According to the BBC, most mobile games break the rules on loot box transparency
, by Quentin
An investigation by the BBC reveals that 90% of mobile games that include loot boxes break advertising regulations.
In the UK, the Advertising Stardards Agency (ASA) can ban or withdraw game ads if they do not mention the presence of loot boxes.
For its investigation, the BBC analyzed the 45 most lucrative games in the Google Play Store. Of these, 26 mention loot boxes on their product descriptions. However, only two of these games clearly mention this in their ads. The others just include it on their product sheet, accessible via an information button.
The most profitable game in terms of loot boxes, Monopoly Go, is one of those that do not mention their presence in their ads.
Adrian Hon, CEO of Six to Start studio, underlines the impact of this lack of transparency:
"We know that many people, including children, struggle with overspending on loot boxes. The least that games companies could do is disclose the presence of loot boxes, but they won't even do that - it's an indictment of their priorities and lack of care towards vulnerable players."
It remains to be seen whether this survey will raise awareness among publishers and developers, and whether measures will be taken to protect gamers.
Source: bbc.com