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Nintendo Facing Lawsuit Over ‘Immoral’ Loot Boxes In Mario Kart Tour
22.5.2023
Nintendo isn’t immune from the backlash against loot boxes, and now a recently filed lawsuit claims the video game company used “dark patterns” to trick younger players into spending money on Mario Kart Tour’s “immoral” microtransactions. Read more
PlayStation Has To Pay Back Some Loot Boxes After Court Ruling
17.5.2023
Over the past few years EA’s FIFA series has been the target of multiple investigations and government hearings across Europe, with some countries concerned that the game’s flagship Ultimate Team mode is basically gambling, and others convinced that it is and taking action.Read more
MMO Introduces New Loot Boxes, Pulls Them Immediately After Fans Revolt
4.4.2023
Late last month the developers of venerable MMO Everquest II introduced a new kind of loot box to the game that was, basically, a pay-to-win situation. It did not go down well with the long-running community!Read more
Australian Government Wants To Give 18+ Ratings To Any Game With Gambling
30.3.2023
The Australian Federal Government have announced this week that they’ll be pushing to “apply an R18+ rating to all video games that contain simulated gambling”, a move that appears to be the strictest of its type we’ve seen.Read more
11 Battle Royale Players You'll Always Match With (Or Die To)
29.3.2023
Battle royales and the culture that surround them have collected a litany of archetypes, creating a sort of BR zodiac that can help you understand the machinations of the people you encounter in Warzone, Fortnite, Apex Legends, or PUBG. Maybe you feel like one or more of these stereotypes sorta...
FIFA Loot Boxes Violate Austrian Gambling Laws, Court Rules
7.3.2023
Loot boxes have been a thorn in gamers’ sides for as long as they’ve been around, with lawsuits and players deriding them as exploitative gambling mechanics. EA has been a prominent example of publishers using loot boxes, and its massively popular soccer game FIFA is no exception. FIFA’s Ultimate...
Definitely-Not-A-Live-Service-Shooter Suicide Squad Is Always Online
24.2.2023
Today, during Sony’s first State of Play broadcast of 2023, we got a big ol’ look at the upcoming online third-person DC Comics shooter Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League. It looked…fine. But a newly posted FAQ on the official game’s website has confirmed that you’ll have to be online at...
Game Removes Loot Boxes, Players Revolt Instead Of Celebrate
13.12.2022
Popular free-to-play mobile game Brawl Stars is doing something a bit different. In an era where it seems every game is trying to nickel and dime you with more and more stuff to buy, instead it’s removing loot boxes and all random rewards entirely from the game. It’s yet another sign that loot...
The Biggest Gaming Disappointments Of 2022
8.12.2022
Congrats everyone, you all made it through another awful pandemic year! 2022 is nearly at an end, meaning that it’s a good time to look back at all the terrible and disappointing shit that happened over the last 12 months. It’s enough to make me crave a distraction from it all, maybe even hop into...
The Best And Worst Battle Passes Of 2022 From Overwatch 2 To Fortnite
2.12.2022
Ah, the battle pass. Once a feature seemingly reserved for the battle royale, it’s now as ubiquitous in the gaming industry as everyone’s favorite dripless MC. In the past year or so, franchises like Halo and Overwatch embraced the battle pass for the first time, likely in the face of proof that...
Overwatch Players Spend 30 Hours Watching Games, Get No Rewards
30.11.2022
Some folks watch esports events for the thrill of seeing a game played at the highest possible skill level. Others tune in for promised rewards from developers. If you’re in the latter camp, and you logged a ton of hours of watching the latest Overwatch League event on YouTube, you’re probably very...
Loot Boxes Would Be For Adults Only If Australian Bill Passes
29.11.2022
Following the example set by governments in places like Belgium and the Netherlands, an Australian politician has put forward a bill that would, if passed into law, massively restrict the use of loot boxes in video games aimed at children.Read more
NFTs, Crypto Banned From GTA Online Servers
22.11.2022
An update to publisher Take-Two’s “legal enforcement policy” for Grand Theft Auto Online was made late last week, which sought to clarify a whole bunch of boring legal and rights stuff, but which is also specifically cracking down on the sales of NFTs within the game.Read more
Overwatch 2 Reveals New Hero Ramattra, Locked Behind Battle Pass
7.11.2022
Ramattra is the newest tank hero coming to Overwatch 2 and the latest to be locked behind its battle pass system. Revealed during the Overwatch League finals last Friday, the shape-shifting warlord can transform between defensive and offensive modes, but will require players who don’t want to...
These Genshin Impact Fans Spent $1,000 to $90,000 On Its Characters
2.11.2022
“It’s like that Ariana Grande song: I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it,” said one anonymous investment banker who’s spent over $10,000 in the hugely popular, free-to-play action role-playing game Genshin Impact. “I’m not known for being cheap with what I like. Some people collect photocards....
Overwatch 2 Anime Charm Is Cheaper In Real Life Than In The Game
28.10.2022
There has been a lot of commotion and complaining about Overwatch 2’s in-game store prices and its lack of free loot boxes. It’s much harder in the recently released shooter sequel to earn credits and unlock new outfits for free compared to the first game. And a new example of just how pricey...
Steam Game Bails On Loot Boxes To Win Back Players
27.10.2022
These days it’s rare to see an online game without built-in live-service monetization, let alone one that’s getting rid of that stuff. But that’s exactly what the Subnautica devs behind Moonbreaker are doing. Recently launched in Early Access on Steam, the tabletop RPG is throwing out both...
Overwatch 2’s Free-To-Play Grind And Battle Pass System Has Players Wanting Loot Boxes Back
18.10.2022
In the two weeks Overwatch 2 has been live—yes, it’s only been two weeks— players have become so disappointed with the hero shooter’s free-to-play grind and battle pass system that they’re longing for the days when the original game had loot boxes.Read more
Overwatch 2 Pre-reviews Think It's Worth A Sequel, But Say The Grind Is A Major Bummer
30.9.2022
Overwatch 2 is almost here, arriving as a free-to-play game on October 4 that will totally supplant the OG hero shooter. While it isn’t playable to the general public yet, a handful of gaming outlets got early access to Blizzard’s upcoming sequel, publishing prereviews just in time for launch day....
EA Says FIFA Players Actually ‘Love’ The Game’s Controversial Loot Boxes
12.8.2022
Four years after Star Wars: Battlefront II’s disastrous launch galvanized the world against loot boxes, EA is still defending the exploitative microtransaction in its crown jewel: FIFA. In-game card packs don’t just make the publisher billions, EA swears that players love them too.Read more