Not so fast.

While it’s true that The Netherlands found 4 of 10 games it investigated to be in violation of the law, this isn’t quite the Earth-shaking moment it may at first appear to be. Let us explain:

This wasn’t a scientific study

The Netherlands began its investigation in November 2017, focusing on 10 games with loot boxes deemed to be the most popular. The exact methodology has not been revealed, but the Netherlands Gaming Authority claims in its initial news post that it more or less just pulled the 10 most popular games with loot boxes off an unnamed streaming site (I’m betting Twitch, but that’s just speculation on my part). It then used a tool to evaluate how random the rewards were, and made decisions based on previously-penned literature on gambling and addiction.

In other words, there doesn’t appear to have been rigorous testing, accounting for variables, or a control group like you would see in a scientific study – and that makes sense, because it was never supposed to be about that. This was not an effort to determine what effect loot boxes have on the brain, it was a government inquiry to see who, if anyone, was breaking the law. Be wary of anyone saying this proves something beyond “four games violated the law.” Speaking of law…

These are not new laws

The Netherlands did not just make loot boxes illegal. It did not write new laws in the wake of fiascos like Star Wars Battlefront 2 or Middle-earth: Shadow of War. Instead, this investigation sought to determine if current video games were in violation of existing laws.

And, as the post itself declares (via Google Translate), “Coincidence determines the contents of these loot boxes. Moreover, the prizes can be traded outside the game: the prizes have economic value. It is forbidden to offer this type of games of chance without a license to the Dutch players.”

In other words, any game of chance with economic value (which the investigation determined several loot boxes to be) require a license, and it’s that lack of license that the NGA takes issue with. These laws are already on the books. All the loot box controversy did was bring light to the practice – it didn’t cause new laws about what is and isn’t legal.

This does not apply to all loot boxes

You may be wondering why only 4 out of 10 games investigated were found to be in violation of established law. Re-read the quote above; did you catch the bit about “economic value”? If the items contained within a game’s loot box could be traded or sold outside of the game, that made them worth real-world money.

And according to the NGA, if you can sink real-world money into a game of chance and receive something worth real-world money in exchange (even if by default it is still a virtual item), that’s gambling. And that requires a license.

So, games like Overwatch, which helped popularize the business model, would be exempt because nothing from an Overwatch loot box can be traded or sold outside of the game. However, since you can sell Dota 2’s items via the Steam Marketplace, it could be in violation. Unfortunately…

We don’t know who got in trouble

The NGA’s report merely states that 4 of the investigated 10 games were found to be in violation of the law. No names, of either the games themselves or the developers and publishers, were released. Dutch website NOS (opens in new tab) singles out FIFA 18, Dota 2, PUBG, and Rocket League, but it’s not clear if these are the confirmed culprits or merely suspects (translation via Reddit (opens in new tab)).

That said, the NGA said that the 10 games it investigated were pulled from a popular streaming platform, so one need only look at the trending games on services like Twitch to get an idea of whose wrists are getting the proverbial slap. Again, these aren’t the confirmed four games mentioned by the report, but they fit the description.

The repercussions will be minor (for now)

Whoever is behind the four unnamed games found to be in violation of The Netherlands’ gambling laws will have until June 20 to adjust their designs. If they do not, the government can impose fines or prohibit sales of the game.

The NGA also claimed that it found a potential link between loot boxes and addiction. Therefore, it requests that developers and publishers (even those not in violation of the law) remove “addiction-sensitive elements (‘near-profit’ effects, visual effects, the possibility to keep open loot boxes in quick succession and the like)”. While The Netherlands is not enforcing these requests via law, it nonetheless sends a message.

You might think this would be a final nail in the coffin for loot boxes then, because now a government body has basically said ‘this is gambling, and we’re going to regulate it like gambling’ (and indeed this could be a major precedent that other countries look to as they also figure out what to do about loot boxes). But there’s some vindication for publishers looking to the monetization system too.

Remember, only games with loot boxes containing items that could be sold or traded for real-world money were found to be in violation of the law. So loot boxes themselves aren’t actually in any major trouble, just a very specific type are.

