UK Government Must Respond To Petition About Loot Boxes In Video Games

The UK Government will respond to a petition concerning some players that the use of Loot Boxes as gambling in video games after it gained significant public support. The online petition has accrued over 10,000 signatures.

Titled "Adapt gambling laws to include gambling in video games which target children", the appeal is asking for a reform in UK gambling law to include in-game mechanics like Loot Boxes, which "are targeted at children and vulnerable adults.” "While not currently considers gambling by law they do copy many traits to make them as addictive and can lead to real money being lost/earned. Gambling in video games mostly involves 'loot boxes' where players use virtual currency (often bought with real money) to earn in-game items often worth less than what they paid (sometimes more)"

The petition also refers to a recent law passed in China forcing publishers to display the odds behind loot boxes in games like Overwatch and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Thoughts ?

The ESRB Says Loot Boxes Aren’t Gambling

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), the  ratings lord for video games, has declared that it doesn't see loot boxes as gambling. In a statement sent to Kotaku, an ESRB spokesperson said:

While there's an element of chance in these mechanics, the player is always guaranteed to receive in-game content (even if the player unfortunately receives something they don't want). We think of it as a similar principle to collectible card games: Sometimes you'll open a pack and get a brand new holographic card you've had your eye on for a while. But other times you'll end up with a pack of cards you already have.  

The organization's distinction is important because games with the content tag of Real Gambling automatically receive an Adults Only (AO) rating, which can cause a game to tank at retail stores.

The topic of loot boxes has resurfaced recently with titles like Middle-earth: Shadow of War, Forza Motorsport 7, Overwatch, Destiny 2, Star Wars: Battlefront II and more using them in various ways to tempt gamers with microtransactions. Thoughts ?

Gears Of War 4 Loot Crate Includes A Lancer Replica

Gears of War is getting its own Loot Crate. The Gears of War 4 limited edition crate is on sale now, and while most of the items included are a surprise, Loot Crate and Gears of War 4 developer The Coalition have revealed one of the items. Each crate will come with a 7-inch replica lancer, hoodie, and glassware. There's also a 2-inch gold lancer pin for anyone that orders before 9 PM Pacific on July 15. The crate will come in 2 different versions. You can get it bundled with a digital version of the game for $130 or without the game for $75. You can sign up for the crate here.

Nintendo and Loot Crate Amiibo Details Revealed

Nintendo has revealed details on the pricing and character info on there deal with Loot Crate. 2 payment options are available. You can choose to pay $50 a week plus $5 shipping and handling, which comes to $165 total. You can also can get a $10 discount by paying $140 plus $15 shipping and handling. Amiibo figures will sell at retailers for $13, so you're not really getting a discount. The first set of characters from Loot Crate will ship on November 20 and includes Mario,DK, Kirby and Pikachu. New Amiibo characters will be rolling out in waves over the coming months, but Loot Crate has not yet announced whether they'll continue the service past the initial offering of 10 characters. Over the course of 3 weeks, you’ll get 10 figures as listed below. To read the original store about this article click here.

• Pikachu
• Princess Peach
• Yoshi
• Fox
• Samus
• Luigi
• Zelda
• Donkey Kong
• Mario
• Kirby

Nintendo Partners With Loot Crate For Amiibo Figurers

Nintendo will soon be releasing there Amiibo figurers, which are similar to Disney Infinity and Skylanders. There are so many characters to choose from, what if someone else could choose a character for you? Nintendo has an upcoming service thats just for you as the company is patterning with Loot Crate. You will receive 10 pre sleeted Amiibo’s separated into 3 special Loot Crate’s though the holiday season. The deal doesn't have a listed price yet, though you can sign up on the Loot Crate website to be informed when it goes live. You're also not getting the figures early or know which Amiibo’s you’re getting. To read more about Amiibo click here.