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The International Association of Game Developers (IGDA) has called on the video game industry to take action on chests before more governments do it.
Executive Director Jen MacLean writes in an IGDA article: "Random Dropouts are a well-established game mechanism and a way to vary the rewards and maintain the interest and commitment of the players. But when a player buys an unknown object in real money – a booty – we risk triggering laws about gambling.
"These regulations are not always clear and many people have noticed that the surprise boxes were simply digital versions of collectible card games, but we can not ignore the fact that video games are subject to surveillance, increased concern and regulation because of their immersive nature. "
To address these growing concerns, MacLean recommends a three-pronged approach. It calls on the industry to make a commitment not to market the object boxes, to "make it clear" to players their chances of winning different rewards and to launch a "coordinated education campaign" to inform consumers of available parental controls.
"By taking no meaningful action as an industry and international community of game developers to self-regulate the use of loot boxes, we run the real risk that governments around the world take this step for us and maybe create some very restrictive laws that could impact the random reward elements in the games, "MacLean continued. "On this point, I strongly advise game developers and interactive entertainment companies: Explaining how looted boxes are used is both the right thing and the smart thing to do for the global game development industry."
Earlier this week, the Australian Senate called for a "comprehensive review" of the lockboxes while the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), under pressure from the Senate, decided to conduct its own investigation.
In October, Ireland gave up the idea of labeling game boxes as games of chance, following an agreement reached in September between European and US regulators to reduce the risk of gambling in video games.
Nick Santangelo is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. He loves video games and sports, but not video games. Follow on Twitter.
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