Asmongold was successful with his plans. US Senator Ted Cruz reacts – and talks about loot boxes and gambling in games.
A few days ago, we talked about how streamer Asmongold reached out to US Senator Ted Cruz and wrote to his office to discuss loot boxes in games. Quicker than Asmongold probably expected, there was now a response.
What happened? Streamer Asmongold has had enough of microtransactions in general and loot boxes in particular. Especially after Diablo Immortal, he now wants to use his influence to draw political attention to the issue. He hopes that loot boxes will be banned sooner or later in more countries and classified as gambling. In his view, they not only destroy good games, but also the lives of vulnerable people and children, who are thus raised to gamble from an early age.
In one of his recent streams, Asmongold announced that he has contacted the office of US Senator Ted Cruz from the Republicans, hoping that this would lead to a conversation or at least an exchange.
What happened now? In one of his latest streams, Asmongold learns that Ted Cruz has responded to the request – and even talks about it for quite a while. He did this in his own podcast “Verdict with Ted Cruz”.
In fact, Cruz demonstrates familiarity with the topic. Although he wouldn’t touch MMORPGs, he is a casual gamer and has also spent money in games to buy progress and save “6 or 12 months of time”. Nevertheless, he emphasizes that he fundamentally dislikes the idea of buying such advantages in games.
His co-host Michael Knowles didn’t shine on the topic and seemed to be more focused on “Pac-Man” and “Donkey Kong”, even getting corrected by Cruz that “that’s definitely not what this is about.”
What else did Cruz say? The most interesting statement is probably that Ted Cruz is willing to listen to arguments and talk about the topic. It is in his interest to protect children from gambling. However, he also believes that loot boxes and the ability for adults to spend money in a game are not necessarily something the state should have the authority to ban or interfere with.
In any case, he showed a willingness to engage in conversation. And it is already clear: if a conversation between politician Ted Cruz and one of the biggest streamers, Asmongold, should actually take place, it could set a new Twitch record.
What does Asmongold think about the matter? Asmongold appeared clearly surprised, and in a positive way. He did not expect such a comprehensive initial response. However, he also emphasizes that his intention is not about other political views. Now that a Republican politician has reacted, he wants to reach out to the Democrats – in his opinion, it should now be much easier since there has already been a reaction from the Republicans.
Asmongold repeatedly emphasizes that his goal is to make loot boxes and similar mechanics at least inaccessible to children, which he considers an important first step. He is not particularly concerned with which politicians he talks to in order to achieve this goal. What they represent and say otherwise is just “background noise that is not important for the matter.”
What do you think about a US senator responding to a Twitch streamer? Is it a good thing that Asmongold is initiating? Or is it ultimately just a huge PR stunt from both sides?
