person

There is a spectrum of these things. Some people can do full motion at 30fps. Others have other requirements (the blanking the vision while turning being a good one) but still find themselves able to play some games. For gameplay or stylistic reasons a dev might have opted to do something that makes a given person sick but not others, even despite nominally being the same style of game.

This is getting somewhat besides the point though. Why would computer games not offer a refund policy? Plenty of other things offer return policies (maybe even by law), and in this case no money is likely to have left the seller's account for the publisher/dev, the bandwidth for the download is likely immaterial to the seller, and as the product is literally bits and bytes then it is not like it can't be resold perfectly fine to another party if somehow that distinction gets to be made.