The Entertainment Software Rating Board will finally add loot boxes to its content descriptors when rating games… sort of.
After years of denial, the ESRB will now add “Random Items” to its existing “In-Game Purchases” label for titles with paid loot boxes in them. This label, however, applies to any purchase with an element of chance.
Like many portions of the game industry, the ESRB doesn’t like the term “loot box” anymore. This is a classic case of too little and too late, as the organization introduces yet another performative measure to cover publishers’ tracks.
Source: https://kotaku.com/esrb-ratings-will-now-tell-you-if-a-game-has-loot-boxes-1842838351
#ESRB #LootBoxes #Microtransactions #ESA #Money #Greed #Gambling #AgeRatings
The ESRB is trying to control the narrative that that lootboxes are *random* . – They are *NOT* random. They are carefully and explicitly calculated odds just like any casino game where the most desired outcomes have extremely low drop rates. We’re talking drop rates in the 0,05% range for the most wanted items. There is absolutely nothing *random* about it – the entire system – like casinos – is RIGGED. This is what happens when you let the people who run the industry self-regulate.
This game has been rated _F_ for containing out of control capitalist greed.
Sometimes you’ll hear someone say “its better than nothing”, in defense for actually doing something. But in actuality doing bare minimum that lacks any effort or care is worse then nothing. This “addition” is nothing more then ESRB making it seem like they are taking action in regards to loot boxes, but in actuality its just them finding a very thin middle ground in regards to, not pissing off big name developers/publishers, and public response. This is worse then nothing, and makes me wish that ESRB had done nothing instead.
“The vast majority of parents don’t know what a lootbox is….so let us not explain to them what a lootbox is”
Bravo.
“Caution: May contain aggressive gambling tactics.”
I’m waiting for the “Contains Pay to Win mechanics” labeling
Yeah I mean quite literally they can get behind that parents not understanding what loot boxes are in just say gambling mechanics then you problem-solved
This fits under the umbrella of “small changes that won’t help much, but it’l get the PR machine off our backs for a while”. *It’s a large umbrella.*
EA: “They’re not loot boxes. They’re surprise mechanics. And they’re quite ethical and fun.”
ESRB: “They’re not surprise mechanics. They’re random items. And they deserve a warning label.”
EA: “Hey! You’re supposed to be on our side!”
ESRB: “We are. We changed the name in order to trick people.”
Addicted gambler here. This is gambling. They refuse to label it because it would mean two things. 1. They would have to get official testing for their RNG, and it would have to be server side and monitored by the gambling commissions. 2. It would cost them millions to do this, so no indie company could actually add lootboxes. The ESRB has no reputation worth saving anymore after this.
_”It’s not loot boxes, it’s surprise mechanics!”_
*~ ESRB, definitely.*
I mean, i agree with the ESRB that “loot box” is a very specific term that most parents don’t understand. Gambling, gambling is the good word they would understand, not “includes random objects”…
So…it’s gambling lol glad a rated “Everyone” game has gambling in it lol
Read the small print: *R* _eally_ *A* _ddictive_ *N* _egligent_ *D* _eceptive_ *O* _bscure_ *M* _echcanics_
They need to be forced to label all games with loot boxes as “adult only”
I feel like a game that fundamentally changes their gameplay, such that the rating no longer matches, should loose it’s ratting. It would then need to re-apply for a rating in order to re-gain it.
It’s strange how they pushed this change during the current crisis, when everybody’s attention is elsewhere.i didn’t know the esrb was an essential service.