New 'Loot Box' Regulations in China
China has just passed new regulations concerning to online games that includes some interesting clauses relating to 'loot boxes' and other similar systems. The new law requires developers to be transparent about the exact 'draw probabilities' of these items.
What this means for Hearthstone is that Blizzard will be required to reveal what the exact chances are of opening specific card rarities in your card packs, as well as confirm the existence of other systems and algorithms related to this. For example the 'pity timer' that was discovered by players but has as of yet never been officially confirmed / talked about.
While we already know fairly accurately what the average chances are for Hearthstone it will still be nice to have it officially confirmed.
Blizzard will be required to display this information either on a dedicated page on their (Chinese) website or on a prominent spot inside the game.
You can read the relevant sections of the new law below that was translated by /u/czhihong over on reddit:
- Online game publishers (who provide virtual goods or services with any form of random mechanisms) shall not directly request gamers to to indulge in such activities through a direct injection of cash or virtual credits.
They shall promptly and publicly announce information about the name, property, content, quantity, and draw/forge probability of all virtual items and services that can be drawn/forged on the official website or a dedicated draw-probability web page of the game. The information on draw probability shall be true and effective.
- Online game publishers shall publicly announce the random draw results by customers on the official website or in a prominent spot in-game, and keep records for government inquiry. The records must be kept for at least 90 days. When publishing the random draw results, appropriate measures should be taken to protect user privacy.
- When online publishers are providing virtual goods and services with any form of random draw properties, they shall provide players with an avenue to trade for other virtual goods, either using virtual cash or any other ways to obtain similar virtual goods and services.
It is not certain how China will act on developers who do not comply to these new rules, and so far Blizzard has not yet commented if they are planning to.
These regulations only apply to the Chinese market but because Hearthstone is identical across regions everyone benefits from it! So far people around the internet have reacted very positively about the new law. Tell us how you feel about it!
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Posted Dec 22, 2016 (Gadgetzan)Whatever happened with this?
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Posted Dec 11, 2016 (Gadgetzan)I don't believe the law would have influence on Hearthstone. There're already similar regulations in Japan but Blizzard is probably the only vendor in Japan market who still refuses to publish possibilities.
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Posted Mar 28, 2017 (Aggro Downfall)not sure where you are getting this, there is no such law in japan... most products of this type commonly do not list probabilities anywhere
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Posted Dec 10, 2016 (Gadgetzan)-
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Posted Dec 10, 2016 (Gadgetzan)Must list the entire collection of rewards and all possible outcomes with 100% accurate %chances on a website.
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Posted Dec 9, 2016 (Gadgetzan)Regarding China's regulations on Hearthstone: I feel afraid
While transparency is a good thing most the time... this is the Chinese government we are talking about. The government that stole hi speed rail tech from Japan, trade secrets from U.S. companies, and has built its military on copy cats.
"The Chinese have become proficient at cloning products ranging from designer handbags and the latest smartphones to movies and alcoholic beverages. Fake Apple stores, counterfeit KFC restaurants and imitation IKEA big-box outlets dot the Chinese landscape. They have even built entire replica European towns." According to Bloomberg
I am concerned that China might steal code from Hearthstone and create its own card game. And while it is no big deal because it is only a card game... still its the game we love.
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Posted Dec 9, 2016 (Gadgetzan)Being a Chinese I feel funny about your concerns.....
"I am concerned that China might steal code from Hearthstone and create its own card game"
Fact, they don't need to steal code. And they have already made similar games. However Hearthstone still remain to be the most popular card game.
"Fake Apple stores, counterfeit KFC restaurants.........."
You don't know what those stores look like. They look like crap. Everyone go to those fake stores knows they are fake, and gets a much lower service compare to the authentic store, BECAUSE THOSE PPL ARE POOR. They are not really treated like fake stores, but just ordinary little street stores with fancy names....
And all in all, being a pretty smart and successful company, Blizzard with find its way through the Chinese regulations and continue to profit a lot from it no matter what.
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Posted Dec 9, 2016 (Gadgetzan)-
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Posted Dec 10, 2016 (Gadgetzan)ive NEVER EVER seen such an incredible retarded comment of my life
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Posted Dec 9, 2016 (Gadgetzan)i'm pretty sure that :
shaman have 70% to have totem golem on turn 2
warrior have 85% to have win axe on turn 2
druid have 95% to have wild growth on turn 2
hunter have 98% to have animal companion on turn 3
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Posted Dec 9, 2016 (Gadgetzan)Hunters have a 100% chance of Huffer on turn 3*
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Posted Dec 10, 2016 (Gadgetzan)you get misha when you have lethal with leok or huffer
leok when your board is empty
huffer when there's a five health taunt in the way...
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Posted Dec 9, 2016 (Gadgetzan)I completely agree to this. I am always triggered by the lack of game mechanics transparency from a game. Including chances of mechanics like opening a pack.
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Posted Dec 9, 2016 (Gadgetzan)Does that mean we will also get the probability of getting each reward for any amount of wins in the arena? That would be nice.
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Posted Dec 9, 2016 (Gadgetzan)Probably, but not certain. There could be a technicality in that you are not paying for the rewards directly (like when buying a pack), but rather paying for a ticket to play. The law seems to be written for things you directly pay for that are random.
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Posted Dec 9, 2016 (Gadgetzan)It will be nice to see if the drop rate and pity timer are true if they put it in game.
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Posted Dec 9, 2016 (Gadgetzan)You know the pity timer is like 100000% confirmed right? There is no mystery.
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Posted Dec 9, 2016 (Gadgetzan)I'd be curious to know EXACTLY how the pity timers work. Like what exactly is the number, is it spread across all packs, does it stack or reset. It's pretty much confirmed that it exists, but the specifics if known, really aren't that easy to obtain. At least, not when I last looked into it.
Well, it was hard not to skip the Kripp down below, that video actually answered quite a few of my questions. SOOO.... nevermind my questions.
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Posted Dec 9, 2016 (Gadgetzan)HAHA, great, now the mysteriousness is over!
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Posted Dec 9, 2016 (Gadgetzan)What drop rate am I? NONE OF YOUR BUISNESS