The bill proposed by Ranker will determine a number of things. For one, it will decide whether loot boxes should be considered gambling or not - a discussion that has been the source of some debate. Secondly, the bill will address whether or not loot boxes purchased with microtransactions should be allowed in video games at all. And finally, if loot boxes are allowed in video games, the bill will decide if minors should be allowed to purchase them.
Here is what Washington state senator Ranker had to say about loot boxes in video games:
Washington state will need to reach a decision on the bill by December 1, 2018. Between now and then, it’s possible that the bill will undergo changes or be scrapped completely depending on how things develop in the coming months.
Of course, Washington isn’t the first state to speak out against loot boxes in video games. Late last year, Democratic State Representative Chris Lee of Hawaii held a press conference about the use of loot boxes in video games, and indicated that he may also introduce legislation that would ban children from playing them.
While no bills have been introduced yet that have an impact on the use of loot boxes in video games, it’s clear that the controversy is far from over. It will be interesting to see how the loot box controversy continues to develop over the coming months, and how it will impact games like Star Wars Battlefront 2 and Overwatch.
Source: Gamesindustry.biz
