Tuesday, February 27th 2018
In Wake of Lootbox Outcry, ESRB Moves to Label Games With In-Game Purchases
As lootboxes have increasingly fallen on the radar of gamers looking for complete experiences that they don't need to invest a kidney to unlock the full content that's being "offered", the ESRB has moved to include a label on all future game releases that features in-game purchases of any kind. The new label will sit next to the age rating, but separate from the other content warning labels - such as graphical violence, nudity, and others. Its aim? To keep users "well-informed" on the content purchases that are included with the full game. Strangely, the label will not discriminate different types of content - so a game that has a dreaded lootbox system such as Star Wars: Battlefront II, or a well-implemented, non-obtrusive one such as Gwent, will see exactly the same label. As the ESRB puts it, any in-game transaction may live inside this label, such as "bonus levels, skins, surprise items (such as item packs, loot boxes, mystery awards), music, virtual coins and other forms of in-game currency, subscriptions, season passes and upgrades (e.g., to disable ads)". Talk about an informed customer decision.
A new website, dubbed ParentalTools.org, is being launched by ESRB, which aims to educate users (be it gamers or parents) on the ratings system in more detail, whilst also giving parents information on how to set up parental controls on popular gaming devices. This is because, as ESRB President Patricia Vance told Ars Technica, "a large majority of parents don't know what a loot box is". Instead, "parents need simple information (...) We can't overwhelm them with a lot of detail. We need to be clear, concise, and make it easy for them. We have not found that parents are differentiating between a lot of these different mechanics." Vance also noted that the ESRB's research found nine out of ten parents required children to have permission before making any in-game purchase, suggesting that a general warning would help "the vast majority of parents out there."
Pouring some more gasoline to the fire, ESRB's Patricia Vance said that "We think [loot boxes are] a fun way to acquire virtual items for use within the game, to personalize your experience," she said. While "obviously there's an element of surprise in loot boxes, just like with baseball trading cards." And well, that doesn't solve anything.
Sources:
Ars Technica, Parental Tools.org
Pouring some more gasoline to the fire, ESRB's Patricia Vance said that "We think [loot boxes are] a fun way to acquire virtual items for use within the game, to personalize your experience," she said. While "obviously there's an element of surprise in loot boxes, just like with baseball trading cards." And well, that doesn't solve anything.
9 Comments on In Wake of Lootbox Outcry, ESRB Moves to Label Games With In-Game Purchases
/sarcasm.
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4118270.stm - BBC article
trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2955&context=utk_gradthes - Trace Tennessee study on how parents understand ratings
Despite the ESRB claiming 85% of parents understand the system, the above demonstrates most have no real underlying understanding. A game garnering a T for violence is preferable to a game garnering an M for sexual content, when the health classes these children have been through are more graphic. Despite this disconnect, the ESRB blindly moves on toward the demise their industry richly deserves (government oversight). Hopefully when they finally have enough outrage the "M" for microtransactions is as hated as the "M" for mature. Lord knows loot boxes deserve an M, and not some boilerplate warning.
Thanks EA, for making greed an abhorent topic faster than anybody else. Maybe if you'd kept the temperature down a bit more, you'd have boiled the frog rather than have it hop out of the pot. Also, kudos to Hawaii. The representative there is 40% nerd, 40% politician, and 20% troll. Absolutely perfectly balanced to protect people, slide references into the discussion, but still nail slimy groups to the wall. I wish my state had that kind of chutzpah.
Further, I think games with loot boxes (that are purchased via store as per the above post) should be prohibited to players under the age of 18 (consistent with most states gambling laws). In other words, ESRB should immediately give any game with loot boxes a "Gambling" description which results in an "Adults Only" rating (locked up at retailers and requires ID declaring your age to purchase). This will strongly discourages the inclusion of loot boxes in games targetted at teens without banning them.
So every game in existence will have the same label on, ensuring it gets ignored by all parties.
A Label.
On a physical product.
I'm sorry... how many physical games do people buy that have lootboxes in them? Oh that's right, they're all downloaded digitally so this label achieves nothing.
Let there be no mistake on who the ESA really is
"The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of companies that publish computer and video games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers and the Internet. "
And OMG i bet a lot of parent's don't even know what to look for or even if they are suppossed to be looking for some thing.