Britain's most popular mobile Game has come under fire in recent days for not advertising loot boxes, with critics calling random in-game purchases "exploitative" and "addictive".

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), a watchdog, said it would ban and remove ads that did not explicitly state whether a game contained loot boxes.

However, after a BBC investigation, it was found that only two of the 45 highest-grossing games in the Google Play Store actually adhered to these rules.

Dr. Jane Rigby, chief executive of the Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (Ygam), called the findings "deeply worrying".

"In the absence of strong game regulation, games must Provide clear and transparent information about their functionality so that parents and gamers can make informed decisions," she said.

EA's FIFA series is the most popular unboxing game in the UK, and forecasts last year estimated that these microtransactions could generate tens of billions of dollars in profits over the next five years.

A British government hearing on the issue revealed that most players who buy game "loot boxes" will experience "gambling-like experiences, causing psychological and economic problems" because of the game. However, in the final conclusion, the official did not clearly define unpacking as a gambling behavior.

Leon Y Xiao, a researcher in video game regulation at the University of Information Technology in Copenhagen, says: "Although the ASA has supported some complaints, it takes a long time to properly deal with all these things - they will go to a certain company and say'you should comply ', but they won't."

"People go into video games without knowing the potential risks, which assumes people understand the risks of loot boxes from the Start."

What's a loot box?

Loot boxes contain random number items that players can only discover by playing the game or (more controversially) paying for them.

Game makers have previously argued that the games are like a chocolate egg with a plastic toy hidden inside, and children don't know what they're getting until they buy and open the egg.

But critics say they are in fact a form of gambling, with a 2022 report from the Norwegian Consumer Council noting that they "often exploit consumers through predatory mechanisms, foster addictive behaviour, target vulnerable consumer groups, etc."

In the same year, the British government resisted pressure to regulate loot boxes, arguing that the video game industry could self-regulate.

For the vast majority of teenagers, in order to get the digital items they want in the loot box, they will constantly trade in the game. However, game makers will constantly update the digital items in the game, and use very attractive game trailers to attract children to buy loot boxes in disguise.

However, more than 12 months later, the BBC found that the vast majority of mainstream mobile games that contain loot boxes still violate the rules, with most games only displaying the existence of loot boxes when potential players click on a small info button on the Play Store.

Getty Images' three Cartoon boxes with question marks are opened to reveal different contents, from coins to cash to gold crowns.

Loot boxes can generate around $15 billion (£11.80 billion) a year for gaming companies.

Adrian Hon, head of game developer Six to Start, said the industry had a record of "willFully ignoring or forgetting regulations that could affect its ability to sell games to players".

"We know that many people, including children, are struggling with the overconsumption of loot boxes," he said, adding that the boxes were designed to "create habits."

"The least game companies can do is disclose loot boxes, but they won't even do that - it's an indictment of their priorities and lack of concern for vulnerable players."

Loot boxes are not compliant

The BBC examined ads for the 45 highest-grossing games on Google's Play Store, which, along with Apple's App Store, is where the vast majority of people visit mobile games.

Of the 45, 26 were flagged as containing loot boxes - 22 of which are being actively promoted simultaneously.

However, only two games explicitly advertised the existence of loot boxes.

Monopoly GO, one of the highest-grossing games on the Play Store that includes loot boxes, does not mention random in-game purchases in its ads.

According to the intellectual property owner, Hasbro, the game has been downloaded more than 50 million times, generating more than $3 billion (£2.37 billion) in revenue.

The UK could become the next European country to impose strict restrictions on internal purchases of video games that involve unpacking.

In addition, the measures taken by Xbox to strengthen parental control over the consumption of minors have received special mention from the British government. Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, made a statement earlier this year that Xbox would not create a mechanism for people to play endlessly, and that the platform was designed to be "a constructive element of family life."

In March this year, the South Korean cabinet passed some amendments to the "Game Industry Promotion Law", which officially moved from self-regulation to legal enforcement. In fact, it is also aimed at opening Treasure boxes and card-drawing gameplay, especially domestic games that go overseas. Previously, the publiCity of opening Treasure boxes in the South Korean game market was mainly supervised by the country's game industry self-discipline association. This association did not have the power to enforce the law.

summary

Although loot boxes are a very important part of the game, due to the limited ability of teenagers to restrain themselves, unlimited loot boxes have become a gambling part of the game. Loot boxes blur the line between gaming and gambling, and exposure to such gambling-like content from an early age may increase the risk of gambling hazards in adulthood.

With the continuous development of the game industry, the healthy control of game content also needs to be continuously improved and developed. The virtual online World should better contribute to the development of human beings, rather than guide human beings to decline.

Loot boxes: Games companies agree to restrict access in UK