Fortnite (Epic Games)
According to Above The Law, Republican senator Josh Hawley announced a bill to ban microtransactions and loot boxes in video games.
If you don’t know what microtransactions are, they are basically designed as “pay to win” games that involve players paying extra money within the game for equipment, attribute upgrades, loot, etc. It’s an easy “scam” for children and even adults to pay the game designers more for the game.
On Wednesday, executive directors of Epic Games’ Fortnite and megacorporation EA were in a U.K. court meeting about their uses of loot boxes and microtransactions in their games. EA and Epic Games are just two of the many game developers that use this method to increase their revenue. Bethesda and others, including Activision, are known to use the tactic as well.
According to Gamespot, EA VP of legal and government affairs Kerry Hopkins and Epic executive Matthew Weissinger spent more than two hours in a governmental meeting, answering questions about their methods of microtransactions.
EA's VP of legal and government affairs refuses to use the term 'lootboxes' in favor of 'surprise mechanics', compares them to Kinder Eggs, says they are not gambling and 'quite ethical'https://t.co/IbRqMwvJea pic.twitter.com/bJ8t3Fkib6
— Nibel (@Nibellion) June 19, 2019
According to Gamespot, when asked if Hopkins sees the microtransactions as gambling, she responded by calling them “surprise mechanics.” Earlier in the year, the United Kingdom launched a full-fledged investigation into the loot boxes and other sorts of microtransactions. According to Gamespot, no further action legislative wise has been taken yet.
In the U.S., Hawley’s bill explains their bill as, “1) helps a player progress through the game; 2) helps a player accomplish an achievement in the game; 3) helps a player receive an award in the game; or 4) permits the player to continue to play the game after the expiration of a timer or a number of gameplay attempts,” according to Above The Law.
All over the gaming world people have complained that microtransactions are taking the hit of the quality of the game and enhancing those to pay to win.
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