ESRB Wants Toothless Non-Solution To Loot Boxes, Treats Parents As Ignorant Children

The problem involving loot boxes in video games has been brewing for some time, causing lawmakers to start questioning the practice and even introducing bills that directly addresses the issue. In response, the private governing body that’s meant to be the watchdog of the industry, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is proposing a new label that does absolutely nothing.

For the most part, labels are how the ESRB keeps video game companies in line in terms of the content and themes of their titles. This is where stickers that say T for Teens and M for Mature can tell parents if a game is going to be appropriate for their children. In light of the mounting criticisms over the loot box issue, the body wants to introduce new stickers on the boxes of physical game copies to alert parents of microtransactions, The Verge reports.

The problem with this approach is that it’s not likely going to do much in order to curb the overwhelming urge by video game companies to nickel and dime customers using predatory systems. The stickers don’t really make a distinction between in-game purchases that allow gamers to buy items directly to get them exactly as expected and the chance-based roulette loot box system.

As to why this is, apparently, the ESRB believes that many parents are incapable of understanding what loot boxes even are. This is what ESRB President Patricia Vance told the publication Ars Technica, saying that the bigger problem was the matter of spending, to begin with.

“Parents need simple information," Vance explained. "We can't overwhelm them with a lot of detail. We need to be clear, concise, and make it easy for them. We have not found that parents are differentiating between a lot of these different mechanics." Vance also noted that the ESRB's research found nine out of ten parents required children to have permission before making any in-game purchase, suggesting that a general warning would help "the vast majority of parents out there."