Loot Boxes have been the subject of discussion for a while now. Many people have felt that they are a form of gambling, others feel that they are unethical, some even say illegal. Because of these concerns, the Federal Trade Commission is looking to launch an investigation on this widely popular form of microtransactions within the video game industry.
They are starting things off by hosting a public workshop later this year. This came after Senator Maggie Hassan asked the FTC to investigate the issue back in November 2018.
“I think it is time for the FTC to investigate these mechanisms to ensure children are being adequately protected, and to educate parents about potential addiction or other negative impacts of these games,” she commented at the time.
The workshop will serve as a platform for stakeholders representing wide-range perspectives the chance to voice their concerns over the scenario. America isn’t the only country joining the fight against Loot Boxes as South Korea, The Netherlands, and Belgium have already begun to crack down on them as well.
Arguments defending the Loot Boxes state that they have no real world value and always contain some form of a prize. Regardless, it will be interesting to see what the FTC decides on the practice. I know ruling them illegal would make a lot of gamers happy.
News Source: Gamasutra
