After Belgium and the Netherlands, another country might slam the table hard against the „surprise mechanics” (Electronic Arts calls the loot boxes as such)!

The Bundestag has approved an amendment to the Protection of Young Persons Act (Jugendschutzgesetz), which would require clear descriptors for games that feature loot boxes. The proposed reform would thus be stepping up strongly against these boxes. Der Spiegel reports that the Bundesrat (the Federal Council of Germany, effectively the country’s version of the Senate in the US) will have to approve the reforms, but if they do, they will be enforced as early as this Spring! In other words: the games with loot boxes would only be available to ages eighteen and above!

The loot box monetisation mechanics is one of several „interaction risks” that may be used when making a decision on age ratings for each product (and Germany doesn’t take the pan-European PEGI system!). The games featuring loot boxes will also need to include that information alongside other content descriptors. „A new aspect of the law is that parents will be prospectively made aware of interaction risks such as in-game purchases by a descriptor. It will now be the responsibility of the age rating body USK to concretize the regulations and define specific requirements for the age rating process,” said Felix Falk, head of the German industry trade body Game. USK is Germany’s age rating board.

So one of the most important gaming markets of the continent (in-game spending just in Germany was up to 3.9 billion euros in 2019!) has begun being aggressive against the loot boxes. In September, the government of the United Kingdom launched an inquiry into the link between loot boxes and gambling, too. (And in many cases, the boxes can indeed be considered gambling, as most of the time you don’t know what you get for your money.) Not to mention, a 2018 study by the University of Hamburg has stated that elements of gambling had become common in modern videogames. (Just think of the Ultimate Team modes of Electronic Arts’ sports games…)

So the Germans might use the same rigorous ruleset that Belgium uses. But it can become a wake-up call for the gaming industry.

Source: Gamesindustry, PCGamer