Will Black Lion Chests be forbidden in the USA?

A U.S. Senator has introduced a bill to ban loot boxes and "pay-to-win" microtransactions.

While the "pay-to-win" ban probably wouldn't have any impact on Guild Wars 2, the Black Lion Chests are loot boxes, so they would be forbidden if this bill passes.

What do you think will happen?

"popular games like Overwatch, FIFA, and Apex Legends continue to make big money off randomized microtransactions. Many of those games are played by both adults and children."

If that bill becomes law, I'd think anet will have to change or modify black lion chests.

Oh, darn, no more RNG crap for the best stuff. My pearls.

Put endless contracts up with a price finally.

@"Erasculio.2914" said:A U.S. Senator has introduced a bill to ban loot boxes and "pay-to-win" microtransactions.

While the "pay-to-win" ban probably wouldn't have any impact on Guild Wars 2, the Black Lion Chests are loot boxes, so they would be forbidden if this bill passes.

What do you think will happen?

Ugh, I really hope this bill is shot down, not as much for the BLCs as for the principle of it. I am sick of the encroachment of the nanny state, always infringing on our rights while hiding behind “it’s for the children” or whatever. :angry:

I think A-net can claim that statuettes remove the RNG nature. If you get 60 you can get almost anything you want when it becomes available, and so far we’ve been guaranteed statuettes for every opened box.

They may have to adjust the merchant and either notify people of a schedule for when exclusive items will become available, or be forced to have all items available at all times. As well as make such a system clear so no one can minsudnerstand and keep rolling.

Either way if A-net has to comply I bet we will likely see more packs similar to the supply drop.

Really hope this bill doesnt pass. I dont agree with it at all, parents need to watch their kids.

Only good thing from that bill is showing the chances.

D:

I think sooner or later, they will tag a 21 years old on loot boxes. Games should stay away from gambling and just sell the cosmetics directly with no RNG.

What will happen is that you cannot purchase keys for them in gem store nor can buy packages containing these or rng packages inside these. Basically what they did in game to Belgium last year. Which has a ban on lootboxes law. And yes it was for children but they took it out for the whole country.

Hopefully yes.And hopefully it'll shake other countries as well, these money-milking RNG-kitten have to end, I want to be able to buy stuff, not buy a chance to get stuff!

Ah, shit, I hope not! Just leave us alone politicians! Let US choose as individuals to gamble or not to. I personally have no issue with it and would rather people stop panicking about it

Will if this is the case then they need to ban all LOOTBOXES whether it be digital or physical. So goodbye POKEMON cards, LOL and happy meals. All these things are the same as loot boxes since you are gambling to get a specific item from them. I dont want the government to tell me how i want to play a game. It is my decision to partake in it if i choose to not theirs. As far as children goes, that seems more like a parental problem. How many young children out make thier own money? GW2 is probably the most fair since you can convert gold you grind into gems.

@otto.5684 said:I think sooner or later, they will tag a 21 years old on loot boxes. Games should stay away from gambling and just sell the cosmetics directly with no RNG.

Sadly If they approve what you're saying, it could lead to the elimination of all rng in all games, thus eliminating rng drops from mobs and thus ruining the enjoyment of finding treasure and the enjoyment of the game itself. Technically everything in the game is chance, and time spent rolling on those chances of getting good treasure or loot. Since Time is money, elimination of all rng is essentially the argument you're making.

I'd be fine if guild wars 2 blc were exempt, seeing as they're not nearly as egregious as many other exemples that the bill targets, but I agree with the bill on principle. Kids should be monitored and not be allowed to play games with microtransactions to begin with, nor should they play unsupervized. But the constant envelop pushing of large gaming companies toward ultra agressive monetization for the sake of satisfying shareholders at the cost of selling the soul of the game is Something that should not go unpunished.

Remember when developers made games with a good storyline, great mechanics and interesting features because that was their objectives ? I remember it too. Lately all I see are microtransaction selling platforms.

I'm glad that Guild wars 2 doesn't indulge in this, and clearly still makes a game with a soul, a story to say, with interesting features. I'll stuck with it unto death, or until they follow the exemple of the companies who indulge in overagressive microtransactions, which to me will equals the death of it's soul.

@Erasculio.2914 said:What do you think will happen?

I am not in the U.S. and I hope that paid RNG content will be banned worldwide.

@Ashantara.8731 said:

@Erasculio.2914 said:What do you think will happen?

why? I enjoy paid RNG. If you don't like it, why don't you just not buy it?

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:why? I enjoy paid RNG. If you don't like it, why don't you just not buy it?

