Unless a drastic change happens, the loot boxes and other similar monetization methods will be outlawed in the Netherlands. Six political parties in the country came together for the motion and it’s now awaiting the senate’s approval.
The news of this new motion was posted on ResetEra by a user named Poklane. The parties behind the motion claim loot boxes and similar monetization methods are a form of gambling and manipulate people into spending money on games. The motion especially underlines how this monetization system abuses and manipulates children and has parents facing a bill shock. The motion also underlines how loot boxes are designed to be addictive and shouldn’t be allowed in video games.
Activision Blizzard’s highly anticipated Diablo Immortal wasn’t released in Belgium and Netherlands. Back in October 2020, The Hague Court fined EA Sports $11 million due to the loot boxes in FIFA Ultimate Team (player packs as they’re called in the game). However, this decision was overturned later on due to player packs being an optional mechanic in a larger video game.
This may also negatively affect some F2P games in the country, considering how battle passes and gachas became the most popular monetization methods for these kinds of games.