From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action


Really, just what the subject says: Brazil is banning the sale of
lootboxes in video games to minors.*

"Loot boxes offered in electronic games aimed at children and
adolescents or likely to be accessible by them are prohibited, in
accordance with the respective age rating". It describes loot boxes
as ""Functionality available in certain electronic games that allows
the player to acquire, upon payment, consumable virtual items or
random advantages, redeemable by the player or user, without prior
knowledge of their content or guarantee of their effective
usefulness."

So, good. Loot boxes aren't the worst shit the industry has foisted
upon us, but they're basically a form of gambling and too often they
are targeted at kids who don't have the fortitude or experience to identify/resist the temptation. The sooner they're gone from games,
the better. And with a population of 200 million, Brazil isn't a tiny
market. It's a very good start.

Maybe now the rest of Europe will follow suit.





* story here: https://www.eurogamer.net/the-campaign-against-predatory-in-game-practices-takes-a-step-forward-in-brazil-as-president-lula-bans-loot-boxes-targeted-at-under-18s
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action

On 9/29/2025 7:45 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

Really, just what the subject says: Brazil is banning the sale of
lootboxes in video games to minors.*

So, good. Loot boxes aren't the worst shit the industry has foisted
upon us, but they're basically a form of gambling and too often they
are targeted at kids who don't have the fortitude or experience to identify/resist the temptation.

And adults do?

The sooner they're gone from games,
the better. And with a population of 200 million, Brazil isn't a tiny market. It's a very good start.

--
-Justisaur

ø-ø
(\_/)\
`-'\ `--.___,
¶¬'\( ,_.-'
\\
^'
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action

On Mon, 29 Sep 2025 10:30:06 -0700, Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com>
wrote:

On 9/29/2025 7:45 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

So, good. Loot boxes aren't the worst shit the industry has foisted
upon us, but they're basically a form of gambling and too often they
are targeted at kids who don't have the fortitude or experience to
identify/resist the temptation.

And adults do?

True, but at some point we all have to take responsibility for our own
actions. And if we were to make illegal every product that prey on
adult stupidity, there wouldn't be much of an economy. ;-)

Besides, a lot of the loot-box/gambling market is intentionally
targeted at kids. There's an entire industry built around Valve's
offerings that market themselves to the younger set, using lootboxes
as the 'chips' for their gambling. Getting rid of the lootboxes would
defang this industry.

Enforcement of the new law will be a bitch, though. Presumably Brazil
will make a few examples of some of the larger offenders, with massive
fines that will hopefully inspire other lootbox vendors to back off.
But I'm not really sure how Brazil's judiciary works. If it's like
Europe, where the fines can be significant percentages of worldwide
revenue, then the tactic might work. But if the fines are fixed, like
in the USA, it will just become a cost of doing business.

Either way, if we're lucky it will inspire other nations to do the
same. Right now it's mostly just Belgium and Japan, with the
Netherlands and China having more limited restrictions. We need more
countries worldwide to just ban the things outright.


--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action

On 9/29/2025 11:29 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Mon, 29 Sep 2025 10:30:06 -0700, Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com>
wrote:

On 9/29/2025 7:45 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

So, good. Loot boxes aren't the worst shit the industry has foisted
upon us, but they're basically a form of gambling and too often they
are targeted at kids who don't have the fortitude or experience to
identify/resist the temptation.

And adults do?

True, but at some point we all have to take responsibility for our own actions. And if we were to make illegal every product that prey on
adult stupidity, there wouldn't be much of an economy. ;-)

And all would be improved. (Yeah, I know about the economic theory that
it improves overall by moving money around even if it's through useless garbage, but that's how we get giant piles of garbage that overall
slowly kill the world. And then there's the fact we'd have to be more authoritarian, which is generally a bad thing.)

We need more
countries worldwide to just ban the things outright.

Can't argue with that.
--
-Justisaur

ø-ø
(\_/)\
`-'\ `--.___,
¶¬'\( ,_.-'
\\
^'
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2