Loot boxes in video and mobile games are no longer a source of controversy, but a few years ago they were the subject of great ire for both gamers and regulators.
The wheels of justice (or at least the wheels of law) are turning slowly but surely, and Australia is making significant moves in this area. Starting this Sunday, all games sold with loot boxes in Australia will be rated either M (Mature) or R 18+ (Restricted).
For the uninitiated, loot boxes are essentially digital blind boxes. Gamers purchase a loot box (or boxes) in hopes of finding rare items, weapons, or costumes for their characters. But actually getting what you want is pure chance…and chance artificially narrowed down to incredible odds to get the rarest and most desirable items.
In games like Overwatch and Genshin, the odds of finding a skin of “Epic” or “Legend” rarity can be 1 in a thousand, and games like Overwatch and Genshin may have a one-in-a-thousand chance of finding a skin of “epic” or “legendary” rarity, and games like “Season” or “Legend” are designed to get players playing. Limited-time events will make it even lower…and spending.
Loot boxes and similar chance-based reward systems can sometimes be given out piecemeal by playing the game itself, but getting them in large quantities quickly (which increases your chances of finding rare and valuable items) is the only way to do it. The method is to buy directly with real money. .
In many games, the contents of loot boxes are surface only and do not affect gameplay in any way. But there are also examples like EA’s competitive sports games. It puts digital versions of real-life sports stars into loot boxes, tying the player’s ability to win with the ability to obtain these expensive loot boxes.
EA
Battlefront 2 attempted a similar loot crate system tied to items that gave players of the online shooter a distinct and powerful advantage over their opponents. Criticism of the “pay to win” system rapidly grew.
All of this may sound like gambling, but you’re not alone. According to an Australian Government announcement (PDF), these latest guidelines for computer game classification aim to label “gambling-like content within video games.”
Games with randomized loot box systems that offer real money purchases are given at least an M (Mature) rating, and retailers are encouraged to sell such games to under 15s. Not. ” (including casino games) are subject to a much stricter restriction of an R 18+ rating and are illegal to sell to anyone under 18 years of age.
An overview of the new system (spotted by Tech Radar) reveals that games can use randomized or chance-based reward systems without getting an M rating, as long as the system isn’t tied to real-world purchases .
Additionally, a game will not automatically be rated R 18+ unless the game in question actually contains any gambling elements, including themes or visual elements that evoke gambling (for example, Casino Night in Sonic 2). zone).
Australia is known for being better at classifying video games than countries such as the United States. Many high-profile games with horror, drug, or sexual elements are subject to classification refusal, effectively making them illegal to sell in the country. This is a sore subject for Australian gamers, but these new M/R 18+ guidelines are directly aimed at steering kids away from loot boxes and addictive elements tied to real-world spending. .
After years of backlash from both regulators and gamers, loot boxes have been on a decidedly downturn lately. The focus now seems to be on a similar but much less random “battle pass” design. In this design, gamers pay a flat fee and gradually unlock rewards through play.
Still, randomized loot box settings still exist in games like Genshin and Hearthstone. Games released and classified before the September 22nd update to the Australian system will be retired…but the release of new content may prompt reclassification of existing titles.
