Several European Countries to Miss Diablo Immortal Over Lootbox Regulations

[fibre]

IDK if PoE is considere p2w but all games have black markets for in-game goods around them. Chinese click farms FTW. With them everything turns to p2w.

In general I have nothing against buying and selling items. But usually these p2w games have mechanics adapted for lootboxes and spending unreasonable amount of time grinding. I could play and finish PoE with similar effort as Diablo 2, just got tired of the game.

 

[zlobby]

In general I have nothing against buying and selling items. But usually these p2w games have mechanics adapted for lootboxes and spending unreasonable amount of time grinding. I could play and finish PoE with similar effort as Diablo 2, just got tired of the game.

I thought it was meant to be played like that, too. Then I got carried over with online parties and had the characters buffed to max levels. Plus, I got decent gear.

Then I started thebsolo campaign. Way more enjoyable this way. Then it was back in the party grind.

 

[Vayra86]

Who will miss anything 'Diablo' after LoD? Now that we have PoE?

And Grim Dawn.... and Torchlight... and a few dozen other spinoffs
Heck even Diablo 2 was remade and its still better while being the exact same as always.

It will be very interesting how bad D4 is going to be. I'm no longer hyped for it, but definitely watching to confirm Blizzard has definitively lost the plot. Or maybe... they go for redemption and create another killer app... one can dream. I could honestly not give sufficient F's anymore, because Grim Dawn 2 is also coming eventually, and there's a certain guarantee it'll just work: its built by devs that know what a gamer needs, not what would create the fattest revenue.

 

[Ravenmaster]

Pure garbage game

 

[samum]

I wouldn't say they'll be missing it, Bob.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

and its about time more EU countries join our club of protecting young gamers from what is obvious gambling practices.

Their Mom's wallet agrees.

 

[Sithaer]

And Grim Dawn.... and Torchlight... and a few dozen other spinoffs
Heck even Diablo 2 was remade and its still better while being the exact same as always.

It will be very interesting how bad D4 is going to be. I'm no longer hyped for it, but definitely watching to confirm Blizzard has definitively lost the plot. Or maybe... they go for redemption and create another killer app... one can dream. I could honestly not give sufficient F's anymore, because Grim Dawn 2 is also coming eventually, and there's a certain guarantee it'll just work: its built by devs that know what a gamer needs, not what would create the fattest revenue.

D2 remaster is a becoming more different over time, it already had some updates/changes that did not exist in the original.
I'm talking about balance/quality of life updates and whatnot, core game is still the same ofc.
My old D2 friend/play group wanted to drag me back but I said nah 7+ years was enough for me but in overall they were happy with the remaster and played it like old times. 'Thats why they wanted me back cause I used to be their Über Trist dedicated boss killer for Torch farming/selling '

I'm not crazy hyped for D4 but I'm sure it won't be so bad that I can't have my fun with it my way, I mean after all I did like D3 for what it is so yea the bar is not exactly set high on my end..

Grim Dawn 2 I totally agree, that I can say for sure that it will be a solid game to play in this genre just like the first one.
At least the developers of that game do communicate with the fan base and know what they want, always found that very positive about them.

 

[MarsM4N]

Its not Mobile only anymore tho, will be playable on PC too with some GFX improvements and whatnot with cross save possible between PC and Mobile. 'like its written in that blue post'
This lootbox/micro transaction regulation also happeend with Lost Ark Western relase in those countries as far as I know.

Wasn't FIFA Ultimate Team also banned in the Netherlands for their loot boxes? It's btw. what they make their most money with.

I just don't understand how people can be that dumb to throw hundreds sometimes even thousands out of the window for an advantage in a video game that will be outdated after a year when the next FIFA game comes out. There are just too many dumb folks out there who needs protection from this addiction.

Its free anyway so I'm gonna give it a try in a casual free2play way. 'Don't give a crap about having the best nor to compete with anyone'

You play a game where you are at an disadvantage if you don't spend money for better stuff? Like why ???

a european pair of lootbox resistent countries
poor that germany didn´t join em

Not going to happen. The gambling industry has a too big influence on our politicians.

Also online gambling, currently only legal in Schleswig Hollstein (as noted in the dumb commercials on TV), will soon be legalized across Germany.

 

[Sithaer]

You play a game where you are at an disadvantage if you don't spend money for better stuff? Like why ???

Cause I'm not a competitive person and I couldn't care less if someone has a better time/rank on the leaderboards or better at PvP which I'm not even planning to play in the first place.
I play for my own reasons and goals and those does not need/require money spent.

I never cash out/whale in free2play games and I played quite a few in the past ~10 years 'MMOs mainly', at most I spend on cosmetics when I'm already long term playing a game.
So far I managed to play like that just fine, as long as I can do the PvE content and slowly progress as a free2play player I'm good.

 

[MarsM4N]

Cause I'm not a competitive person and I couldn't care less if someone has a better time/rank on the leaderboards or better at PvP which I'm not even planning to play in the first place.
I play for my own reasons and goals and those does not need/require money spent.

I never cash out/whale in free2play games and I played quite a few in the past ~10 years 'MMOs mainly', at most I spend on cosmetics when I'm already long term playing a game.
So far I managed to play like that just fine, as long as I can do the PvE content and slowly progress as a free2play player I'm good.

