
Loot boxes in online games and their effect on consumers [pdf] - infodocket
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2020/652732/IPOL_ATA(2020)652732_EN.pdf
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benologist
What amazes me is it's about a dozen years since the concept of a "whale"
emerged in gaming, and it keeps coming back to obfuscating transactions so
children will blindly spend thousands of dollars. So far Amazon, Apple,
Facebook, Google and Microsoft have _all_ been sued and lost for it, Facebook
even called it "friendly fraud". It just never ends in spite of overwhelming
evidence of fraud.

[https://money.cnn.com/2014/01/15/technology/apple-ftc-
settle...](https://money.cnn.com/2014/01/15/technology/apple-ftc-
settlement/index.html)

[https://lifehacker.com/get-a-refund-for-your-kids-
unauthoriz...](https://lifehacker.com/get-a-refund-for-your-kids-unauthorized-
in-app-google-p-1669810949)

[https://phys.org/news/2016-07-facebook-refunds-in-app-
minors...](https://phys.org/news/2016-07-facebook-refunds-in-app-minors.html)

[https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/xbox/forum/all/child-
spe...](https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/xbox/forum/all/child-
spends-45k-in-microtransactions-parent-
wants/aba0c897-9689-4122-93e3-9bac50b203cd)

[https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/ftc-sues-amazon-app-
pur...](https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/ftc-sues-amazon-app-purchases-
blame)

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momackay
I've been saying this for awhile, and on top of it you've got microtransaction
and loot boxes which are essentially online games of chance which under the
lottery rules and regulations aren't even allowed in some states and provinces
on top of it they're marketed towards the children. I think in the future when
we look back at this time we're going to see gaming companies that have gone
bankrupt in order to pay for the gambling addictions and long-term damaging
effects that these are on children and or adults. Developing and forming the
brain of vulnerable players to become addicted to gambling and who knows what
other types of effects I could have on addictions if the brain is developed
into becoming addicted to gambling it's such a young age. I really think the
parents need to monitor their kids and understand what they're doing just
because something is a game does not mean that it's for children for example I
don't know how many times there's been kids like 12 years old in online party
chats on Playstation with adults and also playing rated r games which I find f
__ __ __terrifying and so happy I don 't have kids so if there are parents
reading this please don't let your kid have a microphone and be unsupervised
and please don't be an enabler to their wanting to get items for a game out of
supply drops and and please understand that these are merely the equivalent of
scratch off tickets marketed towards children.

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jay_kyburz
I have a 7 and an 8 year old and I'm a game developer. We have a hard rule in
the family that we never buy virtual currency or virtual items. Not even once
for consistency.

I'm not super concerned about them developing a gambling addition, I'm more
concerned with buying "virtual" stuff they the don't really own, and only
lasts as long as a games server are up.

I don't have a problem with paying for gaming services, we have Apple and Xbox
games subscriptions. I also don't have a problem for buying a premium game
where there is a once off purchase.

~~~
AtlasBarfed
You mean like... games themselves?

You virtually purchase them, for platforms whose core servers get turned off
so the game no longer works. No physical media, no long term guarantees of
operation.

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JimmyRuska
"profitable until deemed illegal". These apps are just A/B testing to exploit
and drive compulsive behavior and they cause the most damage on those
susceptible to addiction and impulse control issues. It's continual
experiments to optimize for abusing the weakness of the human psyche. At best
people get some excitement from the thrill of a spin, at worst, you're going
to turn susceptible people in junkies and cause financial ruin for a few
families

~~~
AtlasBarfed
Not only that, but there are active agents by the game authors working as
"fellow" players that actively foment conflict to get players to buy the pay-
to-win options.

The social manipulation is far more insidious than what casinos do.

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jay_kyburz
Key Finding is "However, there is no consensus on a causal link between loot
boxes and harmful behaviour."

~~~
bleepblorp
The key finding, embodied in the sentences immediately before the one you
quoted, is that more research is needed because there is not enough firm data
to form a consensus.

I suspect the lack of consensus regarding gambling mechanics in games is along
the lines of the former 'lack of consensus' surrounding the causal link
between smoking and lung disease or the current 'lack of consensus' connecting
CO2 emissions and global warming, however. Namely, a manufactured dispute
created to defend the indefensible.

