[Chi]

With Belgium banning loot boxes within video games and fining companies/publishers €800,000 (£697,000) as well as up to five years in prison for the publishers, how does will this new law effect games like Star Trek online and Neverwinter and other free to play mmos?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-43906306

[Tatchi]

Interesting. The Dutch gambling authority recently concluded that only loot boxes where the items represent real monetary value, meaning you can sell them, are considered gambling. So in that case Overwatch was fine, but Counterstrike wasn't.

Looks like the Belgian government takes it a step further though. How much further, in reality, remains to be seen. I doubt we'll see EA executives in irons, even though that's probably the best place for them. A shame they didn't include free to play games, even some mobile ones. Though, from this article alone, it sounds like they would consider them the same as buy to play games, as the nature of loot boxes and the "predatory practice" is no different whether you had to buy the game first or not.

[Sul-Matuul]

STO's lockbox practices are slightly different in that they (Crytic/PWE) would argue you always get some paltry amount of lobi crystals. However that doesn't sit well with me because the boxes are HEAVILY advertised as containing ship X or weapon Y and the lobi is clearly not marketed as a major thing. In fact in recant years the majority of STO's new content is lockbox related in some form or other i feel, the game is centered around a 3 month calendar of box releases for goodness sake!
Now personally i have no idea where that stands in the legislation but it's pretty clear that the lockbox content is pretty aggressively marketed as the next big thing each season and no different to BF2 of CS loot systems. You may not NEED to have those toys to play well but everyone knows that to get to the top of the game you'll probably want at least some of it (traits for other ships, weapons for sets, costumes, training manuals etc.), plus the tactic is always to put the most desirable stuff in the least accessible place. That's clearly aimed are driving sales of keys for people who "must have" the latest thing, its a long way from a paid shop with a guaranteed reward.

I'd love to see the lockbox menace removed, but i shudder to think what alternative these companies would come up with. I guess this is the balance to pay for free to play games, it certainly must be more profitable; which is another interesting side to this.
If a game is more profitable when people can play for free but you have a lootbox system than it would be with paid subs i think it's obvious why certain models are so common now. These compaines know they can afford to have players using their gear for free because they can exploit us with a loot system that is aggressive and sublime. Remember; if the thing is free then YOU are the product (or in this case you are being farmed for cash with their loot system).

[Scarlett]

Oh, it got real.

I'd rather pay monthly to play a game, and have everything in it. So, if I want the T6 Connie, then let me grind for it.

[Tatchi]

Oh, it got real.

I'd rather pay monthly to play a game, and have everything in it. So, if I want the T6 Connie, then let me grind for it.

Me too, but it seems like a lot of people don't. I really like STO, but I often tell my kids when they want to play a 'free to play' game "No, we can't afford that, just buy a full priced triple A title, it's much cheaper".

[Sul-Matuul]

Me too, but it seems like a lot of people don't. I really like STO, but I often tell my kids when they want to play a 'free to play' game "No, we can't afford that, just buy a full priced triple A title, it's much cheaper".

Me personally, i'd chose not to sub to a game unless i knew it was going to provide a decent return for my cash. Free-2-play games do have the advantage that you can drop in and out and not worry too much about costs or needing to keep up with subs whilst you are away etc. They are an attractive means to game for the casual players of the world, perhaps the hardcore gamers will not agree. But some of us don't have the time or resources to buy/pay for a game like Warcraft, Star Citizen etc.

Now STO is pretty unique in terms of F2P though, as it's content is open to all, and only really non-essential stuff if buy-able. That's a far cry from things like SWTOR where you're lucky if you can play anything without dropping some £'s into it.

I will invest in a game IF i think it is going to be worth it and it's going to give me some long term and decent entertainment. Currently that is only a single game for me.

[Mack]

Oh, it got real.

I'd rather pay monthly to play a game, and have everything in it. So, if I want the T6 Connie, then let me grind for it.

I agree with you.