Biggest argument: it’s bad to get children addicted to gambling.
Secondary argument: if you buy a game, you shouldn’t have to gamble to get the game’s content.
Comment on Steam :: About the New York Attorney General lawsuit against Valve
LegitimateEngineer@lemmy.world 10 hours ago
I don’t get why these target valve and how they are a scourge if it’s purely cosmetic. Only complaint I could see is possibly for tf2, though that never seemed pay to win like.
Assassassin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 hours ago
PlzGivHugs@sh.itjust.works 9 hours ago
Secondary argument: if you buy a game, you shouldn’t have to gamble to get the game’s content.
This one doesn’t apply to Valve’s games, both because the base games are free and because the items can be bought directly. Other games though…
Assassassin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 hours ago
Yeah, true. Both of those were arguments more against lootboxes in general than specifically how valve has done it, I suppose. Valve’s implementation is certainly a lot less predatory than EA or any mobile game lol
khornechips@sh.itjust.works 9 hours ago
Bought from valve directly? Because I don’t think saying you can buy the skin from the Steam marketplace for $1,000 is the slam dunk argument you think it is.
PlzGivHugs@sh.itjust.works 9 hours ago
Bought from valve directly? Because I don’t think saying you can buy the skin from the Steam marketplace for $1,000 is the slam dunk argument you think it is.
Technically, yes, bought from them directly, but I’m not sure how that distinction matters one way or another.
Either way, you either spend about $1000 on lootboxes, gambling to get it, or you buy it from another player for about that much. Given that the value is player set, the price will be in the same ballpark either way. You can argue that the price is absurd and abusive, but thats an argument against high prices on worthless digital items, not one against lootboxes.
ampersandrew@lemmy.world 9 hours ago
I’d highly recommend you check out People Make Games’ videos on Counter-Strike gambling, which include testimonials from child gambling addicts. And if you still need more convincing, there’s also some videos by Coffeezilla.
But I’d also like to see more companies held accountable for this than just Valve.
pizza_the_hutt@sh.itjust.works 9 hours ago
How exactly are the children buying stuff in the first place? Me thinks the parents play a role in this…
ampersandrew@lemmy.world 9 hours ago
You can buy gift cards for Steam from the drug store or Walmart with cash, and there are many non-gambling ways to spend money on Steam.
pizza_the_hutt@sh.itjust.works 8 hours ago
And the kids are getting the cash from?
LegitimateEngineer@lemmy.world 8 hours ago
Did end up watching it (I’ve always enjoyed PMG vids and Quinns). In a way I see it, I just don’t quite fully understand why the onus is on Valve. If valve was directly running the gambling sites, that would be one thing. I would give them flack for accepting sponsorships for dota with some of them. Though it’s a similar vein to sport kings advertisements on shows and such.
ampersandrew@lemmy.world 8 hours ago
Even before you get to the reseller sites that Valve is definitely aware of, benefiting from, and doing nothing to stop, the way the system is intended to work is still using all of the tricks out of the slot machine playbook.
LegitimateEngineer@lemmy.world 8 hours ago
This is true, but most things digital do the same thing if I remember correctly. I think rocket league with free loot boxes does that.