CAMPAIGN TO REGULATE LOOT BOXES, DUE TO THE GAMBLING STRUCTURE IT PRESENTS TO CHILDREN AND THE

VULNERABLE.

WHAT ARE LOOT BOXES?Loot boxes are in game rewards that can be bought with points earned in the game or with real money. These boxes are awarded to the player at random, meaning the player doesn’t always get what he/she requires at the time. In standard game play achieving these loot boxes takes a great deal of time so the possibility of being able to purchase them is ever more enticing. Star Wars Battlefront II among others have come under scrutiny over the past few months due to the inclusion of loot boxes and whether their inclusion could be considered a form of gambling which manipulates customers in buying them. Upon relsease they shut off micro transactions in 2017 but said they would return in 2018. They chose to pull loot boxes due to the backlash that came from gamers uniting on Reddit, so at least companies like E.A listen at times.

‘‘The public outcry led to EA receiving the most downvoted comment in Reddit history. The publisher reportedly also lost an estimated $3.1 billion in stock value following the controversy’’. https://www.rollingstone.com

Microtransactions; ‘‘a very small financial transaction conducted online.’’ (google dictionary)

THE RISKS THEY PRESENT

‘‘The reason that we tend to think loot boxes are not forms of gambling, is because the prize they offer is not something which is tradable in the real world’’. (Carl Rohsler, UK gambling regulatory lawyer)

Consider the fact that playing Poker with a free account still requires the player to be older than 18.?? Not only that but the fact you can use real money to purchase these presents a risk to parents as well who have granted them access with their account. These loot boxes are being presented to children in an enticing manner which can become a compulsive addiction for some. You are gambling with ‘LOOT CRATES’ as the purchased packs are random.

Belgium’s gaming commission wants them banned;‘‘Star Wars Battlefront II and Overwatch should be considered gambling’’ - reported by VTM news. As always, online translation is rough, but the report indicates that game operators can be “aggressive” with in-game sales and often target “young people.”

Hawaii state or representatives Chris Lee is also campaigning against the inclusion of loot boxes in games. He had experienced it himself with a mobile game called ‘Clash of Clans’ spending a few hundred dollars in a few months.

THE RISKS THEY PRESENT

Continuing with Chris Lee; He felt that the game’s microtransaction mechanics had snuck up on him without warning. And once he deleted Clash of Clans, he said, “there was no value left. It’s just money that’s gone.” kotaku.com

Over the course of a few months, Lee had been hearing from local teachers about kids who struggled with the temptation to spend beyond their means in game microtransactions. Lee cited one conversation about a child who, he heard, had stolen their parents’ credit card to pay for their gaming habit. He says several families reached out about spending thousands of dollars on microtransactions.

(Jeremy Hillman, a communications director at World Bank, learned the hard way about microtransactions when his 13-year-old son purchased $4,500 worth of digital goods in EA’s FIFA.)

“There’s no transparency at the outset of what they’re getting into,” he said. “That’s something I think is a real concern.”

It’s good Hillman accepts responsibility, but he goes on to reproach Microsoft for their lackadaisical security setup and payment structures that make it easy for kids to make digital purchases.

‘‘This isn’t just a Microsoft problem, though, this is an industry problem.’’

https://www.cinemablend.com/games/Father-My-Teenager-Spent-4500-FIFA-Microtransactions-70782.html

Tim Miller (gambling commissioner executive director) ‘’where in game items via loot boxes are confined for use within the game and cannot be coasted out is unlikely to be caught as a licensing gambling activity.’’

‘‘However, many parents are not interested in whether an activity meets a legal definition of ‘gambling’. Their main concern is whether there is a product out there that could present a risk to their children.’’

CALL FOR REGULATION ONLINEYoutube now has massive reach and created a number of online personalities who have a lot of influence across the gaming community. Many different vloggers started to speak out against loot boxes last year, stating their reasons why they believed they were a problem. They are sent games by big companies every year so they have could help drive the campaign as well.

‘Youtube channel WORTH A BUY talks about the definition of gambling.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDa7ggp5J9Y

Youtube channel THE KNOW presents comment from TOTAL BISCUIT as well as research by the University of British Colombia on dopamine release. (Images)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07SBcFCGHJE

GOPHER; ‘‘20 minute matches to gain possibly 9 wins, knowing the loot boxes were there drove me nuts so I ended up uninstalling the game. I believe that taking away from the developers is harmful to creativity, there seems to be little investment into the games, just corporate big wigs making money from microtransactions.’’

‘‘While $1.99 here and there might not seem like much, detractors say that the principles loot boxes operate on–their small microtransactions, the element of surprise, and dramatic reveal scenes–are eerily reminiscent of the tactics slot machines use.’’https://www.casino.org/blog/how-good-does-overwatch-boss-think-loot-boxes-actually-are/

CALL FOR REGULATION ONLINE

Many people have spoke out about the moral and ethical issues of loot boxes and whether the way they are advertised in games is playing into peoples compulsive behaviours. The video below left explains how loot boxes are like slot machines and yet another vlogger commenting on how this should be considered as gambling. The image to the right is a snippet of what Overwatch game creator Michael Heiberg had to say about the way they make these boxes look attractive at the point of opening to stimulate dopamine in the anticipation of whats inside.

1.40 - 2.50 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUYkGLLcaIs (FORGE LABS CHANNEL)5.11 - 6.13 - children having access to in game currency

Michael Heiberg (Overwatch Creator)

THE SOLUTION

That video furthermore goes on to quote Overwatch creator and developer Michael Heiberg goes on to say; ‘‘it’s purposely exploitive in the same way a slot machine is, it uses the same psychological tricks. Players are put into a place where they can start to do the math, thinking how much time it will take them until they next open a loot box versus how much money it would cost just to skip it.’’

FORGE LABS THEN SAY;

- Ultimately it’s gambling- It’s dangerous because a lot of people don’t even know they are doing it- People with gambling addiction are susceptible to this like any other form of gambling- What’s worst these things are in video games regularly marketed at and played by children

CORPORATE MANIPULATION

THE SOLUTION

- Create an awareness campaign to highlight the addictive gambling structure loot boxes presents to children and the vulnerable.

- Target everyone, parents who buy these games, gamers themselves and the general public.

- Highlight the costs that occur online after buying a game.

- Present evidence in the campaign into the scientific research which companies use to manipulate people into spending money. (i.e dopamine release)

- Try to contact certain Youtuber’s, potentially Worth a Buy, as with his passion I may be able to get feedback on the ways to brand the campaign.

- Through online personalities you can also reach the people who play these games, these are people who review for a living and are followed by millions.

- Create the campaign as though it could be presented as something real that looks to change public opinion on whether loot boxes should be considered as gambling.

‘‘A game’s economy is going to become as important as its story or controls as gambling mechanics grow in popularity, and some might argue we have already reached that point.’’ (Ben Kuchera) https://www.polygon.com/2017/11/13/16639542/loot-crates-battlefront-2-reviews