Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft to require loot box odds disclosure

[Deltron]

Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft to require loot box odds disclosure

The Entertainment Software Association has said that Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft are working on new policies to require loot box odds disclosure on their systems.

Entertainment Software Association chief counsel of tech policy Michael Warnecke announced the news this morning at the Federal Trade Commission's Inside the Game workshop on the loot box issue. The comments came after Warnecke recapped the industry's previous attempts to address loot box concerns: an in-game purchases label on retail titles and platform-level spending controls on consoles and the EA Origin PC storefront.

"That said, we are doing more," Warnecke said. "I'm pleased to announce this morning that Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony have indicated to ESA a commitment to new platform policies with respect to the use of paid loot boxes in games that are developed for their platform. Specifically, this would apply to new games and game updates that add loot box features. And it would require the disclosure of the relative rarity or probabilities of obtaining randomized virtual items in games that are available on their platforms.

"As well, many of the leading video game publishers of the Entertainment Software Association have decided that they are going to implement a similar approach at the publisher level to provide consumers this information and give them enhanced information to make purchase decisions."

Apple mandated lootbox odds disclosure for iOS games in 2017. Google followed suit with Google Play requirements earlier this year.

 

[levitate]

They the real MVPs for this.

 

[Sterling Archer]

The community usually finds a way to get this info shortly after a game launches but requiring developers to make loot info PRIOR to or AT LAUNCH needs to be specified in their policy. Telling people loot odds a couple months after release date wont change anything at all. It needs to info available to a potential consumer, not a consumer. Thats where the change makes a difference.

 

[O³ (O cubed)]

That's all well and good but Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo don't really put loot boxes in their games.

If EA, Take Two and Ubisoft said it wouldn't have loot boxes then I would celebrate.