2K Brazenly Asks Belgian Fans to Contact Local Government on Loot Box Ban

[VSG]

In a bold, bold move that is already backfiring on them, games publishes 2K put out a statement clarifying their stance on the Belgian Gaming Commission (BGC) ruling against the specific loot box implementations on multiple games. In particular, the gaming commission made it clear that loot boxes were against the gambling laws of the country and several game publishers quickly complied, including Valve with CS:GO. 2K's NBA 2Kxx series (where xx is the year of the current decade) was one of the affected titles, with the "MyTeam" packs using a loot box-based mechanism for microtransactions.

The statement put out says that 2K is working to comply with the ruling and have made changes to the MyTeam mode, but they also disagree with it and are going to be, and I quote, "continuing conversations with the BGC in order to explain our view" to get around the ruling. Furthermore, they are actually asking players to contact their local government representatives, assuming they share this view, to try and get BGC to allow the old loot box system to be placed back in. To no one's surprise, 2K is collecting a ton of flak for this and we can only hope that fans of the NBA 2K franchise vote with their wallet and let the publisher know exactly what they feel about all this.



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[Lightning]

"Can we relegalize the plague of games, please ? Guys ?"

 

[ShurikN]

What a pathetic statement...

 

[TheOne]

https://www.pcgamer.com/microtransactions-are-an-unfortunate-reality-of-modern-gaming-says-2k/

Jones stresses that purchased items, or grinding to purchase items, is "a choice, not a force". He adds: "We know nowadays that most people don’t have the patience to work their way to the top. They just wanna be there right away. So, you know, we look at it as, oh it’s an opportunity for us to allow you to skip the grind, but then if the grind is too long, like some people felt last year, they’re gonna sit there and they’re gonna go ‘well, you knew the grind was too long to begin with."

 

[Dammeron]

"Can we relegalize the plague of games, please ? Guys ?"

"Guys. Guys! Can You please back up our cause, so we can f*uck You more for Your money? Pretty please...

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

I'm with the Belgian government on this one. Every loot box I ever opened was a gamble not knowing how many items are in the box.

As for 2K games they are asking players to make this politcal and asking them to become lobbyists which could illegal in some places. Hats of to desperate stupidity of 2k, btw FK EA.

 

[coonbro]

'' Furthermore, they are actually asking players to contact their local government representatives, assuming they share this view, to try and get BGC to allow the old loot box system to be placed back in.''

so go ask the gov official that may all ready think that PC games are the root cause to delinquency , terrorism , bullying , ect...

ya, I see that working out

 

[hat]

Gamers don't have the patience to unlock things when it takes a jillion years to do so... so there are two options:

1. Make things take a jillion years, bypass this with pay to win system
2. Create a more relaxed system that doesn't take a jillion years to work through without paying

Seems they went with option number 1. Wonder why...

Battlefield 2 was the first game I played with things that could be unlocked (and 2142, got both at the same time). Back then, you couldn't even pay to unlock anything, you just had to play. And you could rise to the top pretty quick in 2142, moreso than in Battlefield 2. Surprisingly, EA seemed like an okay company back then, and my biggest complaint about the series was the silly ads in 2142. You could see ads for Core 2 Extreme processors on billboards in game. But it was all good... getting ads in a product you paid for and all... now look what we get to deal with?

 

[Capitan Harlock]

Stop it with this micro s..t action thing .
Stop asking money for stuff that should be in the game period.
2k you didn't learn from EA with Starwars do you?

 

[FordGT90Concept]

What a pathetic statement...

Seems to be a typical business response to legislation that directly effects them. Don't really see why this is newsworthy.

 

[robot zombie]

But it was all good... getting ads in a product you paid for and all... now look what we get to deal with?

Haha, that's been ingrained into us by TV service. Seeing commercials is a privilege!

 

[springs113]

If only we could get our gov't(us) to take such a stance. We'd have more games like God of War and less Star Wars Battlefront.

 

[enxo218]

Nope 2k full stop

 

[hat]

Haha, that's been ingrained into us by TV service. Seeing commercials is a privilege!

Maybe I'm a giant idiot, but I don't understand why the advertising industry is so huge. Ads only serve to irritate me. I mean, if you have a new product or something, then yeah, you need to advertise... but why do I need to hear ads about a one dollar refreshing coke at McDonald's? I already know that exists! It always has, always will. I don't think I've ever bought anything because of an ad, save the local ad from the grocery store... How much is too much? How long before ads get beamed directly into our dreams, like what happened to Fry in Futurama?

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

Maybe I'm a giant idiot, but I don't understand why the advertising industry is so huge. Ads only serve to irritate me. I mean, if you have a new product or something, then yeah, you need to advertise... but why do I need to hear ads about a one dollar refreshing coke at McDonald's? I already know that exists! It always has, always will. I don't think I've ever bought anything because of an ad, save the local ad from the grocery store... How much is too much? How long before ads get beamed directly into our dreams, like what happened to Fry in Futurama?

its been proven that advertising influences you purchase choices, the more the industry knows you, the better the targetted ads, any data about you is shared and sold constantly.

