Protecting Children from Abusive Games Act

Ars Technica has details on the Protecting Children from Abusive Games Act, a bill being put forth by U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) to regulate loot boxes, microtransactions, and other ways to monetize games targeted at children. They note that this still has a long way to go before being signed into law (here's a refresher on that aspect of this) and also have a reaction from the ESA, who unsurprisingly, are not enthusiastic. The Senator's office has distributed this one-pager to outline how this proposes to regulate games targeting minors or that knowingly allow minors to engage in microtransactions:
In such games, this bill would prohibit several forms of manipulative design:

Loot Boxes

  • Microtransactions offering randomized or partially randomized rewards to players

Pay-to-Win

  • Manipulation of a game’s progression system – typically by building artificial difficulty or other barriers into game progression – to induce players to spend money on microtransactions to advance through content supposedly available to them at no additional cost
  • Pay-to-win - Manipulation of the competitive balance between players of multiplayer games by allowing players who purchase microtransactions competitive advantages over other players

Enforcement

  • These rules would be enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, which would treat the distribution of such games by publishers and online distributors as an unfair trade practice.
  • State attorneys general would also be empowered to file suit to defend the residents of their states.

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Re: Protecting Children from Abusive Games Act
May 8, 2019, 19:54
4.
Re: Protecting Children from Abusive Games Act May 8, 2019, 19:54
May 8, 2019, 19:54
 
Even though I think loot boxes are a scam, I'm not sure it rises to the level of being in need of regulation. Although I guess an argument could be made that it is gambling and other gambling is regulated, so.. maybe. As far as pay-2-win, again yeah it is shitty -- but I'd hope our legislatures could find more important business to deal with... *sigh*
A day without video games is like... just kidding, I have no idea.
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Re: Protecting Children from Abusive Games Act