Loot Boxes Are Now Illegal, What's This Mean For Strongboxes?

[jambon]

Now that loot boxes are officially illegal in Belgium & The Netherlands (source) and with Sweden and Germany looking in to doing the same (source), what's this going to mean for strongboxes and essentially the #1 biggest income stream for Entropia?

 

[The Jetman]

Now that loot boxes are officially illegal in Belgium & The Netherlands (source) and with Sweden and Germany looking in to doing the same (source), what's this going to mean for strongboxes and essentially the #1 biggest income stream for Entropia?

whilst i hope not, i think it might be blocked in those countries until the rest of the world decides.

but when they say buying something and hoping for a certain outcome is gambling, then having high demand rings inside does fall into that rule.

 

[SpikeBlack]

I think what really did it was the skins gambling and the high values some of them get on the steam market place.

 

[RexDameon]

I dont see our loot boxes as gambling at all because you don't loose you just have a chance to get more.

 

[mastermesh]

U.s. can't buy deep token. ... different rulez for each country

 

[The Jetman]

I dont see our loot boxes as gambling at all because you don't loose you just have a chance to get more.

the chance to get more = gambling

quote from Dutch case
"Specifically, the awards within the loot boxes could be traded outside of the game for cash giving them market value. Therefore, the MT systems constituted gambling similar to a slot machine.

Even though the games themselves do not facilitate the exchange of loot box prizes, the fact that they can be traded outside is enough to charge the game makers with “offering this type of game of chance to Dutch players without a license.” Game makers have until June 20 to pull or alter their loot box systems."

It seems UK and USA (minus hawaii) are not banning them atm

 

[Anthas]

whilst i hope not, i think it might be blocked in those countries until the rest of the world decides.

but when they say buying something and hoping for a certain outcome is gambling, then having high demand rings inside does fall into that rule.

Well I guess the argument could be made that by depositing, buying ammo, and hunting, could be considered the same form of gambling as we are also hoping for a certain outcome as a result of our purchase

 

[Aloisius]

I dont see our loot boxes as gambling at all because you don't loose you just have a chance to get more.

I dont see our loot boxes as gambling at all because you don't... actually have any chances except maybe to get what you put in.

 

[Dab]

This is a perfect excuse for Mindark to shut down Compet.

 

[Haruto Rat]

By the logic currently en vogue, if I travel to Patagonia hoping to obtain knowledge of it and perhaps write some travel reviews that would let me earn more than I spent, I'm gambling.

Therefore, travel to Patagonia must be banned.

Of course, this is reductio ad absurdum but you can't find absurd in a thing if it isn't there.

Disclosure: I haven't ever bought a single strongbox or key thereof.

 

[Flash]

I dont get it ! is it so hard to understand ? you buy something from MA worth 10 ped and get items worth 10 ped, thats not gambling..players pays a higher price trading with each other in game..thats still no gambling !!

 

[ChairmanEdgewise]

I dont see our loot boxes as gambling at all because you don't loose you just have a chance to get more.

For real?

Can you TT universal ammo or withdraw it instantly?
If so, please let me know how. That would be awesome.

 

[OZtwo]

I dont get it ! is it so hard to understand ? you buy something from MA worth 10 ped and get items worth 10 ped, thats not gambling..players pays a higher price trading with each other in game..thats still no gambling !!

Then why do you buy them? And how much ammo do you have which hasn't been used yet since I'm guessing you are buying them left and right in hopes to win something bigger? See the issue here?

And I'm not saying this is bad at all. It's fun as hell, but simply put it is gambling and many play for this fun.

 

[ChairmanEdgewise]

I dont get it ! is it so hard to understand ? you buy something from MA worth 10 ped and get items worth 10 ped, thats not gambling..players pays a higher price trading with each other in game..thats still no gambling !!

People buy the strongboxes (read, loot boxes) to get pills and have a chance for the nice rings as a reward, which would be equal to a big jackpot.


