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Overwatch-LootBox

Video game publishers have been pushing loot boxes and other microtransactions for years, just the release of Star Wars Battlefront Ii in 2022 was the straw that broke the camel's back. Gamers complained loudly and often about the expensive loot boxes and "pay-to-win" mechanics harming the gaming experience. Some even pointed out how similar loot boxes were to gambling, and that got governments around the earth interested. Are loot boxes gambling? Belgium has decided that, aye, they are.

Electronic Arts seemed caught off-guard by the negative reaction to Battlefront II during the beta. Players noted that the random loot crates could only be purchased with premium in-game currency, and that means yous have to spend money. Unlike many other games, items similar Star Cards in Star Wars boodle crates could vastly alter the gameplay experience. In fact, it would have 40 hours of grinding to unlock some of the near sought-after hero characters in Battlefront 2 if you didn't pay for loot boxes.

Several Usa states and EU countries began investigating loot boxes in video games in the wake of Battlefront II. EA took loot boxes out of the game to assuage fans, just that hasn't saved other publishers. In the Netherlands, regulators recently decided that loot boxes are a class of gambling and accept demanded that such mechanics are removed.

The Belgian Gaming Commission investigated Star Wars Battlefront Ii, FIFA xviii, Overwatch, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. In a humorous turn of events, the simply game the commission didn't hammer is Battlefront — EA yet doesn't accept any loot boxes in the game. All the others, according to regulators, constitute illegal gambling. Minister of Justice Koen Geens was especially concerned well-nigh how children would be affected by loot boxes. Legislation always aims to keep kids from coming in contact with gambling, but boodle boxes are all over video games that kids might play.

Belgium is being less heavy-handed than the Dutch, who gave companies until June 20th to remove loot boxes. The Belgian Gaming Commission has requested information from publishers and developers to make up one's mind who is responsible for removing the loot boxes. If the manufacture doesn't comply, responsible individuals could face to five years in prison and fines of €800,000. It might take time to pull these elements from games, and doing and then could result in gameplay residual bug. The games were designed to have boodle boxes later on all. Mayhap publishers will think twice about including loot boxes in hereafter games if regulators go along to treat them like a slot machine.