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Paid Overwatch & Heroes of the Storm Loot Boxes to be Removed in Belgium - MMORPG.com

SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
edited August 2018 in News & Features Discussion

imagePaid Overwatch & Heroes of the Storm Loot Boxes to be Removed in Belgium - MMORPG.com

The Overwatch forum has been updated with notice to Belgian players that paid loot boxes will soon be removed from both Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm. Blizzard, the post reads, made the decision "to comply with their (the Belgian Gaming Commission) interpretation of Belgian law".

Read the full story here



¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 


KrematoryrojoArcueid
«134

Comments

  • Slapshot1188Slapshot1188 Member LegendaryPosts: 16,983
    And so it begins

    All time classic  MY NEW FAVORITE POST!  (Keep laying those bricks)

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  • XiaokiXiaoki Member EpicPosts: 3,847
    Oh yay, another country with insane legal demands that they impose on video game developers.

    Honestly, Blizzard should not have caved and just make it so people in Belgium could not play their games.

    First, its China with their cultural laws that games can not depict skeletons or ghosts because they might upset Chinese religious people or something and now China is restricting the depiction of rebellion against governments.

    Now, its Belgium taking their stand against loot boxes. A lot of people see this as a noble cause but whats next?

    What happens if South Africa says that video games can not have white people in them? Or if Japan says that video games to be atleast 50% underage school girls?

    You might think it sounds ridiculous but the precedent is being set: make whatever demands you want and the video game developers will cave in.
    dingleyz123ffxivAlomarBeezerbeezRich84MrMelGibsonShaighinfomatzFrodoFraginsrenegeedand 13 others.
  • dingleyzdingleyz Member CommonPosts: 4
    How can you even compare this to something like not depicting skeletons/ghosts. We're not talking about something the people believe in is bad, we're talking about actual problems, in this case gambling addictions.
    [Deleted User]mosher89[Deleted User]Sabracmetarealvipermanor
  • JeffSpicoliJeffSpicoli Member EpicPosts: 2,849
    [Deleted User][Deleted User]Nilden[Deleted User]MrMelGibsoninfomatzAlexanderVendikitaradMadFrenchieGnogand 3 others.

    • Aloha Mr Hand ! 

  • goozmaniagoozmania Member RarePosts: 394
    The end of loot boxes is upon us! Praise RNGsus
    [Deleted User]KyleranDarkpigeonvipermanor
  • XingbairongXingbairong Member RarePosts: 927

    dingleyz said:

    How can you even compare this to something like not depicting skeletons/ghosts. We're not talking about something the people believe in is bad, we're talking about actual problems, in this case gambling addictions.



    I doubt that this will prevent people who can get addict to games from... well getting addicted and throwing money away. I personally think that these type of people require different help. Help from friends and family and specialists rather than just force them to buy accounts, so that they can continue to purchase pixels.

    Honestly the only thing I can imagine coming out from this is whenever gamers talk about countries and Belgium is mentioned people will be like "Belgium :rollseyes:, that country!".
    SBFord
  • WhiteLanternWhiteLantern Member RarePosts: 3,309
    The people of Belgium obviously want their government running their daily lives and keeping them safe from themselves. Good for them.

    I hope it isn't contagious.
    GdemamiPsym0nMadFrenchieFrodoFraginsmmoloumetareal

    I want a mmorpg where people have gone through misery, have gone through school stuff and actually have had sex even. -sagil

  • gervaise1gervaise1 Member EpicPosts: 6,919
    edited August 2018
    The people of Belgium obviously want their government running their daily lives and keeping them safe from themselves. Good for them.

    I hope it isn't contagious.
    Or ... they don't want gamers (the few) becoming addicted to gambling turning to crime and becoming a drain on the many.

    There are two sides.
    Gdemamidingleyziamspamicus
  • IselinIselin Member LegendaryPosts: 18,719
    They should be banned for everyone except Nevada residents 'cause who gives a fuck about them? :trollface:
    [Deleted User]ConstantineMerusMrMelGibsoninfomatzceh430SBFordGnog
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  • gervaise1gervaise1 Member EpicPosts: 6,919
    Am I right in that loot boxes have not been banned they have simply been classed as gambling and that if they wish Blizzard could continue to have then in game providing they comply with the appropriate laws.

    And as DNKano says gambling laws are different in different countries; arguably highly restrive in the Us for example. 
  • IselinIselin Member LegendaryPosts: 18,719
    gervaise1 said:
    Am I right in that loot boxes have not been banned they have simply been classed as gambling and that if they wish Blizzard could continue to have then in game providing they comply with the appropriate laws.

    And as DNKano says gambling laws are different in different countries; arguably highly restrive in the Us for example. 
    The best take from this is that they have been noticed and some have made efforts to make them go away using whatever tool they have at their disposal. It's currently individual jurisdictions in a piecemeal fashion but hey, it's one step better than regulators and legislators saying "WTF is a lootbox?"
    [Deleted User]Gdemami
    "Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community ... but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots”

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    ― CD PROJEKT RED

  • IkedaIkeda Member RarePosts: 2,751
    WhiteLantern said:
    The people of Belgium obviously want their government running their daily lives and keeping them safe from themselves. Good for them.

