Illustration of a video game. – Pixabay
Those responsible for Pan European Game Information (PEGI), a classification system for video games in Europe, announced on Monday the appearance of a new visual concerning loot boxes. It is a batch of paid “mystery” or random options, the player of which does not discover the details until he has paid for it. A system strongly criticized by some players and parents as akin to gambling.
The presence of such an offer must be indicated on the packaging of the games as well as in the dematerialized versions of the titles, indicates the PEGI press release.
All loot boxes concerned
The text also specifies that the new regulations apply to all loot boxes, whether payable in real money or via currency in the world of the game concerned.
These paid surprise options “can be purely decorative or they can have a functional value depending on the game,” explains PEGI. They are likely to be composed of new characters, outfits or looks, but also of weapons, tools, etc. They can unlock levels, add skills or improve performance. ”
Similar device in North America
The PEGI recalls that since September 2018, the presence of paid options had already been indicated on video games. If their content is random, a small box containing this information will be added under the usual warning logos of the classification system. In 2019, 20% of securities that received a PEGI rating offered online option purchases.
Numerama reports that the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), the PEGI equivalent for North America and Mexico, also presented a similar device on Monday. In one
communicated, the organization said it wanted to “offer even greater transparency about the nature of the game elements available for purchase”.
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