Hawaii Takes A Stand Against Loot Boxes With New Bill
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Hawaii Takes A Stand Against Loot Boxes With New Bill
Hawaii legislators are considering a bill that would limit the sale of loot boxes to gamers. Via: blizzardwatch.com Now, we all love the video game industry. That’s kind of why we’re all here, after all. The important thing is not to be blinded by that love. There’s a fine line between being a fan and being a rabid fangirl/boy, and that line mostly involves agreeing that sometimes things suck. The gaming industry isn’t without its issues and controversies, that’s for darn sure. Attitudes to women, violence, season passes… there’s always been a lot of debate. Just lately, though, the furore surrounding loot boxes has reached fever pitch. Hawaii are just the latest to join the fight, dropping a series of aggressive bills targeting loot boxes. As reported earlier this week, the initiative is being spearheaded by Hawaii State Representative Chris Lee. Having grown up playing video games himself, Lee has stated that he has “…watched firsthand the evolution of the industry from one that seeks to create new things to one that’s begun to exploit people, especially children, to maximize profit.” To combat this rising tide, he has four specific bills in mind. THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY Two of these (House Bill 2686 and Senate Bill 3024) would prohibit the sale of any game featuring a loot box system to under 21s. Specifically, games that feature RNG-based rewards that can be bought with real money. In Hawaii, 21 is the legal age to gamble, which really says all you need to know about the way this nefarious system is viewed. Via: steemkr.com Following on from this, House Bill 2727 and Senate Bill 3025 take a different, complementary approach. These bills would make it a legal requirement for developers and publishers to clearly label their games as integrating loot boxes. Further, it would obligate them to clearly show the odds of receiving each reward the box can contain. As of the time of writing, there’s much still to be done in Hawaii to have these defences against loot boxes definitively put into place. Just last week, that would see loot boxes definitively classified as gambling. Once this comes to pass, they will be subject to the same stringent regulations. Over in Germany, meanwhile, in games marketed at minors at any rate. Your day of reckoning is coming, loot boxes, and quite right too.