Tag: Loot boxes
Tech Digest daily roundup: Report blasts video game ‘loot boxes’
Consumer groups in 18 European countries have backed a report calling gaming loot boxes "exploitative." The contents of the virtual boxes are only revealed through either gameplay or by making a payment. While some contain useful tools or desirable extras which improve the experience, others are worthless. The report authors, the Norwegian Consumer Council (NCC),…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Tesla delivers record number of EVs
Tesla says it delivered a record number of its cars in the first quarter, despite supply chain challenges. The electric carmaker says it delivered more than 310,000 vehicles in the first three months of this year. That was almost 70% higher than for the same time last year. Chief executive Elon Musk says the improvement…
Regulate loot boxes under gambling law and ban them from children, MPs say
Loot boxes in video games should be regulated under gambling law and banned from being sold to children, MPs have argued. The feature appears in some games as packs of virtual objects players can buy using real money, but the contents of a pack are randomised and not known until after purchase, which has led…
Gambling Commission shares concern over video game loot boxes
The UK gambling regulator has said it shares concern about loot boxes in video games but warned that the current law makes it hard to define them as gambling. Neil McArthur, chief executive of the Gambling Commission, told the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee that loot boxes “could be a form of gambling but…
Can video games ‘help improve emotional intelligence in teenagers’
Video games can help teenagers to manage and express their emotions more effectively, a new study has claimed. Research by experts in Milan suggests that young people were better at understanding and expressing their emotions after playing video games as part of an emotional intelligence training programme. The study, published in the Games for Health…
Not enough evidence to show loot boxes are gambling, says Digital Minister
There is not enough evidence available to suggest that loot boxes in video games constitute gambling, the Digital Minister has said. Loot boxes are packs of in-game items players can buy using real money, but the contents of a pack are randomised and not known until after purchase, leading to fears that it could act…
Fortnite X-Ray Llamas show loot box contents amid child gambling concerns
Fortnite V-Buck Llamas will become X-Ray Llamas, showing players the contents before they buy (Epic Games/PA) Fortnite will now show users the contents of paid loot boxes before they purchase them, following long-running concerns around gambling. Loot boxes provided random virtual objects, such as weapons, in the Save The World…
Loot boxes in video games like Fortnite linked to problem gambling
Video game 'loot boxes' are acting as a gateway to problem gambling, new research has suggested. A study by experts at the University of York and York St John University claims spending on in-game loot boxes can be as closely linked with gambling issues as alcohol dependency and drug problems. Loot boxes are packs of in-game…
