US Anti Loot Box Bill to be introduced to the US Senate Today could Potentially Stop most Microtransactions

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US politics is a messy business with Democrats and Republicans hardly being able to agree on anything.  But the new Anti-Loot Box bill that will be introduced in the US Senate today already has bipartisan support.

The proposed legislation could ban loot boxes and other kinds of microtransactions, and the bill itself could have far reaching implications for the US game industry.  According to the proposed bill,

An add-on transaction to a interactive digital entertainment product that [...] eases a user’s progression through content otherwise available within the game without the purchase of such transaction; assists a user in accomplishing an achievement within the game that can otherwise be accomplished without the purchase of such transaction; assists a user in receiving an award associated with the game that is otherwise available in association with the game without the purchase of such transaction; or permits a user to continue to access content of the game that had previously been accessible to the user but has been made inaccessible after the expiration of a timer or a number of gameplay attempts; or with respect to an interactive digital entertainment product that, from the perspective of a reasonable user of the product, is a game featuring competition with other users, provides a user with a competitive advantage with respect to the game’s competitive aspects over users who do not make such a transaction. 

An add-on transaction [...] that in a randomized or partially randomized fashion unlocks a feature of the product; adds to or enhances the entertainment value of the product; or allows the user to make 1 or more additional add-on transactions that the user could not have made without making the first add-on transaction; and the content of which is unknown to the user until after the user has made the first add-on transaction.

Its messy legal speak but TLDR, pay-to-win microtransactions and loot boxes in any game that can be accessed by children will be outright banned.

However, gaming companies will STILL be able to charge for

  • Difficulty modes
  • Cosmetic items
  • Expansion packs

So Fortnite or DOTA skins are safe, so are expansion packs for your favorite MMO while card packs for Hearthstone would be in a somewhat grey area.  And lawyers would probably be required if you want to buy experience point boosters for games like Anthem or World of Tanks!

The actual bill and the FAQ are available below for anyone who really wants to get into it or if you maybe work for a gaming company.

Senator Hawley's Loot Box Bill

Loot Box Bill FAQ

The bill has definitely cast a cloud over the entire gaming industry and The Entertainment Software Association is already getting ready to fight it.  The ESA has released a statement opposed to the bill:

This legislation is flawed and riddled with inaccuracies. It does not reflect how video games work nor how our industry strives to deliver innovative and compelling entertainment experiences to our audiences. The impact of this bill would be far-reaching and ultimately prove harmful to the player experience, not to mention the more than 220,000 Americans employed by the video game industry.

In any case, the entire gaming landscape that we are now familiar with might be changing very soon.  Upcoming release from EA, Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order, has already promised to go old school to single-player no microtransaction one time purchase game.  Is this a sign of things to come?

 

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