ESRB won't adopt Europe's stricter loot box rating changes in the US
PEGI moves to re-rate loot box games while ESRB keeps warnings separate from age classifications
Microtransactions articles
Europe's PEGI will raise age ratings for games with loot boxes and microtransactions
EA Sports FC is about to lose its PEGI-3 rating
In context: Regulators and lawmakers have scrutinized loot boxes in popular video games for years, most recently accusing Valve of illegal gambling in Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and Team Fortress 2. The latest move by European age rating boards has been to assign higher, more informative ratings for games that feature loot boxes and other controversial live-service gameplay elements.
Volkswagen locks extra speed behind subscription: microtransactions for cars
£16.50 a month or £649 for a lifetime unlock
Activision removes Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 menu ads after backlash, claims it was an "error"
Sure, Activision
Facepalm: Activision Blizzard has used the tried-and-tested "it was an error, honestly," excuse after it placed ads for purchasable items in the loadout screens of Black Ops 6 and Warzone. Their appearance led to a huge backlash, and now Activision is claiming they were a "feature test" published "in error," which nobody believes.
Nearly one in five Japanese gamers overspend on in-game purchases, straining basic living budgets
Surge in microtransaction spending leaves young Japanese gamers struggling
Microtransactions accounted for 58% of PC gaming revenue last year
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Roblox, and Fortnite helped drive this growth
Former PlayStation CEO says he left Sony partially because of shift to live-service models
That kind of gaming is "not in my wheelhouse"
European watchdogs demand game companies stop predatory virtual currency sales to children
These common sense rules would protect adults just as much as children
Diablo creator says current ARPGs focus too much on quick leveling, cheapening the experience
A good ARPG needs to allow the player to experience the adventure
Federal watchdog aims to extend bank-like protections to in-game currencies
Gamers complain of unauthorized transactions, scams, hacking attempts, and account theft
Someone just traded a hat in Team Fortress 2 for a record-breaking $40,000
More than doubling the prior record after just one year
Path of Exile 2 promises over 25 hours of content, early access starts December 6
System requirements have also been published
World of Warcraft players rush to snap up Blizzard's new $90 mount
Many have called it a bargain
Diablo IV surpasses $1B in revenue, with $150M coming in from microtransactions
Turns out $28 for in-game armor is pretty lucrative
Roblox says is not exploiting children, just helping teens that might need it
Most of the creators are 18 or older, the game platform assures
CD Projekt Red rules out microtransactions for single player games
Take that, Dragon's Dogma
Most kids want game currencies and subscriptions instead of physical titles for Christmas
Are boxed games going the way of the VHS?
The $15 Celestial Steed item in World of Warcraft made more money than all of StarCraft II
Why do we still have microtransactions? "dipsh*ts keep buying all of them"
50 Years of Video Games - Part 3: Good Games Always Prevail
With an increasing number of people spending more of their hard-earned money on the latest tech and services, games expanded into new arenas. History showed once more, new tech paved the way for new opportunities.
The Sims 5 will be free-to-play according to a leaked job ad
Job description suggests there will be a microtransaction store
Mercedes wants EV buyers to get used to paywalled features
Your new electric car can be faster for as "little" as $60 per month
Capcom adds pay-to-progress microtransactions to Resident Evil 4 Remake
If you just want to breeze through the game for the story, be prepared to pay extra
Mercedes will make its cars faster for customers who pay $1,200 per year
The Mercedes season pass
Diablo 4 could launch in April 2023, open pre-orders next month
All might be revealed at the Game Awards
Torchlight: Infinite is a Diablo Immortal-style ARPG for PC and mobile with less monetization
Torchlight's back! Sort of