this post was submitted on 17 Aug 2023
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[–] Rynelan@feddit.nl 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Loot boxes are loot boxes.. as long as you don't know what you're getting then it's literally a gamble.

I'm hoping one day this stuff gets banned worldwide.

[–] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works -3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Wouldn't that make McDonald's happy meals also gambling? If not explain the franchises that will absolutely refuse to swap toys during certain promotions (Bionics and TY I can think of off the top of my head).

[–] Naminreb@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I don’t think people buy happy meals for the toys. You know what you’re getting to eat, which is the purpose of the chain. It is a food service company, not a toy manufacturing company and the toys are only tokens of appreciation for the customer.

EA is a video game company and your experience and ability to play the game basically depends on these loot boxes. In fact, you play or pay to increase the chances to get a good deck, but nothing is guaranteed. It is random or perhaps even more perverse, it is programmed to deny or condition good players on your decks to keep you playing for the next loot box.

The only way this is not gambling, is that you don’t win money at the end of the day. Just satisfaction.

[–] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works -2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Aren't they just skins and hats and cosmetics though? Unless it actually impacts the game play I don't really see the difference.

[–] Astronautical@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago

Fifa loot boxes contain different players, so you could either get Messi or a 3rd grade soccer player, with the 3rd grader being weighted more heavily in terms of being acquired.

[–] ComradeBunnie@aussie.zone 3 points 1 year ago

When I was a kid, I've asked for a specific toy before. I think you can, or could, even buy them separately without purchasing a meal.

Do we know how much they made with this loot box system in Austria? I can see just one Austrian whale paying more than the ordered €10,800 on loot boxes. I don't see EA stopping if they're still making a profit on these in the big picture, if they're only losing some legal battles and being ordered to pay less than they made.

[–] slazer2au@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

The order comes from Landesgericht für Zivilrechtssachen Wien, which is a regional court in Vienna. The court ruled that these loot boxes violate gambling laws. However, this is a standalone decision, and has no wider impact on the country's legal position on loot boxes.

In Austria, civil cases are taken on a case-by-case basis, and the courts are not bound by previous decisions.

So nothing will come of this.