    I hope it isn't contagious.
    Or we could see it as a reduction in crime numbers.  Every month there's SOME news story about somebody stealing huge amounts of money to support addiction to microtransactional games.

    1)  I see this as Blizzard got scolded, so they're taking their toys and going to play somewhere else.  So they're not actually going to disclose chances (which is crap) but penalize people living in that country.

    2)  I'm confused by their confusion, the law is fairly straight forward and not difficult to understand.

    3)  I hope lots of countries enforce this so Blizz has to disclose this.  I feel that was about all inapp gambles though.  It's truly a pervasive problem.  
    gervaise1GdemamidingleyzDarkpigeon
  • El-HefeEl-Hefe Member UncommonPosts: 760
    Iselin said:
    They should be banned for everyone except Nevada residents 'cause who gives a fuck about them? :trollface:
    Oh right.  Because Nevada is the only state you can legally gamble in.  Lol.
    KyleranMrMelGibson

    I've got the straight edge.

  • IselinIselin Member LegendaryPosts: 18,719
    El-Hefe said:
    Iselin said:
    They should be banned for everyone except Nevada residents 'cause who gives a fuck about them? :trollface:
    Oh right.  Because Nevada is the only state you can legally gamble in.  Lol.
    I want to protect the others because they're not dicks.
    El-HefeMrMelGibson
    "Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community ... but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots”

    ― Umberto Eco

    “Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?” 
    ― CD PROJEKT RED

  • VrikaVrika Member LegendaryPosts: 7,888
    Xingbairong said:

    dingleyz said:

    How can you even compare this to something like not depicting skeletons/ghosts. We're not talking about something the people believe in is bad, we're talking about actual problems, in this case gambling addictions.



    I doubt that this will prevent people who can get addict to games from... well getting addicted and throwing money away. I personally think that these type of people require different help. Help from friends and family and specialists rather than just force them to buy accounts, so that they can continue to purchase pixels.
    First: This isn't aimed against people getting addicted to games. It's aimed at very specific and much more narrow problem of people getting addicted to real-money gambling within those games.

    Second: Of course it's not going to 100% solve the problem, laws aren't magic. The aim is to reduce future problems, not wave around a magic wand that would make it all go away instantly. 

    dingleyzMadFrenchieGdemamiiamspamicusmetareal
     
  • mussolinimussolini Member UncommonPosts: 200
    Shooting and killing each other okay. Girls showed without clothes and prostitute attitude okay. Gays okay. Bleeding okay. Smoking, using drugs, destroy everybody and everything okay. But skeletons ghouls and boxes not.
    We are ripe to fall.
    [Deleted User]BeezerbeezKumaponinfomatzceh430SBFordKrematorymmolou
  • AlomarAlomar Member RarePosts: 1,299
    The beginning of the end! I hope at least.
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  • NildenNilden Member EpicPosts: 3,916
    mussolini said:
    Shooting and killing each other okay. Girls showed without clothes and prostitute attitude okay. Gays okay. Bleeding okay. Smoking, using drugs, destroy everybody and everything okay. But skeletons ghouls and boxes not.
    We are ripe to fall.
    Only every single thing you listed is simulated in a video game except for the gambling.

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  • RenoakuRenoaku Member EpicPosts: 3,157
    edited August 2018
    It's only "Belgium" right not USA?

    Also just means they can sell skins for higher prices over there $19.99 or $9.99 / $7.00 per skin at retail price.
  • ConstantineMerusConstantineMerus Member EpicPosts: 3,338
    mussolini said:
    Shooting and killing each other okay. Girls showed without clothes and prostitute attitude okay. Gays okay. Bleeding okay. Smoking, using drugs, destroy everybody and everything okay. But skeletons ghouls and boxes not.
    We are ripe to fall.
    What country are you talking about? Belgium? Shooting and killing each other? Bleeding? Destroy everybody and everything? ...Belgium????
    Kyleran
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  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,351
    I would basically assume that this means that you can't buy the loot boxes in Belgium, but people from Belgium will still have to compete against people from elsewhere who do buy the loot boxes and have whatever advantages the loot boxes offer.  So basically, if you're a whale in Belgium, you have to get a VPN to tend that you're somewhere else while whaling.  For everyone else, nothing changes.
    Kyleran
  • RenoakuRenoaku Member EpicPosts: 3,157
    I wonder how long till Mobile APPS are effected like Nexon's and Gamevil's apps which all have Gambling just not called Loot-Box?
  • renegeedrenegeed Member UncommonPosts: 55
    I disagree with it being applied to HoTS, considering it's F2P. But with Overwatch this should be applied for every damn player, it's an expensive game with paid loot boxes, in 2018 that shouldn't be allowed, not even by Blizzard.. or should I say Activision Blizzard.
    Gdemami
  • CoolitCoolit Member UncommonPosts: 661
    Got to admit I expected shenanigans from Blizzard however you have to give them a pat on the back for doing the right thing. Hopefully the rest of the world will catchup and follow suite eventually.
    Gdemami
  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 22,955
    Keep Gambling out of Gaming, well done plucky Belgium!
    dingleyz
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