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| Video game "loot boxes" may become federally illegal??...... |
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| Zero999:
--- Quote from: Smokey on May 10, 2019, 01:39:14 pm --- --- Quote from: wraper on May 10, 2019, 01:19:00 pm --- --- Quote from: Smokey on May 10, 2019, 01:09:13 pm --- --- Quote from: wraper on May 10, 2019, 12:55:19 pm --- --- Quote from: Smokey on May 10, 2019, 10:38:22 am ---Note: This is actually relevant here because we all have an interest in the tech world and this is an example of a stupid legislative reaction to a problem of scary new technology that's really a result of bad parenting, which is not going away any time soon and a slippery slope further down the road to anything "new" "digital" and "technology" being considered "bad for the children". For example, how about making all Youtube videos illegal since you don't know what ads you are going to see and kids might click them and buy something? --- End quote --- As this is electronics forum, imagine this. You purchase an oscilloscope. Start measuring signals, then it shows you a message: either you run 1000 loops around me before I do particular job properly, or pay 5 bucks and it might fix the problem. In small letters: there is 1 in 500 chance that you will win necessary option to do the job properly. Otherwise you get something useless Other oscilloscope manufacturers see it actually works and good way how to extort money out of customers, and all start doing same shit. In the end you cannot buy oscilloscope which is comfortable to use out of the box. --- End quote --- Good example. Here is my answer: If that requirement was in the spec for the scope before I bought it, then it's my fault for still buying that scope. Again, personal responsibility. I can then chose to pay the $5, or not use the scope any more. Now, if they do a firmware update which, after the sale, instates such silliness then that's a legal violation and completely different issue. If other scope manufactures all start doing that sillyness and building scopes with such as noted in the spec at time of purchase, then that opens the market to another company that isn't being stupid. No one forces you to buy that OWon scope. If I have a requirement to measure pico-second jitter on some signal, and I still buy a cheap OWon scope now, it won't work and that's my fault. I can't then try to get OWon scopes made illegal because I didn't read the spec or understand it or don't agree with it. --- End quote --- My response it this. In the spec you read: "In oscilloscope purchases available", nothing else. --- Quote --- I can then chose to pay the $5, or not use the scope any more --- End quote --- Only you likely will end up paying that for hundreds of times before you get what you need. Look at freaking FIFA games. It's a full blown 60 dollar game, not free to play. Yet 2/3 of money EA collects comes from stupid micro transactions. If people don't know what's bad for them, then comes legislation. --- End quote --- If you sign a contract without reading it, that's your problem. Just like the scope example, you better make sure the thing you are willing to spend your money on actually does what you need it to do before you buy it. If you are unsure about how something will work but buy it anyway and it doesn't work as you hope then that's your problem. By the way, that's a good life lesson on it's own and applies to much more than kids and oscilloscopes. Good luck returning the car to the dealer when you get it home and realize it doesn't actually go 400mph like you hoped. How about world of warcraft. It's $15 a month. Now consider starting out in wow that there is a certain game time investment just to get your character leveled up to the point that you can start doing stuff like raiding with your friends. Say it takes you 1 month of game time to level up to the cap. Fine. Some people find that fun. Others just want to get it over with. Blizzard offers a "boost" for $60 to just skip that part of the game and have your character max out their level (at least they used to.) That would save the person that doesn't want to grind for a full month all that time and makes their game experience much more pleasurable without effecting anyone else. It's not required but it's an "in game purchase". Should that be illegal too? --- End quote --- Not everyone is a lawyer, which is why we have consumer law. Most jurisdictions restrict what constitutes a legally binding contract and guarantees the purchaser certain statutory rights, which cannot be simply signed away. There are also regulations which forbid misleading advertising. It would be unacceptable for a garage to advertise a car as capable for 400mph, even if the small print in the brochure says it'll only go that fast off a cliff. If a someone were to buy the car and discover it can't go 400mph, the garage would be legally obliged either to fix it so it does or give them a full refund. At the moment game developers have to state in game purchases are required to access extra goodies, but there is clearly a need for more rules. |
| KL27x:
You can say it's up to the parents. But it IS parents (legislators with kids) who are fighting for these changes. |
| cdev:
Q.) What are "loot boxes"? A.) Free money! God, people are so gullible.. |
| SilverSolder:
The Government is totally missing a trick here. They should insist on virtual income tax, virtual sales tax, and the rest of it, to be paid by all participants in the "virtual economy" of the game, just like in the real world! Very educational for the youngsters: you cannot escape death, or taxes! :D |
| John B:
While I can respect the libertarian and personal responsibility argument, I believe that some of these AAA game developers deliberately obscured the fact that in game gambling and "virtual" currency actually resulted in real money being billed to cards. So these companies have done themselves no favours on the ethics front, only on the profit front. |
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