ScarletRain (#29399) (#29399)

it's not just that games 'provide the option' of gambling--they actively encourage it by exploiting the chemistry of a still-developing brain. our brains aren't fully developed until we're in our early 20s, and kids (particular teens) are extremely susceptible to risk-taking behavior. the prefrontal cortex is one of the last areas of the brain to mature, and it's the area responsible for decision-making and impulse control. video games know this, and have made huge amounts of money from it. take lootboxes, for example--in a lot of games, when a lootbox is open, the screen flashes with lights and the controller vibrates and shakes, lighting up the brain with stimulation and excitement. it's a rush of dopamine and can very easily become addicting. kids that are introduced to gambling at a young age (including lootbox games) are four times more likely to develop gambling addictions later in life.

so yes, some of the onus is on parents to monitor their children and raise them to know right from wrong. however, a lot of this stuff is incredibly new. a parent could never introduce their kid to gambling--no family poker night or gas station lotto tickets etc--but their 13 year old can still get hooked on it from an appearingly harmless mobile game. furthermore, addiction isn't as simple as "i know this is wrong/bad, therefore i won't do it"--many smokers are painfully aware of the danger their habit holds, but still can't get themselves to quit. yes, parents should keep an eye on their kids. but we should also hold corporations accountable for business decisions that actively prey on the vulnerable, and take advantage of someone who neurologically does not have the impulse control or risk evaluation skills of an adult.

on the topic of the actual announcement, though--i have to echo what everybody else is saying. yes, there's a bundle (at a steep price) with all the premium turnip items. i see no reason for a gacha mechanic to be included in premium items, particularly one that is limited edition. it feels like a blissfully ignorant misstep at best, and an actively predatory motion at worst. flat prices for individual items please!