ESRB adds ‘loot box’ rating to the game

Two years after the introduction of the “in-game purchases” tag, the entertainment software review association will now add the loot box tag as well as other random paying elements to the game. The new mark will be available in the “in-game purchases” section, right below the age rating and content description of the game.

The new tag “include random items” (including random items) will be “for all games with an element of random purchases,” the ESRB said in the announcement, “including loot boxes, game gache, unlocking or cards. , spins, crates, etc. Games with in-game transactions (including random items) may include other random paying elements.”

#ESRB will begin assigning a new Interactive Element, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items).

Find out more in our new blog: https://t.co/LPhd5rl7VL pic.twitter.com/nO6p8r1yYJ

— ESRB (@ESRBRatings) April 13, 2020

The rating association says it doesn’t use the term ‘loot box’ on the label because it doesn’t cover all random transactions, and because “less than a third of parents know about the word loot box and understand it.” what.” The ESRB also said that the new label was released at the request of “many consumers and enthusiasts of games (not exactly parents)”.

The “in-game purchases” tag was introduced following calls against loot boxes when they were added in games like Middle-earth: Shadow of War and Star Wars: Battlefront II. At the time, the ESRB explained they didn’t handle loot boxes directly for the same reason – because parents didn’t know what loot boxes were and were concerned about their kids spending a lot of money on the game’s addictive potential for gambling. .