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

 

[Flame]

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"

 

[DANTENDO]

I'd only ever purchase a lootbox if ther was a national lootbox day

 

[the_randomizer]

ESA? Lol, that's cute, why should anyone trust those effing morons after what happened with the so-called "accidental" doxxing? Damage control.

 

[RedoLane]

score 1 for the big three!

 

[Rabbid4240]

"It's not gambling, it's a surprise mechanic"

It's not murder, it's a surprise death

 

[Mythical]

ESA? Lol, that's cute, why should anyone trust those effing morons after what happened with the so-called "accidental" doxxing? Damage control.

What the big three doxxed someone?

 

[Techjunky90]

Loot boxes need to be banned world wide. Another thing that needs to happen in the gaming community is game developers/publishers should get fined thousands of dollars when they release broken games (Bethesda Fallout76 for example). There needs to be consumer protection.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

Can we just have separate purchase options for items listed inside lootboxes?

Feeling lucky? Here is a low cost loot box

Not feeling lucky? here is a expensive single purchase.

PROBLEM SOLVED.

 

[DANTENDO]

game developers/publishers should get fined thousands of dollars when they release broken games (Bethesda Fallout76 for example). There needs to be consumer protection.

No big openworld game can be perfect just read the reviews before buying - fining them wil just make it harder as theyl hav less money to hire better programmers

 

[Enryx25]

Lootboxes are fine for free mobile games.
I don't expect this shit in a 60$ pc/console game.

 

[Chary]

What the big three doxxed someone?

The ESA (the ones who are in charge of the industry, and therefore created this new measure) accidentally left a plain text file full of the personal information of 2000+ people on their website for months.

 

[warweeny]

The % based stuff on lootboxes has already been here for well over a year now, not sure why this is suddenly "news"?
If s/m/n needed to put it on the boxes, that would be progress, this is just old news.

 

[ZurvivorZ]

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"

Only EA game I haven't pirated in recent memory is Titanfall 2. Respawn deserve every penny I paid for that amazing game, and the about 20 other copies I bought after finding pyramids of the things in my local bargain bin.

 

[Jiehfeng]

The % based stuff on lootboxes has already been here for well over a year now, not sure why this is suddenly "news"?
If s/m/n needed to put it on the boxes, that would be progress, this is just old news.

So you're saying every game from them had lootbox odds disclosed?

 

[the_randomizer]

What the big three doxxed someone?

No but there was an E3 dox, that was "accidental" where over 2000 peoples' information was leaked. The ESA "apologized" for the leak.

 

[kumikochan]

They're implementing this bullshit so that goverments will back off and they can keep doing these shady things leeching off kids and the weak minded. Fuck EA, Bethesda, Ubisoft and all those big companies.

 

[Kioku]

They're implementing this bullshit so that goverments will back off and they can keep doing these shady things leeching off kids and the weak minded. Fuck EA, Bethesda, Ubisoft and all those big companies.

Well, it seems they're here to stay. The only way to fix this is to educate the consumer... But... They don't care.

 

[Hells Malice]

Although lootboxes are a complete non-issue, it is a bit weird this isn't completely mandatory for anyone selling random chance things. Considering gachas have been REQUIRED to disclose rates for ages.

Well now they're even less of an issue, nice. You know exactly what you're getting into now in terms of odds.

Loot boxes need to be banned world wide. Another thing that needs to happen in the gaming community is game developers/publishers should get fined thousands of dollars when they release broken games (Bethesda Fallout76 for example). There needs to be consumer protection.

If devs could be falsely fined because some youtubers got mad a game didn't have NPCs (Bethesda Fallout76 for example), we'd be pretty fucked.
Aside from some launcher jank, Fallout 76 was basically just a very good multiplayer Fallout 4.
The only people dumb enough to cry about it are people who don't have the braincells to form their own opinion and instead blindly listen to others, who also likely just echoed the opinion from a single streamer or outrage youtuber.
In recent history the only games that were a monumental technical failure have been Mass Effect Andromeda and Anthem.

Also loot boxes are fine. Only dipshit old people in government have any real issue with them because they don't understand anything. Loot boxes are never a big issue, and as a consumer people are free to not buy them if they don't wish to. People wouldn't have even half as much of an issue with lootboxes if they weren't specifically told to by outrage media that generate views by suckering in gullible idiots who just want a new reason to be upset.

 

[kumikochan]

Well, it seems they're here to stay. The only way to fix this is to educate the consumer... But... They don't care.

Not really, not in my Country atleast so good riddance and pretty sure other countries are gonna follow and i think some already did

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Although lootboxes are a complete non-issue, it is a bit weird this isn't completely mandatory for anyone selling random chance things. Considering gachas have been REQUIRED to disclose rates for ages.

Well now they're even less of an issue, nice. You know exactly what you're getting into now in terms of odds.



If devs could be falsely fined because some youtubers got mad a game didn't have NPCs (Bethesda Fallout76 for example), we'd be pretty fucked.
Aside from some launcher jank, Fallout 76 was basically just a very good multiplayer Fallout 4.
The only people dumb enough to cry about it are people who don't have the braincells to form their own opinion and instead blindly listen to others, who also likely just echoed the opinion from a single streamer or outrage youtuber.
In recent history the only games that were a monumental technical failure have been Mass Effect Andromeda and Anthem.

Also loot boxes are fine. Only dipshit old people in government have any real issue with them because they don't understand anything. Loot boxes are never a big issue, and as a consumer people are free to not buy them if they don't wish to. People wouldn't have even half as much of an issue with lootboxes if they weren't specifically told to by outrage media that generate views by suckering in gullible idiots who just want a new reason to be upset.

Eum most people that didn't like fallout 76 just don't like fallout 76. I bought it after people constantly shouting it was bad on youtube to give it a fair chance and well it just sucks and is clearly only made to be a cash cow machine