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Apple Forces Apps to Reveal Loot Box Odds

by | Dec 22, 2017 | News, News Section, Videogames

Apple Forces Apps to Reveal Loot Box Odds

by | Dec 22, 2017 | News, News Section, Videogames

In a surprising move, Apple has updated their guidelines to dictate that any and all software in the App Store disclose the odds involved in Loot Boxes. There are a lot of reasons to trash Apple, but this isn’t one of those times. Apple has made sure this isn’t some corporate trick either. The language in the guideline specifically states that developers must “disclose the odds of receiving each type of item to customers prior to purchase.”

 

Apple App Store

This comes amidst growing concern among lawmakers about Loot Boxes. Belgium has already deemed them a form of gambling and caused many other countries to start taking a closer look. While Apple hasn’t commented on the move, a few factors could be at play. Namely, many Asian countries require odds to be readily available so as not to trick consumers. Since mobile apps and games are hugely more popular in Asian countries, particularly China, this could simply be a move by Apple to shore up their guidelines in accordance with that.

However, among fans, this is something that has been discussed for some time. Many of the defenses for Loot Boxes has revolved around their option to pay precedent. Games like Overwatch and League of Legends both have ways to earn Loot Boxes without paying for them. However, it is clear that these companies are hiding the odds as best they can for a reason. In World of Warcraft and other MMOs, drop percentages were always made available or discovered by the community. That was how must of us could tell how much time we were wasting farming a stupid reagent. But nearly all Loot Box games don’t reveal the percent drops, probably because they know how bad they are.

While this is a good sign, it means little for the larger publishers, and Apple’s edict has no control over their own content. At best, it may start to help swing the tide in favor of regulation. In the meantime, fewer rip-off mobile games is still a good thing.

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