Online games like FIFA 18 are increasingly crossing the line into gambling and exceeding it. An old-school MMORPG, Runescape, has now escalated a promotional action leading to protests from players.
It is a question that online games must increasingly ask themselves: What is the difference between their methods and the methods of gambling?
Clear rules exist for gambling in many countries. However, online games also involve betting real money and prizes, and it mostly goes unnoticed. This is all “new territory” and not regulated. Gambling methods in online games particularly affect adolescents and children, who should be protected the most.
Gambling in online games is becoming an increasingly debated topic
- The issue last gained traction with CS:GO. Players were betting large amounts of money on websites using weapon skins that they could then exchange for real money and back again. Players were betting on just about anything. Valve put a stop to that.
- In China, there are now laws requiring game developers to disclose the probabilities of their loot boxes. This also affects games like Hearthstone or Overwatch.
- Investigations show that online games are increasingly adopting established tricks from casinos to attract players. These are psychological tricks that have been known and deciphered for a long time but are still highly effective. For example, players are made to feel especially excited about the payout or are given the sense of having control over their fate.
- Systems like “packs in FIFA” have become so successful that they are intended to be used in more and more games. Buy another pack, there’s a tiny chance you might get Cristiano Ronaldo.
Runescape employs gambling mechanics “All or Nothing”
Currently, the old MMORPG Runescape has likely crossed the line between online gaming and gambling. At least, a controversial action has sparked significant protests. It involved a login reward in the “Treasure Hunter System” – which is a type of lockbox reward. Each day, you can obtain one or two keys. With each key you use, you have a chance to win a bonus from a prize pool.
The gambling element here: You either take a prize right away or collect keys for the chance of obtaining a bigger, rarer prize. However, there’s a risk that if you gamble for a higher prize, you may lose all your progress on the prize.
Stop turning Runescape into a one-armed bandit
This mechanic was far too much “gambling” for some Runescape players, and they protested vehemently on reddit. A game that so many young people play shouldn’t be so inclined towards gambling mechanics.
Their demand: Stop turning Runescape into a damn one-armed bandit. This is bad for Runescape, and I’m worried that you are making children into little gamblers.
Developer Jagex responded to the sharp criticism, stating that they are experimenting with different mechanics. They have noted that this is not well received and want to process the feedback.
Dangerous game with microtransactions
Mein MMO thinks: Runescape is not the problem here, but merely represents another stage of escalation due to the typical gambling mechanism “All or Nothing” used.
At its core, it is about microtransactions tied to random outcomes.
These are often just marginal changes – a loot box here, 5€ for a chance to get the item you want there. But one must be aware that all of this involves gambling mechanics and that there are people who are susceptible to such mechanisms. And these mechanisms work through microtransactions and generate a tremendous amount of revenue in gaming.
Whenever you make a microtransaction without knowing what item will actually come out, it is essentially gambling. And publishers entice players into these microtransactions using the same methods that casinos employ to keep players at the table longer.
A particularly outrageous example:
FIFA 16: FUT – 17-year-old opens packs worth nearly 5000 euros using his father’s credit card
