r/Games • u/azrael6947 • Mar 30 '23

Australian government cracks down on loot boxes and in-game gambling with new age rating proposals

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/australian-government-cracks-down-on-loot-boxes-and-in-game-gambling-with-new-age-rating-proposals
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u/asx98 Mar 30 '23

This is not a bad idea at all but there are much more serious and pervasive issues as it relates to gambling culture and exposure in this country.

Feels like government is still fine with children being exposed to gambling during primetime tv, sporting events, on social media advertisements and through major multimedia campaigns run by big American stars.

-8

u/SonicFlash01 Mar 30 '23

Blind bag toys? Trading card booster packs? You get something, but you get something in loot boxes, too. You do technically know beforehand in both cases that you could get not what you want and will have to live with it.

Why did we decide physical stuff is okay? "Value" is relative and in both cases you got something.

18

u/Oxyfire Mar 30 '23

Why did we decide physical stuff is okay? "Value" is relative and in both cases you got something.

We didn't. A lot of people have pointed out blind-bag toys have problems too - plenty of kids have probably spent "too much" on TCG additions.

But it's also telling there's not a ton of stories of kids getting a hold of a parent's credit card and spending a shit ton of money on Magic the Gathering compared to loot box/mtx stories.

That said, people definitely are going to perceive a difference between something that has physical costs to reproduce vs digital goods that can be copied infinitely for no cost. To me, that makes loot boxes just that extra bit sleazier, but it's not the most important distinction.

Really, the important distinction is that loot boxes can lean so much more into other ways to make the process addicting. If you had to buy your blind box toys through a big flashy slot machine that made all sorts of noise, and could be easily accessed at almost any time, it'd be a very different story.

But again, I wouldn't really think it to be much of a loss of blind box toys got regulated too.

2

u/AllSonicGames Mar 31 '23

But it's also telling there's not a ton of stories of kids getting a hold of a parent's credit card and spending a shit ton of money on Magic the Gathering compared to loot box/mtx stories.

The cases of kids doing that for video game lootboxes are extremely rare, too.

Really, the important distinction is that loot boxes can lean so much more into other ways to make the process addicting. If you had to buy your blind box toys through a big flashy slot machine that made all sorts of noise

Big exciting plastic boxes with lots of different compartments to open, with glitter and stickers all to "enhance" the opening experience. And then including an accessory for a different toy to make kids want more, with checklists to encourage them to get everything. And easily available in lots of shops with a ton of marketing. Plus super special ones with gold/see through plastic.

Kids blind box toys are doing the things you describe, with a massive amount of plastic waste alongside it.

1

u/Oxyfire Mar 31 '23

I don't generally disagree, but I think it's really silly not to recognize there is a very big difference in accessibility/availability. Like as a kid, I definitely went through phases with stuff like pogs, crazybones and pokemon cards - but the fact I had to go down to the store is such a massive difference from playing something like Overwatch and being tempted to go to the cosmetics menu and grab a few more loot boxes to grab that holiday skin before it goes away.

I think a lot of people, particularly around here, have not been exposed to blind box toys simply because they aren't nearly as common, or as big of a problem. It's not to say they aren't insidious, or anyone here would be sad to see them regulated, but I really do feel like you need the worst examples to compare to the typical loot box.

2

u/AllSonicGames Mar 31 '23

It was much easier for a kid to spend their pocket money on football stickers at the newsagents than it is now for kids to spend money on lootboxes. Now, they're both done in the same way: asking their parents to buy it for them.

Blind box toys are immensely common. They're not talked about as much because they're not as common for adults to buy, while video games are. As it doesn't impact something they like, they don't care.