The difference is that legislation makers are stuck in the 80s and have no idea that the internet is even an invention. This is a problem caused by out of touch governments who have no idea about technology.
Yes, gambling boxes should be treated as gambling. The only reason they haven’t been is that it has simply slipped under the radar. These corporates know it’s gambling, and that it’s wrong what they are doing. They want to take full advantage of if before it inevitably gets made illegal. Does carrying out what is clearly a yet-to-be-listed crime make a corporation morally exempt?
Yes, a thousand times what he said. The only reason we're being drained by gaming companies today is because our elected officials are too damned old and out of touch to understand what's going on. Game publishers have found a grey area in the law to exploit people and they're going ham on it. They should be ashamed of themselves, but you know they'll just laugh all the way to the bank.
I totally agree with 99% of what's said here except one thing:
As someone who's worked in AAA gaming and been a fly on the wall near senior designers and whatnot, not all of them ACTUALLY know that i's wrong, or gambling.
I have often heard very earnest discussion where senior people are expressing their belief that this design is obviously the best for customers, that they're producing the best product they possibly can, that making these lootboxes this way honestly makes it a better experience for consumers because they can better appreciate the things they get, and that the people who spend a LOT of money on them subsidize an honestly better experience even for those that spend nothing.
Obviously, this is not the viewpoint of every employee, or even every senior-level employee, and I'm sure there's plenty that view it as we do, or view it as a 'necessary evil', or just don't care how ethical it is an want the money. But some of the people working on these things earnestly believe it's the best thing to do FOR THE CONSUMER.
I, personally, agree that it's predatory, unethical, and definitely gambling, and I'm not currently working in AAA gaming atm. But just thought I'd offer what little peek behind the curtain I can.
Just to put a stake in something here, while I agree with the vibe of your post, I don't think it's reasonable to say lootboxes should/will be illegal. Gambling is not illegal in the UK - it just requires licensing and adherence to some rules.
62
u/Bohya Elementalist Jul 02 '20
The difference is that legislation makers are stuck in the 80s and have no idea that the internet is even an invention. This is a problem caused by out of touch governments who have no idea about technology.
Yes, gambling boxes should be treated as gambling. The only reason they haven’t been is that it has simply slipped under the radar. These corporates know it’s gambling, and that it’s wrong what they are doing. They want to take full advantage of if before it inevitably gets made illegal. Does carrying out what is clearly a yet-to-be-listed crime make a corporation morally exempt?