Video gaming is a hobby that is widely loved and accessible. Some games, however, are intended for mature audiences, whether it be for violence, like “Grand Theft Auto V,” sexual themes, like “Detroit: Become Human” or in-game purchases and gambling, such as “Overwatch.”

There are many different kinds of in-game purchases that can bring additional content to a game. The first is called “pay-to-win.” With this type of purchase, players spend real dollars to buy content in-game that can greatly aid in, usually, multiplayer games. For example, in “ABP Reloaded,” players purchase weapons that give them an upper hand, making it virtually impossible for someone who did not spend the money to beat someone who did spend money. The second kind of in-game purchase is called downloadable content (DLC). DLC is usually available for purchase distantly following the game’s release and adds additional missions or story. Expansive role-playing games use these often, such as “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” and “Dragon Age: Inquisition.” The game itself is expensive, and when paired with the DLC, it can amount to double the cost of the original game. The last case of in-game purchases is “the loot box system.” With this system, players purchase content in real life to benefit them in-game, but what makes this case dangerous is that players do not know what they are getting.

In these games, players open a loot box, oftentimes an actual box. What comes out of the box is a complete gamble. “FIFA 2K19” and “Plants vs Zombies” both have a loot box system, where the purchase of the boxes gives players a chance to unlock power-ups or new characters, which in turn makes players have an extreme advantage in game. In other games, such as in “Overwatch,” the loot boxes do not provide any actual advantage in-game. Rather, it makes the characters have different “skins,” like outfits or aesthetics.

Purchasing loot boxes with real-world currency is a form of gambling. In the cases of DLC and pay-to-win, players know what they are getting, while loot boxes are a luck of the draw. In New York state, the legal gambling age is between 18 and 21. However, “Overwatch” is rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board as “T for teen,” which is described as ages 13 and older. A game that has access to gambling should not be targeted toward children who are not old enough to gamble, especially since children who become addicted to the free loot boxes that the game provides could easily gain access to credit cards without the parent’s consent.

The easy solution would be to remove the loot box system from games in general, but Blizzard made around $2 billion on micro-transactions alone last year. Game companies will not let the money-making system go away without a fight. Therefore, the ESRB needs to step in and rate games that offer these micro-transactions as “M for mature” so children are not exposed to inappropriate content or start forming bad habits when they are young.

Photo from Blizzard.com