The Spanish Ministry of Consumer Affairs has launched a public consultation while drafting a law looking to regulate random reward mechanisms, which include loot boxes.
So, what are loot boxes? Well, the Spanish authorities define it as “devices that have an economic value in a real or fictitious market and whose random prize can be resold or exchanged”.
Typically, they are seen in console games, but as more console games expand into a mobile format, loot boxes have followed the concept of traditional mobile gaming. They are considered a controversial feature in gaming, where some see them as essential gambling, which means their popularity in games aimed at children, like Star Wars Battlefield and Fortnite, are particularly irritating to critics.
Networthpick said: “As players want a specific reward from a loot box, most will continue to purchase them until they get that desired reward. As the odds are never in the player's favor, it can take hundreds of loot box purchases before they get a good reward. This can rack up millions of pounds for publishers over the life span of the game.”
The Spanish government has decided that a certain amount of rules have to be established for gamers under 18 and that includes a ban on loot boxes.
“To guarantee the effectiveness of this prohibition, the entities that offer loot boxes must enable a documentary verification system of the identity of the participants,” it said.
