The ESRB’s loot box label is becoming decidedly clearer. The ratings board has started applying an “In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)” label that warns when games include loot boxes and other luck-of-the-draw items. And yes, the ESRB has reasons for not writing “loot boxes.” It wants a catch-all phrase that could include similar elements, and wants a term that non-gamers (say, parents buying games for their kids) could understand.
The badging should help buyers make “more informed decisions” rather than finding out after the fact, the ESRB said. The previous approach only listed the presence of paid items on a basic level, which could refer to more benign purchases like DLC and season passes. You still had to do separate research if you were worried about loot boxes.
