US lawmaker who called out Star Wars Battlefront 2 lays out plans for anti-loot box law

Hawaii Rep. Chris Lee came to the attention of gamers a couple of weeks ago when he posted a video on YouTube calling out loot boxes, and Star Wars Battlefront 2 in particular, a game he described as "a Star Wars-themed online casino. " In a new video that he put up today, Lee laid out a more detailed plan for curtailing "predatory gaming practices," and explained how people opposed to loot box mechanics can help make it happen.

The video lays out the basics of what Lee has in mind, which includes prohibiting the sale of videogames containing "gambling mechanisms" to anyone under the age of 21. That restriction would cover any situation in which players are purchasing a "percentage chance" to get an in-game item, rather than the item itself, and would apply not just to games sold at retail but also those available via digital distribution channels like Steam and GOG—a relevant point because ESRB ratings are not mandatory for digital storef