Republican Senator Josh Hawley has proposed a new act in the US that would ban developers and publishers from using “manipulative design” in video games to exploit children. This would include the use of purchasable loot boxes and pay-to-win microtransactions.
As part of the new legislation, he wants companies that purposely take advantage of children to face possible legal consequences if they continue to target them in their titles. Developers would also have to have to put protections in place to prevent children from accessing these features in titles marketed towards adults.
“In recent years, the video game industry has become increasingly reliant on monetization models that promote compulsive ‘microtransaction’ purchases by consumers,” says a statement on Hawley’s official site. “When a game is designed for kids, game developers shouldn’t be allowed to monetize addiction and when kids play games designed for adults, they should be walled off from compulsive microtransactions.”
“Social media and video games prey on user addiction, siphoning our kids’ attention from the real world and extracting profits from fostering compulsive habits. No matter this business model’s advantages to the tech industry, one thing is clear: there is no excuse for exploiting children through such practices.”
The politician cites examples of the microtransactions in games like Candy Crush. These often offer players extra lives or in-game currency but can cost hundreds of dollars to buy. The proposed Protecting Children from Abusive Games Act would also limit the ability of other games to offer in-game loot boxes, such as in FIFA’s Ultimate Team.
Loot boxes have caused a huge amount of controversy in recent times. Games like Star Wars Battlefront 2 have already been labelled exploitative by fans as they effectively lock content behind paywalls. Some countries have even taken action against these types of games, with the Netherlands arguing that loot boxes could be considered gambling. Belgium has even begun to phase out loot boxes entirely. Publishers such as EA have agreed to remove them from games sold in the country to avoid any possible legal action from the government.
MORE GAMING:
– Ghost Recon: Breakpoint Leaks Ahead Of Official Release
– Anthem Didn’t Meet EA’s Expectations But Did Boost Digital Sales
– Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Gameplay To Be Revealed During E3
Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site. We cover gaming news, movie reviews, wrestling and much more.