That all being said, loot boxes are such a divisive topic that publishers have started shying away from the practice, if not removing them all together a la Battlefront 2 (opens in new tab) and Shadow of War (opens in new tab). So it’s possible this will be the nudge that convinces publishers and developers to give up on loot boxes, or it could just be a warning shot. Time will tell.

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The post The Netherlands declares four games using loot boxes to be in violation of law appeared first on Game News.

• FIFA 18 Ultimate Team coin tips: how to make millions in weeks (opens in new tab)
• FIFA 18 career mode guide: negotiate, scout, and buy the best players (opens in new tab)
• FIFA 18 The Journey 2 tips: ending, length, and all Ultimate Team rewards (opens in new tab)

55 players are nominated for the Team Of The Year, based on performances throughout 2017. Of those 55, select celebrities and high-profile Youtubers, such as Bateson87 (opens in new tab), are being asked to vote for their final 11 based on feedback from their audience. It means that while the ‘real’ team of the year selected by FIFA was mostly made up of La Liga players, the virtual one should contain a cross-section from every major league. 

The remaining 40% of the vote will come from EA. That’s actually a good call, given the community’s obsession with Premier League players – it means that while a handful of ‘BPL’ stars are likely to make it in, the squad won’t be solely made up of favourites from the game’s most popular league. 

Voting, using the Twitter hashtag #TOTYVote, closes on 12 January, and the nominated players are as follows: 

Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Spurs), Keylor Navas (Real Madrid), Jan Oblak (Atlético Madrid), David De Gea (Manchester United), Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus)

Defenders: Leonardo Bonucci (AC Milan), César Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain), Diego Godín (Atlético), Gerard Piqué (Barcelona), David Luiz (Chelsea), Kalidou Koulibali (Napoli), Jan Vertonghen (Spurs), Marcos Alonso (Chelsea), Alex Sandro (Juventus), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Filipe Luís (Atlético Madrid), David Alaba (Bayern Munich), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Dani Alves (Paris Saint-Germain), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Antonio Valencia (Manchester United), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)

Midfielders: Casemiro (Real Madrid), N’Golo Kanté (Chelsea), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint Germain), Radja Nainggolan (Roma), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Luka Modrić (Real Madrid), Thiago Alcántara (Bayern Munich), Andrés Iniesta (Spain), Isco (Real Madrid), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Christian Eriksen (Spurs), Paolo Dybala (Juventus), Dele Alli (Spurs), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich), Emil Forsberg (RB Leipzig)

Attackers: Sergio Agüero (Manchester City), Dries Mertens (Napoli), Luis Suárez (Barcelona), Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid), Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint-Germain), Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United), Harry Kane (Spurs), Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal), Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona), Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

Here’s my best guess at how the final team will line up, based on analysis of that hashtag and in-game trends. For instance, Bonucci was a surprise omission from the current Team Of The Week – which may mean EA has him lined up for one of the TOTY centre back slots.

GK: David De Gea
RB: Dani Alves
CB: Leonardo Bonucci
CB: Sergio Ramos
LB: Marcelo
CM: Kevin de Bruyne
CM: Luka Modric
CM: N’Golo Kante
RW: Lionel Messi
LW: Neymar
ST: Cristiano Ronaldo

FIFA 18’s Team Of The Year will be revealed in game from January 15 onwards. If you’re looking to boost your in-game dollars in order to buy some of these guys, be sure to bookmark our FIFA 18 coin-making guide (opens in new tab).

The post FIFA 18 Ultimate Team Of The Year coming next week – here’s our predicted XI appeared first on Game News.

Better yet, on Xbox One (opens in new tab), Microsoft often allows you to permanently keep hold of any Achievements you earn in a game’s trial run. That’s free Gamerscore points for playing a free demo, which are often worth playing for the entertainment value in and of themselves! Instead of having to trawl through the Xbox Marketplace looking for the right freebies for you, I’ve selected some of the very best Xbox One demos available and listed them below for your browsing pleasure.

