Josh Hawley Launches Bid to Shake Up Video Game Industry
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On Wednesday, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley announced his plans to introduce legislation that would shake up the video game industry. The bill, which Hawley calls the “Protecting Children from Abusive Games Act,” would ban “pay-to-win” microtransactions and loot boxes from video games.
Hawley believes that these types of microtransactions are predatory and target children. He has pointed to a number of studies that have shown that children are particularly vulnerable to these types of practices, which have been linked to gaming addiction.
“When a game is designed for kids, game developers shouldn’t be allowed to monetize addiction,” Hawley said in a statement. “And when kids play games designed for adults, they should be walled off from compulsive microtransactions.”
Hawley’s proposed legislation would also require companies to disclose the odds of receiving certain items from loot boxes, and would ban the sale of loot boxes to those under the age of 18.
The bill has been met with criticism from the video game industry, which argues that the legislation would stifle innovation and hurt small developers. However, Hawley believes that the legislation is necessary to protect children from predatory practices.
“Social media and video games prey on user addiction, siphoning our kids’ attention from the real world and extracting profits from fostering compulsive habits,” Hawley said. “No matter this industry’s lobby power, the health of our children and our society is far more important than corporate profits.”
Hawley’s proposed legislation is the latest in a long line of attempts to regulate the video game industry, and it remains to be seen if it will be successful. Regardless, it is clear that Hawley is determined to make a difference in the industry and protect children from predatory practices.
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Source : Y2be Blog
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