The Singapore "Anti-Lockbox Law" Won't Actually Affect Lockboxes
We've got an update on that Remote Gambling Bill in Singapore we discussed last week. In brief, it passed, but it won't affect video games -- for now.
Games in Asia is reporting that "the bill will not affect video games as long as players cannot convert in-game credits or tokens for money or real merchandise outside the game." That jives pretty well with one of the "loopholes" we posited that allows such practices to circumvent gambling laws: that the money only flows from player to developer and never in reverse. In other words, you can buy something that you might convert into cash, but you'll get that cash from a third party, like another player, and not the game's maker. That's different from, say, buying a lottery ticket or gambling at a casino. If you win, the lottery commission or casino itself pays you.
However, Singapore's Minister for Home Affairs spoke some dark words, saying "What may be benign today may appear more sinister tomorrow." Somebody oil up that slippery slope...
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Jason Winter is a veteran gaming journalist, he brings a wide range of experience to MMOBomb, including two years with Beckett Media where he served as the editor of the leading gaming magazine Massive Online Gamer. He has also written professionally for several gaming websites.
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No, we still don't have updated timing on the game's publisher transition.
Let's break it down for every game, including EverQuest.
The mech hero shooter combines battle royal and extraction mechanics.
The update also kicks off the winter event.
This bill is essentially redundant. They're stopping what was already stopped in the TOS of these publisher's games to begin with. If I'm misunderstanding it, then someone please enlighten me.
PLEASE.
should all be banned from being sold in video/pc/mobile games.
in fact, I believe Japan did this a few years back (now if I can find that law)
There are entire player auctions out there, everywhere.. and they seriously think we can't convert virtual crap into hard cash? hahaha, go tell that to gold farmers morons, they will have a good laugh too.