Apple’s new App Store guidelines say games must now disclose the odds of acquiring items in loot boxes. While this on its own is not a massive change, it has some promising implications.
iOS Games Must Now Disclose Loot Box Odds
Apple’s new App Store guidelines say games must now disclose the odds of acquiring items in loot boxes. While this on its own is not a massive change, it has some promising implications.
Oh my God! This might actually fix *some* shit with the mobile market!
Video posted 2 minutes ago – already 2 comments… who needs to actually watch videos and read articles, right?
Sadly loopholes are still there 🙁
I don’t use Apple but I have to respect them
the loopbricant, lubricant for loopholes
Ironic, that EA (a company we hate) have actually done good for once
Don’t eat the “Heart Attack” Special Jim! This industry desperately needs you, whether they know it or not.
Loot box odds in an iOS game: About 100%
Nice update, Jim.
I think @JimSterling don’t know that OVERWATCH is not the one responsible for “Lootboxes” popularity. IT Was VALVE: CS:GO and TF2.
To this DAY no one POINTING CS:GO strait up “buy key to gamble your way”
“Look legislators, we can totally regulate ourselves! No need to intervene!”
Few things would fill me with more joy than to see the entire Free2Play industry crumble to its rotten core. Throughout the last decade its influence on the industey has been mostly negative with only a, probably literal, handful of Free2Play games that are actually rather decent, worthy of actually getting some money. I can just think of one by the way but I assume that there HAVE to be 4 more out there.
I suddenly have a craving for apples now.
Especially apple juice.
Apple is just trying to keep eyes off of itself. Apple is a truly evil company.
That moment in history where fucking mobile games are regulated more than “AAA” (in Jim’s voice) games?!?!?!
Here’s a tv which looks like an apple.
Open for interpretations? How about this one – In App Purchases (IAPs) are direct purchases with real money. Like buying lootboxes directly for dollars. How about virtual currencys? When you buy crystals/points/dust/whatever you get the exact amount you pay for and as such are not randomized purchases. There is just no reason for disclosing any chances because there is none. And since lootboxes acquisition goes through the virtual currency and not direct dollar spending, you don’t have to disclose anything.
Here, i found it. Apple knows exactly what its doing. They left an obvious loophole in their rules so that developers could abuse it. It’s Apple after all.
If you’ll excuse my tinfoil hat I’m fairly sure the reason Actiblizzard was so keen to avoid disclosing lootbox percentages is that they change depending on user habits. Usually, if I go a month or two without playing Overwatch or Hearthstone I’m fairly guaranteed a legendary in my first few boxes. Play on a spree and I get nothing but low-quality garbage.
This is a step in the WRONG direction.
It gives lootboxwankers an excuse to justify them again. “At least they’re regulated. At least you know the odds.” Blablabullcrap.
At the same time it does jack shit. People know the odds of playing the lottery are tremendously not in their favor. Yet people still play the lottery. Good example with the cigarettes as well.
Remember well folks. You might know the odds of everything in the casino, but the house still allways wins. (Casino would go bankrupt otherwise. Then again, lootboxes never offer any actual money for the publisher to lose, do they?)
Wtf? Apple being pro consumer??? What is happening