European Parliament Votes to Address Loot Boxes & Manipulative Practices

The European Parliament voted to adopt a report requesting the European Commission to address issues in the gaming industry that should better protect consumers, young people in particular. 

According to GamesIndustry.biz, it was led by MEP Adriana Maldonado López and got 577 votes in favor, with 56 against and 15 abstentions.

The report includes more than a dozen recommendations, including the requirement for tools to help parents understand and control how much time and money their children spend on games. It also stated that the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) age rating system could provide more transparent information about the content, target age group, and in-game purchase options.

The Commission should analyze the impact of loot boxes and prompts to make in-game purchases as well as investigate if gold farming is linked to financial crimes and human rights abuses. The Parliament members also urged developers to "avoid designing games that feed addiction." 

As for other changes, the report proposed a new European online video game award and a European Video Game Strategy that "unlocks the economic, social, educational, cultural and innovative potential of this sector."

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