GOP Sen. Josh Hawley Announces Bill to Ban ‘Manipulative’ Features of Video Games
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said Wednesday that he will introduce legislation banning common game-industry practices that “prey on user addiction.”
microtransactions
Lawmaker Wants ESRB to Put Age-Restrictions on Games with Loot Boxes
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Hawaii State Representative Sean Quinlan advocated for self-regulation of loot boxes by the video game industry.
National Committee on Games Policy Formed in Wake of Outcry over Loot Boxes *UPDATE*
Amidst the ongoing debate as to the nature of loot boxes and gambling, “industry leaders and experts” as forming a non-partisan advocacy group called the National Committee on Games Policy.
Report: Microtransactions, DLC Make Up Majority of Video Game Revenue Despite Consumer Outcry
While recent controversies may have finally gotten the attention of legislators, consumers are still voting for the inclusion of predatory loot boxes with their wallets.
Hawaii Legislators Denounce ‘Star Wars Battlefront II’ Loot Boxes as ‘Addictive Cycle of Gambling’
From the US to Belgium, the predatory pseudo-gambling video game “loot box” business model is coming under fire, and politicians are finally taking notice.
EA Temporarily Removes ‘Star Wars Battlefront II’ Microtransactions Following Controversy
Star Wars Battlefront II publisher Electronic Arts has responded to the ongoing controversy behind the game’s aggressive monetization by disabling the purchase of in-game currency — for now.
Report: Unlocking Everything in ‘Star Wars Battlefront II’ Will Cost $2,100 or Take 4,500 Hours
Despite attempts to salve the community’s rage against Star Wars Battlefront II’s aggressive monetization strategy, the forthcoming game’s progression system is still abusively exploitive.
EA’s Defense of ‘Star Wars Battlefront II’ Microtransactions Becomes Reddit’s Most Downvoted Comment of All Time
Electronic Arts was hammered for their rebuttal to gamers’ complaints about the ludicrous advancement requirements and microtransactions in the upcoming Star Wars multiplayer shooter.
Activision Patented a Way to Manipulate Online Games to ‘Encourage’ Microtransactions, Denies Using It
Activision has patented a “system and method for driving microtransactions in multiplayer video games” but denied it is being used in any game.
Video Game Rating Boards Refuse to Call Microtransaction ‘Loot Boxes’ Gambling
Both American and European electronic entertainment rating boards are hesitant to classify video game loot box microtransactions as gambling.
OpenCritic to Warn Consumers of Video Games with Predatory ‘Loot Box’ Purchases
OpenCritic, the review aggregator that made waves with its unweighted and inclusive approach, is looking into informing consumers if a game contains microtransaction loot boxes.
‘For Honor’ Players Discover All Unlocks Would Cost over $700 – or 2.5 Years of Playtime
The developers of the flawed but original medieval brawler For Honor are getting a lot of heat from the game’s player base over its progression system and microtransactions.
Popular YouTubers Caught In Video Game Gambling Scandal
Popular gaming YouTubers ProSyndicate and TmarTn have been caught in a gambling scandal involving the video game Counterstrike: Global Offensive (CS:GO).
‘Grand Theft Auto V’ Has Earned Half a Billion Dollars in Microtransactions
In the course of lawsuit proceedings against Rockstar publisher Take-Two by former executive Leslie Benzies, it has been reported that Grand Theft Auto V has generated “at least” 500 million dollars in microtransactions alone.
Payday 2 Devs Give Bad Boyfriend Apology For Microtransactions
Payday 2 developer Overkill has apologized for its unpopular new microtransactions policy in a Steam community post by Almir Listo that manages to wring its hands just enough to deflect attention from the fact that nothing has actually changed. Listo apologizes for
‘Payday 2’ Producer Doubles Down on Controversial Microtransactions
Payday 2 producer Almir Listo defended the addition of microtransactions to the game in a recent Reddit AMA in response to overwhelming community backlash at a decision to do the very thing Listo himself previously shamed his fans for suggesting.
‘Street Fighter V’ Makes Post-Release Content Free but Introduces Microtransactions
In the past, Capcom has re-released titles that gamers have to buy again for content updates, but the company recently announced a “service-based approach” for Street Fighter V content released after the initial launch of the game.
