The loot box controversy is still alive and well. While New Zealand claimed loot boxes are not considered gambling back in December, Germany appears to completely disagree.
According to German website Welt, a study conducted by the Youth Protection Commission shows that video games are increasingly turning to what they define as gambling. Researchers analyzed business models and sales figures of multiple titles, concluding that only a few players are responsible for much of a game’s revenue. This is “a typical feature of gambling markets,” says the commission.
Those in the “Free-to-Play” market of games know this type of player as a “whale”.
After concluding this, the commission, being part of the state, is considering banning loot boxes in video games sold in Germany. This includes any sort of chance mechanic involving random draws to find additional weapons and skins in exchange for money.
Chairman Wolfgang Kreißig says (translation), “I think it is conceivable that Lootboxes could violate the ban on buying appeals to children and adolescents.” With the growing number of games employing loot boxes to make up for the increased cost of developing video games, this could spell problems for the industry in regards to Germany.
Meanwhile, in the industry itself, EA, who arguably sparked the whole loot box controversy with Star Wars: Battlefront II, defended loot boxes by saying they’re not the only ones who use them. This soon-to-be ruling from the Youth Protection Commission seems to circumvent that defense entirely.
