First, children. Porn games (and videos) have never been marketed at children. Lootboxes have. It’s not an age-gating issue, it’s an issue of actively promoting gambling for children. Games with gambling elements should be illegal to sell or market to children, and platforms can back this up with parental controls tools, without the need for any privacy-invading ID or facial recognition.
The second is relevant to adults. General things around lootboxes being exploitative bad game design, regardless of the audience. You don’t have to support banning it to be able to say it’s really shitty. Personally, I would advocate very strict reporting on odds of success, and mandate the implementation of self-exclusion features, the same as the law requires (at least here in Australia) for casinos.
Well, I’m less black and white than you are on this, but I could agree with most of that.
That’s not what’s in the law, though.
The law outright bans any and all loot boxes in games aimed at kids or teenagers (meaning anything with any loot boxes is automatically 18+ rated) and sets an obligation for all stores to verify people’s age on top of having parental controls. I guess you could go to court and find out, but the way I read it, age checks are mandated additionally to parental controls and both are set as obligations.
So it’s great for you that you have this whole mental framework of why porn is cool but loot boxes are not, but that’s not what the law says, so I’m going to guess I can chalk you up as disagreeing with this whole situation.
Also, the idea that NSFW content in general, regardless of where you place the bar for “porn” has “never been marketed at children” is hilarious.
There are two separate issues with lootboxes.
First, children. Porn games (and videos) have never been marketed at children. Lootboxes have. It’s not an age-gating issue, it’s an issue of actively promoting gambling for children. Games with gambling elements should be illegal to sell or market to children, and platforms can back this up with parental controls tools, without the need for any privacy-invading ID or facial recognition.
The second is relevant to adults. General things around lootboxes being exploitative bad game design, regardless of the audience. You don’t have to support banning it to be able to say it’s really shitty. Personally, I would advocate very strict reporting on odds of success, and mandate the implementation of self-exclusion features, the same as the law requires (at least here in Australia) for casinos.
Well, I’m less black and white than you are on this, but I could agree with most of that.
That’s not what’s in the law, though.
The law outright bans any and all loot boxes in games aimed at kids or teenagers (meaning anything with any loot boxes is automatically 18+ rated) and sets an obligation for all stores to verify people’s age on top of having parental controls. I guess you could go to court and find out, but the way I read it, age checks are mandated additionally to parental controls and both are set as obligations.
So it’s great for you that you have this whole mental framework of why porn is cool but loot boxes are not, but that’s not what the law says, so I’m going to guess I can chalk you up as disagreeing with this whole situation.
Also, the idea that NSFW content in general, regardless of where you place the bar for “porn” has “never been marketed at children” is hilarious.