Gaming News

akun50

akun50

Well-Known Member
#11,126
#11,126
NOT SURE IF TRUE, BUT IF IT IS.....
So, EA may have shit EVERY bed for any lootbox-based game out there.

For those who don't want to click that link to KnowYourMeme (and I would understand), here's the deal:

Belgium has marked Lootboxes as Gambling, and is going to be bringing the "Lootboxes are Gambling" subject to the EU congress. If they pass with a minimum of 20 votes of the 200 countries, ALL of the countries in the EU will have the option to label Lootboxes as Gambling. It can be passed in a small court and they don't need to announce that they are doing so.

What does that mean?

ALL companies that engage in Lootbox sales WILL have to purchase a GAMBLING License that will consist of 20% of their taxes on the system from last year, and they MUST re-buy this license EVERY YEAR. The companies may also be taxed for every PREVIOUS YEAR they offered Lootboxes within the countries that declared them gambling. They must ALSO make all drop rates and quality ratings PUBLIC.

In some countries, the taxes on the lootboxes might be between 40%-80%.

Hawaii has also been jumping on this little float box, with six more US states threatening to do the same if it takes hold.

TL: DR; - We may be witnessing the most well-deserved tanking of a shitty "AAA" game developer and the end of the toxic Lootbox moneygrab horseshit.

Gather thy spit and scorn and remember to aim high. The focus of our contempt should lie with the upper management and shareholders, as after all, they hold the primary blame for everything that they hath wrought.
 
C

CatOnFire

Well-Known Member
#11,127
#11,127
There is no good that can come from involving a government in a videogame dispute. Loot Boxes have been around for years mostly in free to play games like DOTA2, Teamfortress 2 and League of Legends or the new addition Fortnite. Even Overwatch has Loot Boxes. Allowing any government to tax EA will snowball to ALL games that use Loot Boxes who are not dicks about it.

You shouldn't be happy about this you should be f***ing terrified. If this goes though you might just see EU cut off from any number of games upto Steam all together.
 
C

Contrabardus

Well-Known Member
#11,128
#11,128
CatOnFire said:
There is no good that can come from involving a government in a videogame dispute. Loot Boxes have been around for years mostly in free to play games like DOTA2, Teamfortress 2 and League of Legends or the new addition Fortnite. Even Overwatch has Loot Boxes. Allowing any government to tax EA will snowball to ALL games that use Loot Boxes who are not dicks about it.

You shouldn't be happy about this you should be f***ing terrified. If this goes though you might just see EU cut off from any number of games upto Steam all together.
Click to expand...
There is no such thing as a video game that uses loot boxes that you have to pay real money for that aren't dicks about it. The very practice is dickish.

I won't buy any game that has loot box transactions in it just because I want nothing to do with supporting this.

I don't mind it as an in game RNG system that doesn't involve microtransactions, but it really is preying on the same lizard brain elements that make gambling appealing.

I'm for this, it needs to be regulated because it's preying on addictive behavior. The fact that it's showing up in games where a significant portion of the player base are children and teens makes it even more heinous.
 
akun50

akun50

Well-Known Member
#11,129
#11,129
Actually, Cat, I do agree with your concerns. I don't like governments having to step in, unless when it's absolutely necessary. When I was originally writing that last post, I was mainly thinking of the AAA assholes who've been using the loot box as an excuse to try and get ALL the money.

Because that's what they've been trying to do. That's why games that would be massive successes in any other industry are being labeled flops or failures. Because it's not enough that they get a lot of money. They want ALL of the money. And any game that doesn't earn them ALL of the money isn't profitable enough.

But, I do realize that there are smaller free-to-play games that have some loot boxes or loot box-elements as a means to make enough revenue to keep the lights on and the doors open, and for them, I do feel sorry if this hammer does come down on the industry. The ones who use things like micro-transactions and loot boxes lightly and/or the closest to the "right" way (i.e. you can't buy the loot boxes, you can only earn them), they don't deserve to get punished for the flaming mountain of horseshit that EA has been trying to shovel as an excuse for peddling legalized gambling.

And there's also the concern that the EU congress will make a poorly-informed decision and end up damaging the game's industry greatly in the EU. That is a genuine concern.

However, back on the first hand, Loot boxes in general have not been used as a means to keep many of the games that they're in afloat. They've instead become a means to maximize profits off of the "Whales" and "Dolphins", people who struggle against their impulse control, or even have a gambling addiction that they don't realize they have.

(There's a reason Lootbox openings became a huge thing on Youtube, even if they aren't as super popular now, and why things like Lootcrate exists, with anime, video game, sci fi, etc. themes. There are people who watch to get a burst of excitement, euphoria, dopamine and/or adrenaline at a reveal.)

Regardless, EA's unrepentant greed is largely why this is happening. And their upper management have a majority of my contempt if this ultimately destroys them, and they will remain the source of scorn if this damages all of gaming as a result.

If anything, I hope, even if this doesn't pass the EU congress, that game companies learn the RIGHT lesson out of this: make content players want to buy, and they'll happily give you money.
 
K

Karnath

Well-Known Member
#11,130
#11,130
So the new Megaten game for the Switch is actually Shin Megami Tensei V
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLSrGiiy95U&feature=em-subs_digest
 
C

Contrabardus

Well-Known Member
#11,131
#11,131
akun50 said:
Actually, Cat, I do agree with your concerns. I don't like governments having to step in, unless when it's absolutely necessary. When I was originally writing that last post, I was mainly thinking of the AAA assholes who've been using the loot box as an excuse to try and get ALL the money.

