https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/08/console-makers-will-require-disclosure-of-loot-box-odds/
Saw this over on reddit. Since STO is on XB and PS4 they will be required to show lock box/R&D pack odds for those platforms.
The-Grand-Nagus
Join Date:
Sep 2008 0
Comments
While that might be funny, I'm pretty sure the 'disclosure' being discussed is to the customers.
The-Grand-Nagus
Join Date: Sep 2008
https://www.theesa.com/perspectives/video-game-industry-commitments-to-further-inform-consumer-purchases/
Here's an article from two years ago showing how companies can take advantage of vaguely defined rules and comply in form, but not in spirit.
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/12/apple-now-requires-app-store-games-with-loot-boxes-to-list-odds/
I don't think Wizards of the Coast is a publisher of Neverwinter, that is probably Perfect World, but maybe that could lead to at least Neverwinter releasing its odd anyway even if the platform rules don't technically require it for them. But that would be very speculative.
My character Tsin'xing
Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo to Require Games to Disclose Loot Box Odds to Players
This will naturally apply to STO.
Here is the thing, Sto is very unique as being one of the two major mmos at the time to really start using the practice. Of Lootboxes its listed by name even on the wikipedia. So I'd imagine if lawmakers did look at hte wiki to see which companies would problematic with it. Sto or Cryptic might be brought into the spotlight because it was one of several companies and possibly one of the first mmos the united states to take up the practice. For that reason it could be a little problematic. The way they sell keys instead of lootboxes might be able to get them by any laws but I doubt they could get by Sony or Microsoft on this.
This is what it says in the wikipieda
In Western regions (North America and Europe) around 2009, the video game industry saw the success of Zynga and other large publishers of social-network games that offered the games for free on sites like Facebook but included microtransactions to accelerate one's progress in the game, providing that publishers could depend on revenue from post-sale transactions rather than initial sale.[18] The first appearances of loot boxes in these regions was with Team Fortress 2 in September 2010, when Valve Corporation added the ability to earn random "crates" to be opened with purchased keys.[9] Valve's Robin Walker stated that the intent was to create "network effects" that would draw more players to the game, so that there would be more players to obtain revenue from the keys to unlock crates.[18] Valve later transitioned to a free-to-play model, reporting an increase in player count of over 12 times after the transition,[20] and hired Yanis Varoufakis to research virtual economies. Over the next few years many MMOs and multiplayer online battle arena games (MOBAs) also transitioned to a free-to-play business model to help grow out their player base, many adding loot-box monetization in the process,[20][21] with the first two being both Star Trek Online[22] and The Lord of the Rings Online[citation needed] in December 2011.
Anything could happen really. But yeah it does seem like the battlefront thing exposed the practice to the point lawmakers finally noticed. This is why they are doing this by the way. Possibly in the attempts to keep that one law from getting past. So consoles and gaming companies are starting to self regulate. Cryptic might have to follow any rules the consoles put into place for example I don't think they would have much of a choice in the matter. I think they are giving companies to the end of next year to give them time to code and find out all this information for example or code in the odd chances. To be shown the respective player bases. We will see what happens.
Yeah I posted this on NEverwinter forums or something like this. Because wizards was involved Cryptic might have to do this with Neverwinter because of their involvement. But yes it seems to be changes are coming. At some point cryptic might have too. I think players have a good idea of what the chances really are. But yeah It will be very interesting to see the official chances.
Here is the thing, Sto is very unique as being one of the two major mmos at the time to really start using the practice. Of Lootboxes its listed by name even on the wikipedia. So I'd imagine if lawmakers did look at hte wiki to see which companies would problematic with it. Sto or Cryptic might be brought into the spotlight because it was one of several companies and possibly one of the first mmos the united states to take up the practice. For that reason it could be a little problematic. The way they sell keys instead of lootboxes might be able to get them by any laws but I doubt they could get by Sony or Microsoft on this.
This is what it says in the wikipieda
In Western regions (North America and Europe) around 2009, the video game industry saw the success of Zynga and other large publishers of social-network games that offered the games for free on sites like Facebook but included microtransactions to accelerate one's progress in the game, providing that publishers could depend on revenue from post-sale transactions rather than initial sale.[18] The first appearances of loot boxes in these regions was with Team Fortress 2 in September 2010, when Valve Corporation added the ability to earn random "crates" to be opened with purchased keys.[9] Valve's Robin Walker stated that the intent was to create "network effects" that would draw more players to the game, so that there would be more players to obtain revenue from the keys to unlock crates.[18] Valve later transitioned to a free-to-play model, reporting an increase in player count of over 12 times after the transition,[20] and hired Yanis Varoufakis to research virtual economies. Over the next few years many MMOs and multiplayer online battle arena games (MOBAs) also transitioned to a free-to-play business model to help grow out their player base, many adding loot-box monetization in the process,[20][21] with the first two being both Star Trek Online[22] and The Lord of the Rings Online[citation needed] in December 2011.
Anything could happen really. But yeah it does seem like the battlefront thing exposed the practice to the point lawmakers finally noticed. This is why they are doing this by the way. Possibly in the attempts to keep that one law from getting past. So consoles and gaming companies are starting to self regulate. Cryptic might have to follow any rules the consoles put into place for example I don't think they would have much of a choice in the matter. I think they are giving companies to the end of next year to give them time to code and find out all this information for example or code in the odd chances. To be shown the respective player bases. We will see what happens.
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Yep, so they might make such a thing a requirement. But maybe not. But I am not really sure where they appear as publisher with such a thing, but I haven't followed them that closely anymore since they moved from D&D 4 to D&D Next. (Only recently started a side-campaign using D&D Next, and even though I still prefer D&D 4, the digital offerings now are definitely better.)
I think players on this forum or reddit might, but I suspect the majority of player don't really know.
My character Tsin'xing
Generally true of humans and unspecific to games. That's why people still smoke.
The-Grand-Nagus
Join Date: Sep 2008
My character Tsin'xing