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PEGI gives Balatro an 18+ rating for gambling imagery (files.catbox.moe)

submitted 1 month ago by simple@lemm.ee to c/games@lemmy.world

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Clown emojis all around

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[-] Skullgrid@lemmy.world 395 points 1 month ago

this is starting to be horseshit. Every windows computer has a version of fucking solitare on it , there are other card based games that don't get this treatment, and the lootboxes are actual gambling.

I thought at the start it was a type of beurocratical problem, but it's been too long.

[-] tb_@lemmy.world 161 points 1 month ago

Not entirely sure about the European PEGI, but the American ESRB is funded by the same companies that it regulates. It was created after the outcry about violent games and was the industry self-regulating to avoid the government getting more involved.

It is a lobby group for the industry, for better and in this case very much for worse.

I assume PEGI is little different.

[-] saltesc@lemmy.world 64 points 1 month ago

PEGI and many other groups are private groups. They're not an authority of any form. They're not associated with government, public regulation, or public election. They're a group of people that create their own standards outside of the ISO or any actual regulation representing the public.

Some countries do have actual public systems, but many just have these private groups that know best.

[-] 2pt_perversion@lemmy.world 24 points 1 month ago

They're private groups that do the ratings but ESRB is enforced by laws in some Canadian provinces for instance and PEGI is enforced by law in some European countries. They do have a de facto authority in those places as a publisher can't just decide to disregard their ratings and sell to minors anyway or something.

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[-] KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml 20 points 1 month ago

To clarify: the ESRB is the rating arm. The ESA that runs it? That's the lobbying arm.

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[-] caut_R@lemmy.world 150 points 1 month ago

They haven’t understood the game at all, I wonder if they even looked at it for more than two minutes

Run game > see playing cards and poker chips > close > PEGI 18

[-] CosmoNova@lemmy.world 97 points 1 month ago

They're not looking into blatant gambling in AAA titles, of course they won't take a closer look into an indie game. They're completely useless.

[-] pachrist@lemmy.world 18 points 1 month ago

Ah, but there are also tarot cards, which is spooky Occult voodoo magic. Balatro backwards might spell "Satan is Lord" in some ancient druidic script.

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[-] slaacaa@lemmy.world 146 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

He probably forgot to funnel millions of dollars to non-profits and businesses adjacent to PEGI decisionmakers and their family members. Rookie mistake.

[-] Eyck_of_denesle@lemmy.zip 124 points 1 month ago

Windows comes bundled with solitaire. How is it allowed in schools?

[-] turbowafflz@lemmy.world 142 points 1 month ago

I think the current microsoft version of solitaire has microtransactions and ads so is actually significantly worse

[-] RogueBanana@lemmy.zip 63 points 1 month ago

They added micro transactions and ads to fucking solitaire? How have I not heard about this till now...

[-] iAmTheTot@sh.itjust.works 40 points 1 month ago

This isn't really new. Solitaire has had ads for over a decade now since Windows 8, and there is a monthly premium subscription to remove them. As I understand it they also don't show during offline play, but might be wrong about that.

[-] redhorsejacket@lemmy.world 55 points 1 month ago

Offline play? It's SOLITAIRE. Offline play should be the ONLY play, by default.

Feeling like I took crazy pills this morning...

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[-] vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 20 points 1 month ago

Why, how, the fuck do you add microtransactions to fucking solitaire?!

[-] Zangoose@lemmy.world 18 points 1 month ago

Step 1: Add ads into [insert app of choice here] that are really annoying

Step 2: Make people pay to get rid of them. Bonus points if it's a subscription

Step 3: People hate your app but it's the one that's installed by default so they use it anyway

Step 4: Profit

[-] vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 27 points 1 month ago

The fact that this business model earns moneu rather than car bombs annoys me.

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[-] derpgon@programming.dev 111 points 1 month ago

Fuck PEGI, their ratings always sucked and weren't useful at all. Full blown swearing? 13+. One cigar through 500 hours of gameplay? Adults only. Never cared, never will.

[-] rimjob_rainer@discuss.tchncs.de 45 points 1 month ago

Violence and gore? 13+. Some boobs? Adults only.

Killing good, love bad.

[-] SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org 17 points 1 month ago

If anybody knows about love it's rimjob_rainer.

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[-] tlou3please@lemmy.world 79 points 1 month ago

I wish lawmakers had some balls on this subject. If there's gambling, they should have to register as a gambling company and comply with all the other restrictions on gambling advertisements in each jurisdiction.

[-] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 71 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

The problem here is that Baltaro does not have gambling. It just uses cards and chips as the basis for playing the game. Like Magic the Gathering or Inscryption.

[-] Takumidesh@lemmy.world 49 points 1 month ago

Using chips is even a stretch honestly. There are some chip imagery here and there but otherwise 'chips' are just how points are called.

[-] LandedGentry@lemmy.zip 46 points 1 month ago

Exactly you never actually commit to any sort of wager or even an imitation of financial risk.

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[-] umbraroze@lemmy.world 62 points 1 month ago

Hngh. Balatro already had a bunch of hassle on Switch eShop due to the PEGI ratings change.

Earlier, Nintendo somehow got a PEGI 12 rating for 51 Worldwide Games, which includes poker and blackjack. I wonder what they argued to avoid the 18 rating. "Sure, this compilation has poker and blackjack, but it's not like we made it fun." (It's adequate but compared to Balatro it's very much a non-frills experience.)

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[-] Klnsfw@lemmynsfw.com 54 points 1 month ago

Balatro is a hard drug worse than heroin. We need to protect our kids from the bottomless pit of roguelite games

[-] Wogi@lemmy.world 21 points 1 month ago

Thank God it's ten dollars.

I almost downloaded it.

[-] meliaesc@lemmy.world 15 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

If you've ever spent money on a movie theatre ticket, you value your time at $7-$20 dollars an hour. This... is thousands of hours of entertainment.

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[-] moonpiedumplings@programming.dev 32 points 1 month ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46MQ1ZMZ-l4

3 and older game.

[-] ArchRecord@lemm.ee 20 points 1 month ago

Gotta love how they saved the literal slot machine for a minute in to the video so it wouldn't be too obvious.

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[-] dragonfucker@lemmy.nz 30 points 1 month ago

Why is he still using Twitter? Does he want a bunch of Nazis replying to him?

[-] bassomitron@lemmy.world 33 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Because, unfortunately, millions of people still use it. If you're selling a product, it's in your best interest to have as much social media presence as possible.

Also, it's better to have an official presence on those platforms so others can't impersonate you as easily.

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[-] tino@lemmy.world 29 points 1 month ago

let's just do like all parents buying the last Call of Duty to their 10-year-old and just don't give a fuck about PEGI.

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[-] roguetrick@lemmy.world 28 points 1 month ago

Reminds me of that Australian law that was proposed to make anything with a relation to casino games Restricted 18 but merely mature for exploitative slot machine loot box mechanics.

[-] HawlSera@lemm.ee 18 points 1 month ago

I haven't seen Loot Boxes in a game in awhile, I kinda prefer those to FOMO...

I think the perfect system is you earn Loot Boxes by playing that can contain anything, but you can buy the specific things you want at any time, the boxes themselves are unlocked through gameplay.

Heroes of the Storm did this, and god I miss that game.

I wish DBD did it

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[-] Blackmist@feddit.uk 27 points 1 month ago

Might as well go all in on that new rating.

Balatro 1.5 Patch Notes.