Remove rings and pills, make the value only be universal ammo and nothing else, What would you do, boxes, or deposit peds?

 

[Jamesmynott]

There are much bigger games that will have issues with this. I used to play Fifa at a pro level and EA makes I think it was 400m a year from people buying packs.

MA just need to sit back and see what the big company’s do. I’m sure it might just be as simple as a change within the TOS.

In parts of Asia its law that you have to be clear of what each items olds are within the box.... that’s why parts of Asia doesn’t have fifa 18, well there own server... however people in Asia do have fifa 18 they just have to connect to a European server for example... nothing EA can do about that.

So MA does not need to worry

 

[Xen]

For real?

Can you TT universal ammo or withdraw it instantly?
If so, please let me know how. That would be awesome.

You get the same tt value as you put in, what you do after is irrelevant.

And didn't you quit? Just here to fling shit like a monkey now?

 

[Naomi]

this issue has been on the forum before

and it seems while loot boxes that are all-or-nothing are considered gambling like a slot machine,

EU boxes are not, because they always contain the deposit value.
It is considered a way of depositing, with a chance on something extra.

While a loot-box system is rather a slot machine, sometimes u get something.

 

[SpikeBlack]

The reason why they've gone after fifa ultimate team and fortnite is because of the skins perceived value to other players and that you can sell items from loot boxes to other players for a profit. There's no limit on how many boxes you can open other than the your wallet or your mums credit card. You will always get something but not necessarily what you want.

As the classified boxes can contain a unique item which more than often has a high perceived value which could be sold to other players and cashed out then they may lump it in with the other games. The ring could have 1ped value but that would be irrelevant.

In either case you'll always get something but it's the chance of getting something that you can sell to another player for a high value and then turn into cash is the sticking point.

 

[Xen]

The reason why they've gone after fifa ultimate team and fortnite is because of the skins perceived value to other players and that you can sell items from loot boxes to other players for a profit. There's no limit on how many boxes you can open other than the your wallet or your mums credit card. You will always get something but not necessarily what you want.

As the classified boxes can contain a unique item which more than often has a high perceived value which could be sold to other players and cashed out then they may lump it in with the other games. The ring could have 1ped value but that would be irrelevant.

In either case you'll always get something but it's the chance of getting something that you can sell to another player for a high value and then turn into cash is the sticking point.

But can you get back less than the purchase value in those other games?

 

[sidxx]

in the other games you do not have the opportunity to get anything back unless you "win" something and sell it to another player

in EU you put in your 1$ you get your 1$ and maybe you win something. as for the clowns saying universal ammo is "nothing" it really isnt, its an equivalent to ammo being the same value, the fact that you have to use it first gives you a second even lower opportunity to win even more from another stongbox by another name; a creature or mining probe drop.

 

[The Jetman]

the chance to get more = gambling

quote from Dutch case
"Specifically, the awards within the loot boxes could be traded outside of the game for cash giving them market value. Therefore, the MT systems constituted gambling similar to a slot machine.

Even though the games themselves do not facilitate the exchange of loot box prizes, the fact that they can be traded outside is enough to charge the game makers with “offering this type of game of chance to Dutch players without a license.” Game makers have until June 20 to pull or alter their loot box systems."

It seems UK and USA (minus hawaii) are not banning them atm

The problem is, the Dutch are seeing resale value as value, its irrelevent that you get 10ped back if you can loot an item worth more.

i dont want the boxes to go, but i think they should be careful, or remove the big rings from the boxes. other option is to make them bound, therefore removing market value

 

[Mentiol]

Ah, so finally the government is actually putting a hold to these ridiculous lootbox-sales.

Buying those boxes was a very good way for people to get high-profit items like rings, mostly unobtainable to the largest amount of the player-base since it's literally locked behind a large pay-wall at the moment.
It might not look like it on the first glance, but actually having to put in a large sum of money for even the chance to win anything remarkable is a high risk, and one which is barely ever paying off, only leading to people taking bigger risks then they should ever take in many cases. The system actively tries to lead them towards it, which isn't good.

