RANDOM VIDEO GAME NEWS - DA REAL DEAL

[Mamoulian War]

If there are som UK guys on this forums, there is already petition running to age restrict this kind of gambling in games.

 

Please support it, if you hate this practice.

 

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/201300

 

Please share the word to your friends as well.

 

The more countries start some legislation against this ****, the better.

Edited October 11, 2017 by Mamoulian War

[Blarghagh]

OpenCritic review aggregation site planning to take a stand against loot boxes.

 

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/10/loot-boxes-in-video-games-will-soon-get-a-review-flag-from-opencritic/

 

While I applaud the actual action taken, I'm a bit concerned about the intent and phrasing here. OpenCritic themselves calls it taking a stand, it's referred to as an initiative to "combat" the practice. While all the real impact is great, adding more information for the consumer, I feel like OpenCritic showing an open bias might be a mistake. The only reason I tolerate that aggregator more than others is because it's been unbiased and fair. I'm there to cut through the agendas, not to fall into them.

[evilcat]

I actually wrote to PEGI so they look into loot boxes, and maybe add some form of slot machine icon on some games.

[Mamoulian War]

PEGI has already icon, which tells that the game may contain or learn the player how to gamble. Icon of two Dices. Shadow of War does not have this icon assigned.

 

I will write to PEGI as well, as soon, as I get home from my business trip.

[Fenixp]

Turning to PEGI is actually a rather clever idea - an icon is good, assigning the games an AO rating due to their exploitative nature even better.

[Katphood]

Wow...just WOW!!!

 

 

If there are som UK guys on this forums, there is already petition running to age restrict this kind of gambling in games.

 

Please support it, if you hate this practice.

 

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/201300

 

Please share the word to your friends as well.

 

The more countries start some legislation against this ****, the better.

 

Well, it says 'Only British citizens or UK residents have the right to sign'. That makes me a sad kitteh.

Edited October 11, 2017 by Katphood

[Mamoulian War]

Torchlight I and Torchlight II for free on GOG, if you have it on Steam (through GOG Connect), or if you have it purchased directly from the developer "shop".

 

 

 

https://www.gog.com/news/arpgs_up_to_75_claim_a_drmfree_copy_of_torchlight_i_ii

[Blodhemn]

Just another perk of not being into the latest games, no longer subjected to microtransactions. However that doesn't keep me from loot filled games altogether. I really can't stand game clutter these days. Just makes for tedious gameplay, however it's my fault for falling into that trap when I do. Same goes for people paying for loot boxes. They probably waste less time than I do with my slow play style. Asking for government intervention just seems like the typical gaming community overreaction.

[ShadySands]

A game about AI making paperclips is the most addictive you’ll play today

Edited October 12, 2017 by ShadySands

[injurai]

Alright, this is one of the cooler idle games.

[Malcador]

https://kotaku.com/esrb-says-it-doesnt-see-loot-boxes-as-gambling-1819363091

 

ESRB says it's not gambling, must be so.

[Bartimaeus]

No surprises there: it's a garbage self-regulatory agency supported by publishers. The rationale doesn't even make sense: so if all other forms of gambling had a minimum payout guarantee (e.g. 1 cent), they wouldn't be considered gambling? Casinos would be jumping at the opportunity to technically not be gambling so fast if it were that easy...and then such a loophole would be immediately outlawed. No, I think change will have to come from outside the industry at this point - that, or boiling over consumer outrage.

Edited October 12, 2017 by Bartimaeus

[Malcador]

Denuvo down again, apparently - http://www.dsogaming.com/news/denuvo-seems-useless-middle-earth-shadow-war-also-cracked-just-day/

[Blarghagh]

Wasn't there a dude here who always said Denovo couldn't be cracked?

 

No surprises there: it's a garbage self-regulatory agency supported by publishers. The rationale doesn't even make sense: so if all other forms of gambling had a minimum payout guarantee (e.g. 1 cent), they wouldn't be considered gambling? Casinos would be jumping at the opportunity to technically not be gambling so fast if it were that easy...and then such a loophole would be immediately outlawed. No, I think change will have to come from outside the industry at this point - that, or boiling over consumer outrage.

God I hope not. As self-serving and increasingly irrelevant game publishers are, regulation of games has been traditionally not awesome.

[Tale]

ESRB isn't where I'd look to handle the gambling lootboxes, anyway. If the ESRB disappeared, I think we'd all be better off. Public outcry is the thing to look towards. It helped kill online passes and those things weren't half this reviled.

[Zoraptor]

Crap as it is otherwise I could see the EU getting involved in loot boxes and putting a stop to them. I doubt that steam would have brought in their refund system if it had only been Aus/ NZ demanding it, EU on the other hand is a lot harder to ignore.

 

Wasn't there a dude here who always said Denovo couldn't be cracked?

 

 

Yes.

 

Because Denuvo isn't DRM, it's tamper protection, it says so on their site, so it cannot be cracked as it's not DRM. That's logic! It also doesn't effect performance, it says that on their site too; coder gods they are, able to make programs run with no overheads. Any dissent from those views means you're a dirty pirate who pirates dirtily, so your views are invalid dirty pirate who pirates.

 

Dude's otherwise more or less rational, too.

[Bartimaeus]

Wasn't there a dude here who always said Denovo couldn't be cracked?

 

No surprises there: it's a garbage self-regulatory agency supported by publishers. The rationale doesn't even make sense: so if all other forms of gambling had a minimum payout guarantee (e.g. 1 cent), they wouldn't be considered gambling? Casinos would be jumping at the opportunity to technically not be gambling so fast if it were that easy...and then such a loophole would be immediately outlawed. No, I think change will have to come from outside the industry at this point - that, or boiling over consumer outrage.

God I hope not. As self-serving and increasingly irrelevant game publishers are, regulation of games has been traditionally not awesome.

 

 

As Zoraptor pointed out, EU regulation hasn't been terrible, and has actually pushed the industry forward in some ways. I have no faith in the U.S. creating decent regulation, though, so yeah, I hope the EU tackles this before it gets in the scopes of U.S. lawmakers.

[Zoraptor]

I wouldn't want the EU regulating content though, we'd end up with green blood and the like. But their consumer protection has been pretty good, and loot boxes are a consumer protection issue.

[Lexx]

Green blood and stuff wasn't done anymore in years. Germany had such a phase 10 years ago, but that's pretty much gone nowadays.

[evilcat]

You can always write to either eurocommision or MEP of Pirate Party (or some other libertarian), but i am not sure what should be demands.

[ShadySands]

Laidlaw leaves BioWare

[Malcador]

Laidlaw leaves BioWare

 

Any of the old guard still there?

[ShadySands]

 

Laidlaw leaves BioWare

 

Any of the old guard still there?

 

Dunno, I think Hudson came back

 

Is alanschu still there? I know he doesn't come around here anymore

[213374U]

You know it's a ****ty state of affairs when the Chinese have you beat on consumer protections.

 

Is alanschu still there? I know he doesn't come around here anymore

 

According to his Twitter profile, he is. A pity he quit posting here, but I can understand his reasons.

[Chilloutman]

You can always write to either eurocommision or MEP of Pirate Party (or some other libertarian), but i am not sure what should be demands.

 

lol pirates are socialists