Computer games containing simulated gambling, such as social casino games, will be legally restricted to adults only with a minimum classification of R18+.
Yeah, perhaps it’s just poor paraphrasing for a press release, but this seems like a massive overstep, even if you support government intervention for loot boxes. Like, does this mean Mario 64 ds is an r18 game in Australia now because of luigi’s casino? Does every game that uses a slot-machine style interface for a semi-random reward have to be r18? What about the ID lottery in pokemon or the happy lucky lottery in paper Mario ttyd? Are all these things really worth making games r18?
As much as the ESRB fucking sucks ass and can go burn, at least it isn’t a government agency and has to at least play nice enough with the industry and consumers in general.
I assume simulated gambling like in FF7 would be part of it. Anything that uses slot interface to grant a reward but doesn’t have any tie to currency might be fine.
You’re right.
Next Mario game should have Mario smoking crack, because it’s something we should also show children is a normal and acceptable part of life.
And I assume you were the goody two shoes who never once played cards in school just for the fun of it?
roblox:
If it’s with real money it’s gambling. I’m perfectly okay with it.
“simulated” gambling is specifically called out in a separate paragraph from things like loot boxes, hence my concern.
As much as the ESRB fucking sucks ass and can go burn, at least it isn’t a government agency and has to at least play nice enough with the industry and consumers in general.
I don’t think any industry can really be trusted to self-regulate in the long term.
I don’t think a ratings system is remotely beneficial for a creative industry. All it does is railroad design to fit into pre-determined boxes set by stupid bureaucrats.