Sure, in PvE you could live with it. But in PvP there is just no fun in it if you're getting owned constantly by better geared opponents.

 

[R-T-B]

you know... you could just remove the gambling part out of a video game...

But... money? Need moar.

 

[lexluthermiester]

So Blizzard, rather than obeying national laws and releasing a version of the game without the unlawful aspects choose instead to ignore those two nations entirely?

What spiteful and pathetic decision! Way to keep it classy Blizzard!

 

[Broken Processor]

It's going to be available in my country but I'll definitely not be playing this P2W game when loot box gambling.

I've seen some videos on it and man it looks to be one of the most heavily monetised I've seen with 5 levels of legendary gems with drop rates falling off a cliff the higher you go.

With the fact if the reviews are correct that getting a rank 1 legendary gem as F2P nearly impossible and zero for anything else means if you want to be successful you're going to be spending thousands probably 10's of thousands.

These games should be illegal imo.

 

[svenge]

So Blizzard, rather than obeying national laws and releasing a version of the game without the unlawful aspects choose instead to ignore those two nations entirely?

Isn't Blizzard already obeying said national laws by not officially offering Diablo Immortal in those countries? If a company doesn't want to change their product as to cater to various countries' laws then there's no viable method to force them to do so.

 

[KLiKzg]

That is OK, as "lootboxes" should be there only for getting faster in the game itself.

Not for finishing the game itself. Than it is not a "lootbox", but "pay for finishing"!

 

[Mussels]

Good.

As a gamer i avoid any games that rely on lootboxes, and i'm taught my kid why it's a terrible friggin idea despite him only being 7 years old
(Game is free, fun is hidden behind sneaky begging for money, a little bit each day)


We've lost friends over fortnite, as it was used as a babysitter and now they've got 3 boys under 10 who punch holes in walls and have extreme fits of rage if they dont get their V-bucks for their lootcrates because they NEED to have the latest fancy skins and bullcrap. I had a 9 year old attack me because i asked his mum if she knew he was using her credit card - her only solution was to cut internet access for the entire house and go back to a dumbphone so the kids couldnt use her phones data plan.

Didnt work, as they just use the dads/older siblings phones instead, sneak online any second they can, blow other peoples money and then go berserk because they didnt get whatever random thing they wanted anyway



Until you've seen this stuff in person you just cant grasp the scale of how this sort of thing can easily and permanently warp kids. It's worse than adults with drug addictions because the kids cant ever be really punished, but they can keep escalating until they get their fix

 

[lexluthermiester]

Isn't Blizzard already obeying said national laws by not officially offering Diablo Immortal in those countries? If a company doesn't want to change their product as to cater to various countries' laws then there's no viable method to force them to do so.

That's some "special" blame-shifting right there, and is a poor excuse for Blizzard's pathetic choice.

Good.

As a gamer i avoid any games that rely on lootboxes, and i'm taught my kid why it's a terrible friggin idea despite him only being 7 years old
(Game is free, fun is hidden behind sneaky begging for money, a little bit each day)


We've lost friends over fortnite, as it was used as a babysitter and now they've got 3 boys under 10 who punch holes in walls and have extreme fits of rage if they dont get their V-bucks for their lootcrates because they NEED to have the latest fancy skins and bullcrap. I had a 9 year old attack me because i asked his mum if she knew he was using her credit card - her only solution was to cut internet access for the entire house and go back to a dumbphone so the kids couldnt use her phones data plan.

Didnt work, as they just use the dads/older siblings phones instead, sneak online any second they can, blow other peoples money and then go berserk because they didnt get whatever random thing they wanted anyway



Until you've seen this stuff in person you just cant grasp the scale of how this sort of thing can easily and permanently warp kids. It's worse than adults with drug addictions because the kids cant ever be really punished, but they can keep escalating until they get their fix

This, and it's only one example of why lootcrates are a pathetically predatory business tactic.

 

[Vayra86]

That is OK, as "lootboxes" should be there only for getting faster in the game itself.

Not for finishing the game itself. Than it is not a "lootbox", but "pay for finishing"!

You do understand this is a huge grey area right? Every game with lootboxes that make you go faster is 'pay to finish' because the whole experience is geared towards purchase of said lootboxes.

In other words, you might THINK you'll finish the game without, because that is the strongest commercial sell. 'Play for free!' like every F2P tells you everywhere. There is but a handful of free to play games that are truly playable F2P. Dota 2 comes to mind. It deals exclusively in cosmetic loot box material. No progression. Time is money, too. Some F2P puts such a massive time investment ahead of you every time, you'll feel 'forced' to buy boxes to speed up.

Once progression is tied to a lootbox, you'll never finish the game at all, even if you buy them. What is finishing anyway, in a f2p? They're built to make you come back. The business model is the game and you're the pawn.

 

[Mussels]

That is OK, as "lootboxes" should be there only for getting faster in the game itself.

Not for finishing the game itself. Than it is not a "lootbox", but "pay for finishing"!

I missed your post and i shouldnt have

That is also a disgusting predatory action, because people who dont have all the spare time in the world usually have a few minutes to sit down and game - and then the game locks them out and says "oh - sorry but you cant play NOW, without paying"


That's like WoW limiting you to 60 minutes a day behind a paywall, to take extra money from people who can only game on weekends.