Genshin Impact Game Developer Will be Banned from Selling Lootboxes to Teens Under 16 without Parental Consent, Pay a $20 Million Fine to Settle FTC Charges
Genshin Impact Game Developer Will be Banned from Selling Lootboxes to Teens Under 16 without Parental Consent, Pay a $20 Million Fine to Settle FTC Charges
The maker of the video game Genshin Impact has agreed to pay $20 million and to block children under 16 from making in-game purchases without parental consent to settle Federal Trade Commission all
I'm a bit confused by the wording. First the title only lists the entity indirectly, then the lead text uses the official name of the Publisher and calls it the Developer... I think in the end the action does actually target Cognosphere, better known as HoYoverse. Not MiHoYo.
The complaint is focused only on Genshin, but the proposed order does not seem to be limited to Genshin, instead it targets HoYoverse's behaviour in general.
So it seems to me the same rules for selling lootboxes and disclosing chances and offering direct sale without intermediary currency would apply to Zenless Zone Zero and Honkai as well.
This should be the legal standard for any game with gatcha/loot box/battle pass microtransactions, in my opinion.
For a game to be authorized to implement random chance into its paid reward structure a la gambling, it should be required to obtain an upfront paid license, complete with a periodic regulatory spot check, and implement age restrictions that comply with local gambling laws.
That standard would be an excellent first step. Honestly I think advertising specifically targeted towards kids should be banned in general though.
They probably made more than $20 million from kids buying loot boxes without parental consent, making the fine just a cost of doing business...
Genshin has made over $3B since launch. $20M is more or less a rounding error.
I remember going to a fair as a child and being bummed i couldn't spin the wheel because i was like seven.
But you had something new to look forward to when you were older, I hope?
I think 18 is a good age to let people spin those big wheels, virtual or otherwise. when i got there, i was capable of spinning once, losing, and moving on.