San Francisco (AFP)
The triumvirate that dominates the world of the game console - PlayStation, Switch and Xbox - wants to force video game creators who offer paid loot boxes to be more transparent about what they contain.
The exact date of entry into force of this new rule imposed on companies that develop video games for these consoles is not yet fixed but it should apply in 2020, says a statement from the Entertainment Software Association, the lobby that defends the sector in the United States.
Loot boxes or chests allow developers to make their games profitable by charging players for items to enhance their gaming experience or to give them an edge in moving forward.
Access to these chests in hard currency caused a wave of protest among the players, who believe it distorts the game where the richest wins and not the most skilled.
Sometimes large sums of money to obtain the most popular items have attracted the attention of many online gambling regulators around the world, from Australia to France to Canada or the United States .
Belgium banned their use last year and a young US Senator Josh Hawley has tabled a bill, which he is not sure will pass, to ban booty boxes in video games for children .
ESA had responded to the controversy by systematically informing buyers that the game contained these paid loot boxes and encouraged the use of parental controls requesting a password before a purchase could be made.
Some companies have taken the lead. Psyonix, a studio owned by Epic Games, announced this week that its popular "Rocket League" game, which allows players to play football with cars, would no longer contain these boxes by the end of the year.
They will be replaced by a system "which will show in advance the elements you will acquire".
Similar changes have been made by the Fortnite Save the World team, also owned by Epic Games. The llamas with loot will become transparent and show what they have in the belly before any purchase. On the other hand the lamas of "Fortnite Battle Royaler will remain opaque.
© 2019 AFP