So, I'm all up for MA having to change one of their major systems to something different, and I definitely hope the same happens to some more since at the moment they are bleeding the players of their money instead of rewarding them with quality gameplay.
Yes, it carries the risk that the company will finally fail completely, but eh... they've pulled their stunts long enough without caring, so I'm not quite sure if it's 'what has been coming' for a while or actually a shame that it's happening in the long-term, I'm unsure of that.

 

[Dab]

Simple solution:

MA just sarts selling all the items from the boxes in the items store.

No gambling that way, just cold hard cash for MA's coffers. Just think of the big big big sales they could start touting.

The RCE has been gone for a long time anyway.

 

[Xen]

high risk

Yes, risk is what is required for it to be gambling. Now, where is the risk?

 

[thee pepe]

I’m going with this means nothing for strongboxes. You are getting what you pay for. Simple as that. 1$ in 10peds of something out. Mark up does not matter.

With fifa or madden which is what I play. When u buy a pack of cards for 5$ or 10$ or 100$ you get nothing but cards. No monetary value. That is what is being outlawed.


Stop thinking about markup for 1 second and grasp the fact the 1dollar equals 10peds. Exactly what is given in a box. A ring is worth 10ped to ma. Nothing more. If someone wants to pay xx amount for it, that’s there choice.


The loot boxes in fort nite and madden gears of war whatever game you play are worth nothing. In eu we there you like it or not. 10peds is 1dollar and 1dollar is 10peds. What you do with that money or item is entirely up to you.

 

[Nissa]

Whatever

Cool, so each strongbox has a very minimum what you paid for it... And if more you claimed it on your taxes? If in USA, the land of he free..

 

[K_rupT]

People buy the strongboxes (read, loot boxes) to get pills and have a chance for the nice rings as a reward, which would be equal to a big jackpot.


Remove rings and pills, make the value only be universal ammo and nothing else, What would you do, boxes, or deposit peds?

Would still do boxes if it was UA when you get exact $$ amount compared to ped when you lose 5% I think it is

 

[Nissa]

Huh

get a life?

 

[Me Really Never]

I’m going with this means nothing for strongboxes. You are getting what you pay for. Simple as that. 1$ in 10peds of something out. Mark up does not matter.

With fifa or madden which is what I play. When u buy a pack of cards for 5$ or 10$ or 100$ you get nothing but cards. No monetary value. That is what is being outlawed.


Stop thinking about markup for 1 second and grasp the fact the 1dollar equals 10peds. Exactly what is given in a box. A ring is worth 10ped to ma. Nothing more. If someone wants to pay xx amount for it, that’s there choice.


The loot boxes in fort nite and madden gears of war whatever game you play are worth nothing. In eu we there you like it or not. 10peds is 1dollar and 1dollar is 10peds. What you do with that money or item is entirely up to you.

first of all you dont get 10 ped out. at least not in real value. you put 1 real dollar in and get up to 10 ped UA, which has basically no value at all because you cant sell it. you need to gamble it away in hopes to get about the same value back or more to be able to sell it. thats quite the definition of gambling. and thats without the rings n shit. actually the whole game should be illegal following these laws.

 

[Zophon Zoo]

Here is the link to the English version of the Dutch report...

...
Study into loot boxes - A treasure or a burden?

Some points raised in the study:

• players pay for boxes
• rewards are random
• consumer cannot influence the outcome
• prizes are transferable
• prizes can be sold for real money
• can be addictive
• integral elements that are similar to slot machines (visual and sound effect)
• game goods from a loot box could have an effect on how other players in the game value the player
• in-game goods are always obtained when these loot boxes are opened
• the loot boxes are part of a game, but can also be played as a game in their own right

Even if lootboxes are not considered all of the above.. "As these loot boxes could nevertheless foster the development of addiction, these games are at odds with the objective of preventing addiction to organised games as much as possible."

Does Entropia check all the boxes?