Because that's what they've been trying to do. That's why games that would be massive successes in any other industry are being labeled flops or failures. Because it's not enough that they get a lot of money. They want ALL of the money. And any game that doesn't earn them ALL of the money isn't profitable enough.

But, I do realize that there are smaller free-to-play games that have some loot boxes or loot box-elements as a means to make enough revenue to keep the lights on and the doors open, and for them, I do feel sorry if this hammer does come down on the industry. The ones who use things like micro-transactions and loot boxes lightly and/or the closest to the "right" way (i.e. you can't buy the loot boxes, you can only earn them), they don't deserve to get punished for the flaming mountain of horseshit that EA has been trying to shovel as an excuse for peddling legalized gambling.

And there's also the concern that the EU congress will make a poorly-informed decision and end up damaging the game's industry greatly in the EU. That is a genuine concern.

However, back on the first hand, Loot boxes in general have not been used as a means to keep many of the games that they're in afloat. They've instead become a means to maximize profits off of the "Whales" and "Dolphins", people who struggle against their impulse control, or even have a gambling addiction that they don't realize they have.

(There's a reason Lootbox openings became a huge thing on Youtube, even if they aren't as super popular now, and why things like Lootcrate exists, with anime, video game, sci fi, etc. themes. There are people who watch to get a burst of excitement, euphoria, dopamine and/or adrenaline at a reveal.)

Regardless, EA's unrepentant greed is largely why this is happening. And their upper management have a majority of my contempt if this ultimately destroys them, and they will remain the source of scorn if this damages all of gaming as a result.

If anything, I hope, even if this doesn't pass the EU congress, that game companies learn the RIGHT lesson out of this: make content players want to buy, and they'll happily give you money.
Click to expand...
It is necessary in this case. This is being badly abused and needs to be regulated.

Again, I wouldn't be quite so firm in this stance if this was happening exclusively in M rated games, but it's not. Even then I think it should be treated like any other form of online gambling.

It may not be "technically" online gambling legally speaking, but for all intents and purposes that is exactly what it is. It intentionally preys on addictive behavior. It was literally designed to do exactly that.

It's time we updated laws to deal with this sort of thing. I'm not against it happening at all per say, I have no issues with online poker or other forms of online gambling that are properly managed and regulated, but microtransaction based lootboxes should be treated the same way and absolutely should not be in any game rated lower than M.

Adults can make informed decisions for themselves and are responsible for managing their addictions.

This shit needs to be regulated and the writing has been on the wall for a while now. It showing up so aggressively in a Star Wars game that everyone knows many, many kids will be playing was just the last straw.
 
seitora

seitora

Well-Known Member
#11,135
#11,135
I still need to play Azure Striker Gunvolt too
 
C

Contrabardus

Well-Known Member
#11,138
#11,138
Antimatter said:
I still need to finish my Risky mode run. This looks fascinating though.
Click to expand...
Looks a lot like Trine, and I'm cool with that.

Way Forward knows how to do proper DLC.
 
Antimatter

Antimatter

Well-Known Member
#11,139
#11,139
SAN MATEO, Calif., December 7, 2017 – Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) today announced new sales milestones for PlayStation®4 (PS4™) computer entertainment system, PlayStation®VR (PS VR) virtual reality system, and PS4 and PS VR games.

PS4 has cumulatively sold through more than 70.6M units to consumers worldwide as of December 3, 2017*1.
More than 617.8 million copies*2 of PS4 games have been sold at retail stores globally and through digital downloads on PlayStation®Store as of December 3, 2017.
Based on strong momentum of PS4, PS VR cumulatively sold through more than 2M units to consumers worldwide as of December 3, 2017*1.
150 titles have been released for PS VR*3, achieving more than 12.2 million copies sold at retail stores globally and through digital downloads on PlayStation Store as of December 3, 2017.
 
chronodekar

chronodekar

Obsessively signs his posts
Staff member
#11,141
#11,141
Contrabardus said:
[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrtfsGYBviE[/video]
Click to expand...
Haven't played the Shantae games, but this gameplay reminds me of Trine.

-chronodekar
 
Ordo

Ordo

Well-Known Member
#11,143
#11,143
[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKAly6teEK0&feature=youtu.be[/video]
 
Ordo

Ordo

Well-Known Member
#11,144
#11,144
[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQTcf2bnRhY[/video]
 
coconutED

coconutED

some guy
#11,145
#11,145
Anybody keeping up with the Secret of Mana Remake? It's due out in February.

https://www.secretofmanagame.com/en-us/

I'm not going to lie...based on the builds I've seen so far, it looks and sounds like hot garbage. And there's no sign of the content that had to be cut in order to get the game to fit on an SNES cartridge when the CD add-on fell through.

This is shaping up to be a huge disappointment.
 
akun50

akun50

Well-Known Member
#11,146
#11,146
[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgMw6punQrE[/video]
TL: DW version - While entirely possible that it's just troll information, and whether it can be executed to the degree the presentation infers is HIGHLY subjective, a company might just have a solid idea on how to get far more people to buy into a game than Loot Boxes could. The biggest obstacle is that no single game could ever fulfill this stated goal.... but a game company that had multiple successful game genres under its belt could feasibly do so...

The big question becomes: if the game tailors itself to meet whatever you wanted from it, would it truly be a bad thing?
 
Ordo

Ordo

Well-Known Member
#11,149
#11,149
[video=youtube]https://youtu.be/W5CTlRKa1SE[/video]
 
Shirotsume

Shirotsume

Not The Goddamn @dmin
#11,150
#11,150
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