Germany Will Slap Loot Boxes With 18 Ratings

I feel weird now. I’m reporting on a German story, roughly translating things from German, and I am no longer the only one that could do that. Nonetheless, let’s explain that the Bundestag, Germany’s seat of parliamentary work, now has an act put forward to restrict the sale of loot boxes and random chance mechanics to minors.

The reform bill, as reported on by German publication Spiegel Netzwelt, called the Youth Protection Act (Jugendschutzgesetzes) is aimed at halting games from effectively shoving “buy now” labels in the face of children. The bill passed on Friday. This is just one of many in a long line of laws aimed at a large-scale craze within triple-A development, to ram every single game released with some form of loot box or microtransaction. I’ve not kept it secret, I think these “mechanics” as they are often labeled (as if they provide function) are one of many of the horrid things within the industry right now.

One of the biggest offenders would be EA and their phrasing around the issue of loot boxes. They have gone as far as to call them “surprise mechanics” and compare them to a Kinder Egg (something banned in America for choking hazards). This is putting aside the fact that several months later the top NHS nurse on mental health said they should be classed as addictive. Though they aren’t the only ones that should be shaking, as Square Enix abandoned ship on Thursday before the bill passed so they aren’t given the 18-rating. It has been stated that the next update for Marvel’s Avengers will make the game needlessly grind-y.

Speaking with Spiegel on the issue, lawyer Julia Maris stated: “Online games and other apps that feature loot boxes or similar in-game offers would probably be classified with an age rating of 18 and over.” This would impact games like Fortnite and FIFA, games with relatively low age ratings, as well as the highest possible ones sitting alongside Grand Theft Auto or hysteria-inducing claptrap. Though, as Jörg Breithut notes for Spiegel, the FIFA series (and a few others) are given the green light to self-regulate within the rating system, for now.

While the bill has passed, the federal council is yet to approve it, thus enacting it into law. This is expected to come into effect sometime this spring. Maris has gone as far as to say these are changes “that are generally to be welcomed.” The Social Democratic Party family minister Franziska Giffey stated, “We want clear symbols that indicate [risks,] such as violence or cost traps.”