 

[Frick]

Maybe I'm a giant idiot, but I don't understand why the advertising industry is so huge. Ads only serve to irritate me. I mean, if you have a new product or something, then yeah, you need to advertise... but why do I need to hear ads about a one dollar refreshing coke at McDonald's? I already know that exists! It always has, always will. I don't think I've ever bought anything because of an ad, save the local ad from the grocery store... How much is too much? How long before ads get beamed directly into our dreams, like what happened to Fry in Futurama?

Would they sink billions into it if it disn't work?

BTW, thsi quote:

Jones stresses that purchased items, or grinding to purchase items, is "a choice, not a force". He adds: "We know nowadays that most people don’t have the patience to work their way to the top. They just wanna be there right away. So, you know, we look at it as, oh it’s an opportunity for us to allow you to skip the grind, but then if the grind is too long, like some people felt last year, they’re gonna sit there and they’re gonna go ‘well, you knew the grind was too long to begin with."

I have no problem with being able to buy equipment instead of grinding for it (depending a bit on the game and the specifics, I mean if you can get a weapon that means you instawin the match for $200 that wouldn't be ok), but that is completely unrelated to lootboxes.

 

[chaosmassive]

this is whole new level of EA !

 

[FordGT90Concept]

2K has nothing to do with Electronic Arts.

 

[Octopuss]

The saddest thing is there most probably will be people who will try to contact the governement

 

[Tsukiyomi91]

I think every country can start following the Belgian Gaming Committee on banning lootboxes effectively, regardless on whether its RNG based or not.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

2K has nothing to do with Electronic Arts.

guilt by association. snickers.

 

[Valantar]

"Hey, guys, can you please lobby your government to allow us to take your money without giving anything but endorphin and the beginnings of a gambling addiction back? Kthxbye!"

 

[TheDeeGee]

If they want to sell extra shit, add a shop/system that works, like in Heroes of the Storm.

 

[Vayra86]

I have no problem with being able to buy equipment instead of grinding for it (depending a bit on the game and the specifics, I mean if you can get a weapon that means you instawin the match for $200 that wouldn't be ok), but that is completely unrelated to lootboxes.

And yet, thát is precisely the core of the problem with lootboxes. Ingame mechanics and loot that directly affects gameplay is monetized, and the lootbox is just an iteration of that monetization. And every game that has it, becomes pay to win no matter how you twist it. And it handily destroys any online community, while making any offline gameplay 'pay to cheat'. Even the tiniest advantage, say 5% extra cash per purchase, would eventually grow into the same behemoth and cause the same effect. Players will multiply any advantage they can gain as long as their budget allows. Seen it happen..

I just cannot fathom how this is in any way positive or 'okay' to anyone. You have got to be extremely dim witted to see paid cheats as an advantage. Especially in a mostly offline game; eg. ME: Shadows of War...

Imagine the next Borderlands with top-end gear purchasable from the shop - hidden behind a lootbox or not - it would destroy the entire game's purpose.

 

[Valantar]

And yet, thát is precisely the core of the problem with lootboxes. Ingame mechanics and loot that directly affects gameplay is monetized, and the lootbox is just an iteration of that monetization. And every game that has it, becomes pay to win no matter how you twist it. And it handily destroys any online community, while making any offline gameplay 'pay to cheat'. Even the tiniest advantage, say 5% extra cash per purchase, would eventually grow into the same behemoth and cause the same effect. Players will multiply any advantage they can gain as long as their budget allows. Seen it happen..

I just cannot fathom how this is in any way positive or 'okay' to anyone. You have got to be extremely dim witted to see paid cheats as an advantage. Especially in a mostly offline game; eg. ME: Shadows of War...

Imagine the next Borderlands with top-end gear purchasable from the shop - hidden behind a lootbox or not - it would destroy the entire game's purpose.

Oh, you're absolutely right. The reason for the implementation of loot boxes has nothing to do with gameplay value, and everything to do with the simple fact that letting people pay to gamble makes you a ton of money.

I wouldn't necessarily mind the existence of the option to pay for advantages like skipping some of the grind in MMOs and the like, if the prices (and advantages) were within reason and you knew what you were paying for. Not all people have the time to spend hundreds of hours in every game they want to play, so providing for-pay "shortcuts" isn't a bad thing per se (even if this too has some very dubious attributes). Having people pay for cosmetic upgrades is ... problematic (especially when it targets kids and teens, to whom coolness and status are of ridiculous importance, and who haven't yet learnt the value of money), but not outright evil. Lootboxes, though? That is just pure greed and malice, whether what you get in them is purely cosmetic or actually gives an advantage in the game. If the latter is the case, it has the same potential to undermine the balance of the game as outright purchases. And in any case, the only reason for them to exist is this: why have people pay for the thing they want, when you can get them to pay for a chance at the thing they want? Playing off vulnerabilities in human psychology for profit? As I said: greed and malice.