Game producers set up organization for self-regulation around loot boxes
A number of producers and experts from the games industry have set up an organization to contribute to more self-regulation in game companies. According to the initiators, the establishment is a direct response to the discussion about loot boxes and gambling elements in games.
The newly founded NCGP says it will not take a position itself in discussions about things such as loot boxes, microtransactions, gambling in games, or overtime pay, according to the distributed press release. The organization will have two parts: a think tank and a self-regulatory body. No government money is accepted for financing; the NCGP is subsidized by companies.
The think tank aims to provide politicians and policymakers with data and information so that they can make informed decisions. The setting of this think tank is likely in response to the recent uproar over the microtransactions in Star Wars: Battlefront II. Some politicians have indicated that they want to take steps and several national gambling authorities are investigating the practices of loot boxes in games.
According to the NCGP, the self-regulatory body works completely independently of the think tank; this body investigates abuses at game companies with the aim of tackling them. The organization has not said what exactly this falls under. It is possible that the organization will introduce a number of policies regarding loot boxes and gambling elements for all game makers, although these kinds of rules probably cannot be enforced directly.
In addition, the committee has established a special facility for whistleblowers, where the public and especially individual employees of game developers can report if, for example, a game maker does not comply with the health and safety legislation or otherwise operates in a way that could harm consumers. It is not clear whether this is also intended for consumers to report frustrations about, for example, microtransactions and loot boxes. In extreme cases, the NCGP can also take legal action against a game company.
The organization sees a task for itself to represent the game sector as a whole in the political and legal arena, because according to the NCGP this has not been the case until now. The NCGP says it is not an interest group for game developers; they want to stand up for all professionals from the games industry, whereby a steering committee with political experience will also be deployed. The members of the organization are chosen by invitation. The committee’s website lists all current members, including Bryan Haskell, an ESL project manager.