Month: February 2018

Enlarge / As an example, here's Quake Champions' loot box scheme, with the paid boxes' prices hiding behind a confusing "secondary" currency. (The game has two kinds of coins: ones that can only be earned, and ones that can only be purchased with real money. A lot of loot-box games do the same confusing thing.)

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) today announced that all physical, boxed games that contain in-game purchases will include a label notifying purchasers of that fact "in the near future." The new program expands on a similar "digital purchases" label that already appears alongside the ratings for exclusively downloadable games that appear on some digital storefronts.

The "in-game purchases" label will appear on the box right by the game's letter rating, nearby but separate from existing content descriptors such as "Intense Violence," "Nudity," and "Strong Sexual Content." The label will be applied evenly to all games that include any additional content to be purchased, including "bonus levels, skins, surprise items (such as item packs, loot boxes, mystery awards), music, virtual coins and other forms of in-game currency, subscriptions, season passes and upgrades (e.g., to disable ads)," the ESRB said in a press release.

The ESRB's move comes as multiple state legislatures have begun looking into regulation of the randomized in-game purchases known as loot boxes. Earlier this month, Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) sent an open letter to the ESRB to examine whether games with loot boxes are being marketed "in an ethical and transparent way that adequately protects the developing minds of young children from predatory practices." Hassan said at the time that Federal Trade Commission action may be necessary if the game industry does not take steps on this issue.

Enlarge (credit: Fitbit)

Those previously on the fence about getting a Fitbit Ionic smartwatch now have a new model to consider.

Fitbit revealed its device collaboration with Adidas today—the Ionic Adidas Edition is a spiced-up Ionic smartwatch featuring an Adidas-made watch face, special wristbands, and the Adidas Train app for runners. Similar to the Apple Watch Nike+ edition, this version of Fitbit's smartwatch combines all of the features of the original Ionic with exclusive perks developed in collaboration with Adidas that users can't get on any other Ionic model.

The Adidas Edition's case is identical to that of a regular Ionic, but the former comes preloaded with a new Adidas-made watch face with the company's logo at the top, huge block-like numbers for the time in the middle, and a bottom stats row featuring steps taken, current heart rate, and the date. Exclusive bands for the Adidas Edition are available as well, both of which have many small holes along the band's entire surface. These kinds of perforations allow more air to pass through to the skin, reducing the possibility of skin irritation during long periods of use. These bands are also swim-ready, making them a good option to outfit the Ionic with before tracking a swim.