The Dutch government is seeking to ban loot boxes from its market. Read on for more details on the government's reasons for doing so and whether or not games with similar mechanics might get affected.
Loot boxes Under The Crosshairs Of Politics Again
Japanese Citizens Mirror The Politicians' Sentiments
To improve regulations regarding in-game purchases and fight gambling, the Dutch government has announced that it intends to ban "loot boxes." This announcement has incited cries of support from the Japanese, in hopes of having similar measures be taken in their country.
Loot boxes are items that players can purchase in a game with real money. Its contents are randomized to a certain extent, with the most prized items having the lowest rates.
As reported by Leon Y. Xiao, a videogame law researcher, the Public Information Service of the Netherlands confirmed that the government has plans to improve regulations for in-game purchases.
One of the goals is to ban loot boxes in games.
Their decision notably comes after six political parties campaigned to ban loot boxes from the country in July 2022.
On the internet, echoes of the politicians' sentiments can be heard criticizing and pleading for Japan to take similar measures. The most common reasoning is that loot boxes or gachas are similar to gambling, which are addictive and can harm families.
Will Gacha Games Be Affected?
Similar to how humans and other primates are related, gachas and loot boxes can be said to share the same kind of relationship, as all gachas are loot boxes, but not all loot boxes are gachas. As such, gacha games will also be affected by this ban.
While this may severely affect the ecosystem that most mobile gamers have become used to living in, outliers aren't uncommon. Games such as Kings Raid and Lord of Heroes have partially excluded these systems from their hero collection mechanic, by allowing the heroes to be directly purchased from a shop, though at staggering prices. There are also games with a complete absence of loot boxes or gacha, such as Marvel Snap.
Of course, regardless of people's sentiments, the appeal of applying gacha or loot box mechanics into games is incredibly tempting, especially when faced with the possible profits it could bring. Sensor Tower, a company that provides market insights into current trends, drives that point deep with their 2022 report showing the revenue that came from mobile games with loot boxes data.
Not only did loot box/gacha games bring in almost three-quarters of worldwide mobile game revenue, but they also managed to do so while representing only 15% of all mobile games in the market.
Sources:
オランダ政府がゲーム内「ガチャ」全面禁止を計画 - ネット「日本も早く」「ガチャは悪い文化」
Sensor Tower — The State of Mobile Gaming 2023
Six political parties campaign for loot boxes ban in the Netherlands
