Loot Boxes, Loot, Gachapon or Gacha Games… The game industry has developed significantly in the last ten years, and if in some ways it was for the better, in others, unfortunately, the trend was just the opposite. And the billing model is by far the clearest example of this. We’ve gone from a fixed price per game that could in any case be increased by some kind of expansion, to a model in which a cash register is necessary for practically everything.

First there were the DLCs, then the in-game stores arrived, and more or less simultaneously, the season passes for games, and the last, although it has been with us for a long time, are loot boxes or loot in English, a commercial model that managed to make us, to look favorably on in-game stores because at least you could buy what you wanted instead of risking your money in a system modeled on a system machine.

In case you don’t know, the Loot Box model consists of selling chests, boxes, envelopes or any other format (of course always digital) that can contain a large number of different items, among which we can find some highly sought after ones in the game. From football players in FIFA to weapons in Counter Strike: Global Offensive. Want to get the best player for your team? Get the ultimate weapon? Well, you “just” have to Buy the loot boxes and cross your fingers I hope you get lucky.

Of course you can imagine that There is an inversely proportional relationship between the interest generated by each item and the chances of obtaining it. A model, again similar to the bar slots model, in which nothing is left to chance. A system that prevents you from buying, for two or three euros, a weapon that can lead you to spend tens or even hundreds of euros to try to get into the loot. Sounds sick, doesn’t it? It really is.

We already told you about loot boxes a few weeks ago when we finally Some regulators have decided enough is enough, that it was necessary to start imposing severe regulations on this despicable technique, aimed at exploiting the weaknesses of users who, once connected to the games, can spend a real fortune to get the desired reward. And this is not a theory, in this regard there have already been many cases of people destroyed because of loot.

So today we received some sensational news, which means that according to Eldiario, the Spanish executive is already on the job Act on the regulation of spoils, which prohibits access to them by those under the age of 18. To limit access, the bill, which is in the public hearing process until July 23, indicates that DNI accreditation is necessaryand can be complemented by biometric identification systems, not biomarkers, as we can read in a large number of media.

The restriction of access of minors to spoils is included in Chapter II, Article 6, of the proposal:

Chapter II

Safeguards for users of random reward mechanisms.

Article 6. Prohibition of the use of random reward mechanisms for minors.

1. Access to or activation of random reward mechanisms
minors.

2. In order to guarantee the effectiveness of this ban, entities that use or market random reward mechanisms must enable a documentary verification system of the identity of the participants. This verification system can supplemented, always on a voluntary basis for these entities, with a biometric identification system.

Random reward mechanisms may not be accessed or activated by a user until their identity has been verified under the terms set out in this section.

3. In the exercise of its powers of inspection, the General Directorate for the Regulation of Gambling may require data relating to identity verification carried out on the basis of the provisions of this article.

4. The verification of the identity of the participants will be carried out in full compliance with the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 27, 2016, regarding the protection of natural persons in Regarding the processing of personal data and the free circulation of such data, which is directive 95/46/CE repealed in organic law 3/2018 of December 5, on the protection of personal data and the guarantee of digital rights and in In. its development regulations.

5. Entities that use or market random reward mechanisms must enable parental control mechanisms to completely exclude, and for any type of device, the purchase or use of this type of mechanism.

(You can consult the complete draft at this link.)

From now on, the key to determining the success or failure of this measure is basically v Effectiveness and reliability of validation systems used by developers restrict access to loot in your games. In this regard, what we can read in point 3 of article 6 is very important, that is, the Directorate General for Gambling Regulation can actively supervise the verification processes that are carried out to prevent access by minors.

I personally admit that I will go one step further and that is in point 2, such as the mandatory use of biometric identification systems (or alternatives such as MFA access) to authenticate each purchase transaction. However, it seems to me that this is a very important step in the right direction, and therefore I hope that the elaboration of this law (preliminary proposal for the time being) will be as fast as possible, and that in this way access to savings banks will be Prey of minors is no longer possible, and therefore the problem .