You've Been Served: The Legal Effects of Games as a Service (GaaS)
In recent years, there has been an increase in putative class actions alleging that game developers, game publishers, and even platforms should be liable for alleged harms flowing from loot boxes in mobile or other electronic...more
The video game industry has undergone a seismic shift from a fixed-goods delivery model to one that instead treats games as a service. Join the LAN Party Lawyers as they discuss this industry shift, what it means for players...more
The findings of the UK's Immersive and Addictive Technologies Inquiry may significantly impact the economics of video game companies. Executive summary - On 12 September 2019, the UK government's Digital, Culture, Media...more
Google’s latest update to its Google Play policies now requires app developers to disclose the odds of receiving virtual items from loot boxes prior to purchase of the loot box. The change brings Google Play into lockstep...more
The flurry of proposed legislative activity around loot boxes continues. State Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL-South Saint Paul) introduced H.F. 4460in Minnesota this week. H.F. 4460 would prohibit game purchases that result in random...more
As we have previously reported, the subject of loot boxes has received increasing scrutiny around the world. In one of the most recent pronouncements, the Dutch Gambling Authority (the “Authority”) declared the loot box...more
Apple’s App Store rules now require app developers to disclose the odds of receiving items from in-game “loot boxes” prior to giving players a chance to purchase the boxes. This is the first time a U.S. gaming platform has...more
Apple just announced a number of changes to its App Store Review Guidelines, including the requirement that apps offering “loot boxes” or other mechanisms that provide randomized virtual items for purchase must disclose the...more
A member of the United Kingdom’s Parliament has opened an inquiry into the legality of loot boxes. Loot boxes are virtual items that may be redeemed to receive a randomized selection of additional virtual items. Various...more
Welcome to Sheppard Mullin’s Weekly Web Wrap-Up, a quick list of the past week’s top news in the social media, gaming, and virtual goods and currencies industries curated by Social Media & Games Team. Here are some of the...more