I'm not talking about me but on behalf of the many teens, adolescents and even adults who lose hundreds or thousands of dollars getting addicted to gambling in games (and on related websites). Gambling can be highly addictive and therefore should not be encouraged, but that's just my opinion.

What I'm more interested in is the percentage of underage players that are actually 'exploited' by loot boxes and the percentage who are simply latching onto this because they don't like the loot boxes and see this as the best means to get rid of them.

The article lost some context as reported by kotaku.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/05/08/video-game-loot-boxes-would-be-outlawed-many-games-under-forthcoming-federal-bill

• This legislation has not been submitted officially.
• There is no "active" proposal from any other member of congress that involves loot boxes.
• This particular senator is in his first year and has sponsored just three pieces of legislation: one 'resolution' and two 'bills' (= proposed laws|regulations), one involving the safety of semi-amphibious tourist boats and the other to include peace officers as those benefiting from services for victims of crime.

In other words, at this point, it's just an announcement of an intention to submit a law.So, for now, it's just a press release; it's not an actual proposal.

Excerpts from the Article:

Video games popular among kids would be prohibited from offering “loot boxes” or randomized assortments of digital weapons, clothing and other items that can be purchased for a fee, under federal legislation to be introduced by Republican Sen. Josh Hawley (Mo.).

Hawley’s proposed bill, outlined Wednesday, covers games explicitly targeted to players younger than 18 as well as those for broader audiences where developers are aware that kids are making in-game purchases. Along with outlawing loot boxes, these video games also would be banned from offering “pay to win” schemes, where players must spend money to access additional content or gain digital advantages over rival players.

The Entertainment Software Association, a top lobbying group for the video game industry, countered by pointing to other countries, including Ireland and Germany, that “determined that loot boxes do not constitute gambling.”

U.S. policymakers also have explored new regulation: States, including California and Washington, have considered their own legislation in recent years, though none of the proposals has become law. In the nation’s capital, FTC Chairman Joe Simons in November committed the agency to looking into loot boxes, though he later declined to detail in a letter to Congress if the commission had opened any investigations targeting specific video games or their practices.

The pledge came in response to Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan (N.H.), who said the practice of paying for random loot had a “close link to gambling.” Instead, the FTC said months later it would convene a policy workshop in August to study the “techniques used to market loot boxes and whether minors are becoming addicted.”

@Ashantara.8731 said:

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:why? I enjoy paid RNG. If you don't like it, why don't you just not buy it?

You can get addicted to anything lol... Why don't people have self control? Should we outlaw most foods or drinks or activities because some people out there have horrible addictions to them? Or is the blame placed on the individual to exercise some self control? I'd say that people need to do things in moderation, and holding everyone hostage by banning activities outright that everyone enjoys, because a few people have problems with self moderation while engaging in those activities seems very unreasonable.

@Ashantara.8731 said:

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:why? I enjoy paid RNG. If you don't like it, why don't you just not buy it?

Lots of things can be addictive — alcohol, food, sex... Let’s just ban all of them, right?

@Ashantara.8731 said:

@Erasculio.2914 said:What do you think will happen?

I agree with you. I hope Belgium was just the first step in a worldwide ban. Thankfully, it appears the USA have been slowly tackling this issue, and if loot boxes are forbidden there and in China, they will probably be removed from the entire world.

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:

@otto.5684 said:I think sooner or later, they will tag a 21 years old on loot boxes. Games should stay away from gambling and just sell the cosmetics directly with no RNG.

Let’s not get bananas shall we? No reason for this bullshit “oh no they well destroy the game.” Clearly this is about micro transactions, specifically randomized loot boxes purchasable with either real money or in game currency directly purchasable with money.

The game shop will be much better if loot boxes were removed.

@otto.5684 said:

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:

@otto.5684 said:I think sooner or later, they will tag a 21 years old on loot boxes. Games should stay away from gambling and just sell the cosmetics directly with no RNG.

this will destroy a ton of games, not just GW2, I don't understand why anyone wants this. Why don't parents just watch their children and the problem is solved?

@VDAC.2137 said:

@Ashantara.8731 said:

@"Jumpin Lumpix.6108" said:why? I enjoy paid RNG. If you don't like it, why don't you just not buy it?

Nice try. Two completely different pairs of shoes, at least when it comes to the two former age groups. Or are you trying to say that you find it okay to deliberately push a minor toward drugs, alcohol and excessive sex? Or that you would feed them unhealthily on purpose as a parent? A person's frontal lobe isn't fully developed until circa the age of 25, therefore, they are more prone to getting addicted, especially when it's all wrapped up as a "cool thing you just must have" in their favorite game (you know how easily seduced kids are by "shinies" ;) ). I hope you can agree with me to some degree here.