Loot boxes have been a hot subject for more than a year now, with the issue gaining more and more attention ever since EA’s fiasco with Battlefront 2. Now, the FTC is planning a public workshop for loot boxes in the hopes of bringing industry members and consumer advocates together to analyze the practice.
In a letter to Senator Maggie Hassan, FTC Chairman Joseph Simmons confirmed the Commission’s intent to host a public workshop about the sale of loot boxes in games, though he did decline to comment on any potential legal investigations surrounding the issue, as those investigations and the identities of the people involved are not considered to be public information. Senator Hassan had requested that Simmons investigate the practice several months earlier.
In the letter, Simmons wrote, “We are currently planning a public workshop on loot boxes for later this year as one non-law enforcement option. A workshop could provide a forum for stakeholders representing wide-ranging perspectives, including consumer advocacy organizations, parent groups, and industry members. It also could help elicit information to guide subsequent consumer outreach, which could include a consumer alert.”
Loot boxes have drawn the ire of both consumer advocates and gamers alike, with many seeing the randomized drops as a form of gambling. The issue has drawn enough attention to prompt some government officials to create legislation to help regulate loot boxes, and it doesn’t seem like the issue will cool down anytime soon, considering the sheer amount of voices from every corner of the industry.
So far, the US has been pretty lenient on the practice when compared to some other countries. Belgium has had the most severe reaction thus far by declaring the practice illegal, and requesting that loot boxes be removed from all games. It seems unlikely that the US would federally ban the practice, but it’s always a possibility, especially if the public workshop doesn’t go well. Loot boxes being strictly regulated seems like the most likely solution to the issue, though it will likely take months or years for any legislation to be finalized. In any case, developers and publisher may want to check their business practices before any legislation moves forward.
Source: Variety
