lootbox
Australian MP plans to introduce a bill banning lockbox sales to minors
You may remember back last year that there was some noise made in Australia about banning the sale of video game lootboxes to people...
EA is testing transparent lockboxes in a FIFA game
Remember two years ago when the ESA announced an optional new policy for the US games industry that would theoretically encourage games companies to...
New UK research finds opening lootboxes is ‘structurally and psychologically akin’ to gambling
The mountain of research-based evidence against lootboxes has had another leaflet added to the pile. A recent report from researchers at the universities of...
MMO Business Roundup: Stadia’s and Bethsoft’s class-actions, Epic’s lockbox settlement, and CDPR’s DMCA takedowns
Welcome back to another roundup of MMO and MMO-adjacent industry news - in this case, all happy fun lawsuits.
Stadia: Consumers are waging a new...
UK study says over 1 in 10 young gamers go into debt due to lootbox spending habits
The pushback against lockboxes in gaming in the UK continues in spite of the matter not exactly making non-stop headlines. A new study from...
Judge enforces a Dutch government order for EA to remove FIFA lockboxes or face over $11M in fines
This has been a long and drawn-out battle, so let us review: Back in 2017 when the outrage against lockboxes was at its highest...
Canadian class action lawsuit argues EA’s lootboxes constitute illegal gambling
Ah, it's a good thing for the companies relying on lockboxes that people have completely forgotten about those this year, isn't it? Turns out...
The Daily Grind: Does gacha have a place in MMO business models?
Just so, so many of my friends are playing Genshin Impact these days -- and not just playing, but gushing over the fun, the...
EA’s advertisement of FIFA lockboxes in a children’s toy catalogue draws mounting criticism
It would appear that Electronic Arts didn't learn from the last time it pulled this kind of nonsense, but apparently there was still fuel...
New UK parliament report recommends regulation of lockboxes as gambling
Remember last month when UK lawmakers started making fresh noise about classifying lockboxes/lootboxes as gambling to protect children following multiple reports and surveys on...
APB Reloaded is changing gun rentals, getting rid of lootboxes, and hosting an open beta of its new engine
The lootbox is soon to be officially dead in APB Reloaded. According to a recent dev blog, Joker Mystery Boxes are being removed and...
Class action lawsuit alleges Apple promotes gambling via lootboxes through its storefront
Legal moves are being made against the practice of lootbox monetization against one of the largest targets possible. A class action complaint filed with...
English lawmakers may classify lockboxes as straight-up gambling
Video game studios that feature lockboxes in their titles are sitting very uncomfortably this week as England decides whether or not to make their...
The Daily Grind: Does ESRB’s and PEGI’s new lockbox label go far enough?
Last week, ESRB in the US and PEGI in the EU announced they would both be amending their video game rating systems to use...
ESRB starts putting warnings about lockboxes on its game ratings
You have to imagine that a lot of video game marketers have developed facial twitches today upon the news that they will no longer...
Lootbox regulation recommended by Australian parliamentary committee
While words and recommendations can certainly be considered equal to vapor, the fact that Australia's parliament appears poised to make moves against lockbox monetization...
Destiny 2’s Season 10 ushers in the end of Bright Engram lootboxes
With all of the things that were packed into the first 2020 Director's Cut post from Destiny 2 director Luke Smith, it was maybe...
Lawful Neutral: Examining the infamous MMO lockbox, 2020 edition
I have a soft spot for paranormal horror. I love movies about demons, ghosts, hauntings, possessions. There's one particular movie from the early aughts...
UK’s Royal Society for Public Health issues report on lootboxes and their effect on gambling perception
There's a new log on the continually burning fire regarding gaming lootboxes, their association with gambling, and their effect on young people. A new...
New French lawsuits accuse EA’s FIFA franchise of promoting illegal gambling
None of the FIFA titles is a pure MMO, of course, but every MMO player interested in how monetization across the industry is being...
