Video game loot boxes still plague video games to this day. After a decade of games fighting against randomised microtransactions, political bodies have taken notice. In a new ruling from Dutch officials, the predatory monetisation method is finally banned.
Loot boxes banned in Dutch regions
Following in the footsteps of Belgium, Dutch officials in The Netherlands have motioned for a blanket ban on video game loot boxes. The digital monetisation method has long been attributed to gambling, a comparison that Dutch politicians have resonated with.
In the initial motion, six of the region’s political parties support the motion to ban the monetisation method. Via Neowin, this means that over 50% of the country’s House of Representatives as well as 50% of the Senate are against loot boxes.
The motion claims that the monetisation scheme is predatory for gamers, particularly young children. It reads: “children in video games are manipulated to purchase micro transactions and that with so-called loot boxes there is also a form of gambling.”
Additionally, the document features frequent references to previous pushback against the game mechanic throughout Europe. There are also mentions of earlier attempts to block the infamous boxes in The Netherlands.
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Will mobile games get better now?
With the loot box ban only a hop and a skip away from Dutch regions, there is a chance that this ban could lead to a better experience for us mobile gamers. While it may take a while, this is another small step to the removal of randomised boxes in video games.
Of course, the majority of mobile games also have the issue of other predatory business practices. Myriad premium currencies, wait timers and more plague free-to-play Android games far more often than we’d like. However, at least one method of tricking money out of players is potentially on the way out.