![]() Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP highlights a recent study conducted by Dr David Zendle of York St John University and Dr Paul Cairns of the University of York regarding the link between loot boxes and “problem gambling” habits: There are rising concerns over the impact of loot boxes on gamers. P-p-p-pokerface – the link between loot boxes and gambling laws To put things in context, Netflix has identified Fortnite as a bigger rival than other OTT streaming platforms such as HBO or Hulu – with over 200 million players worldwide the industry has become, in its words, a fight for eyeballs. On the other hand, McMillan LLP does not believe the industry should continue to enjoy the regulatory freedoms it is currently receiving under the First Amendment. It believes the bill does not consider that adults are more likely to spend more money on loot boxes than children, and are a much more intensive audience. However, McMillan LLP hails the senator’s call to ban loot boxes as too broad and does not accurately represent the true industry barrier. If passed, the act will be regulated by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which Arent Fox LLP reports will be holding a public workshop in August 2019 to examine the effects of loot boxes on the video game industry. If it becomes law, the Protecting Children from Abusive Games Act would protect minors playing videos that have loot boxes or pay-to-win features that manipulate the game’s progression system to give those that pay more an unfair advantage over other online players. This alleged form of manipulative gameplay has finally caught up with the US gaming industry, with Hawley leading the calls for an all-out ban on this form of monetisation. However, the caveat is that you never know what’s inside them, and the odds of finding a rare or valuable item can vary from pretty slim to virtually impossible. ![]() Loot boxes can be purchased using real or in-game currency. Loot boxes, according to Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, are “microtransactions offering randomized or partially randomized rewards to players”. The man in the box – why does the United States want to ban loot boxes? Our experts at Lexology have been wondering whether it’s finally time to start regulating an industry that has so far benefited from a regulatory protective bubble. US Republican Senator Josh Hawley has introduced a bill to ban loot boxes, but if this bill is passed in anything close to its current form it could have serious repercussions to the gaming industry. For that reason, I lost patience with Ready To Die very early on.There is global debate as to whether loot boxes in video games constitute gambling, unfair or deceptive business practices, and whether they pose a risk to underage consumers. I can hear only so many tales of gun fights, drug deals, and sexual conquests before it all sounds cliché and boring. Ready To Die has also been praised for its storytelling, which chronicles a gangsta from birth to untimely death, but I find it harder to appreciate on that front. ![]() Biggie has a great flow and enough swagger to earn him accolades as one of the best-ever rappers based on this album alone. The album sounds good, blending thick beats with R&B samples for a groove more danceable than you’d expect from a hardcore rap album. Recorded by the Brooklyn rapper when he was 19 going on 20, the record is a semi-autobiographical account of the gangster life he never really escaped. The Notorious B.I.G.’s debut album, Ready To Die, has been hailed as one of the best hip-hop albums of all time. ![]() Now that I’ve counted down my personal top ten albums of 1994, it’s time to feature some of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful releases of that year. ![]()
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