Metro Redux

Curious about that eerie first-person shooter reveal at Microsoft’s 2017 E3 conference this year? The one with the giant rat? It’s the third game in 4A Games’ grounded, melancholic survival series, Metro, and continues the story left off by Metro 2033 (opens in new tab) and Metro: Last Light. Both of those titles were remastered and resold as one package (Metro Redux (opens in new tab)) a few years ago, and you can try the demos right now on Xbox One. 

That’s right, demos, plural. You can download and play trials for either or both of the titles, playing around a third of the campaign for each, which gives you a good deal of flexibility and freedom for your consideration. Luckily, they’re both excellent games, and your progress will carry on if you decide to jump in full time for the Russia-set rambling. 

Titanfall 2

The good news gods must have been smiling upon earth when it was announced that Respawn would be making a third Titanfall game with EA (opens in new tab), but you might not have yet had the chance to play the recently released sequel.

The least you can do to show your support is give the demo a whirl, which contains approximately an hour of gameplay, using a mid-game chapter from Titanfall 2 (opens in new tab)’s stellar campaign. Be warned, though, you’ll be aching to play more by the end of it, especially once you make friends with BT. 

Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus

Bethesda has a pretty good track record when it comes to demos of late. You can download trials for Dishonored 2 (opens in new tab), Prey (opens in new tab), Doom (opens in new tab), The Evil Within 2 (opens in new tab), and now Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus (opens in new tab), which only released in October. 

Machine Games’ FPS sequel is a loud and proud Nazi slaying simulation, but its unforgiving run-and-gun gameplay isn’t for everyone, so this demo is a good excuse to see if your penchant for its bold flavour of gunplay can last to see the story through to its conclusion. The best part, though, is that the demo is the entirety of the game’s first level: the one where you’re killing Nazis from a wheelchair. Excellent. 

Rise of the Tomb Raider 

You’ll have to buy the complete product if you want to witness Lara Croft’s promised ascension in full, but the first two chapters contained within the Rise of the Tomb Raider (opens in new tab)’s demo give you a good sense of how it’s all going to play out. 

There’s shooting, crafting, raiding, upgrading, and exploring to be done, and it can take you anywhere between two to three hours before the demo is up, depending on how you prefer to play. Oh, and it features at least one scene where Lara dies in some horrible, excruciating way. Sorry about that.  

Watch Dogs 2 

If Watch Dogs 2 (opens in new tab) protagonist Marcus Holloway had known that Ubisoft is offering a three hour trial of open-world adventuring in his game for no charge, he’d probably have never hacked the studio’s offices in the first place. 

The demo includes full access to the single player and multiplayer features of the San Francisco-set sandbox, but be warned – you’re on a timer for the entire thing, so spend your minutes wisely before the demo automatically comes to a close. If three hours isn’t enough (and let’s face it; it isn’t), you can continue on seamlessly from your trial’s progress once you decide to cash in on the full game. 

Gears of War 4

As far as value for no money goes, The Coalition has outdone itself with the Gears of War 4 (opens in new tab) free trial. You can enjoy up to ten hours of the game at no cost, which includes the opening Act of the campaign, and as much PvP and Horde multiplayer that you can wring out of the experience. 

You’ll know by the end whether you want to pay up to keep going or not, and even if you don’t, that’s ten hours of high quality gaming for the price of nothing. Go on, pat yourself on the back for being such a frugal gamer.

Forza Motorsport 7 

You might enjoy the odd driving sim every now and again, but never enough to warrant a full blown purchase on the next big racing game. The Forza Motorsport 7 (opens in new tab) demo has you covered, then, offering a small but not insubstantial set of racing experiences that have enough replay value for you to return to whenever you feel the need for speed.

There are three unique tracks, each boasting a different car to test them out in, and the demo even includes a race at at the Nürburgring Grand Prix circuit, which is a nice showcase for Motorsport 7’s breathtaking dynamic weather technology. Better yet, you’ll never have to worry about those pesky and overbearing microtransactions plaguing the full game. 

Halo Wars 2 

The original Halo Wars came out so long ago, that it’s difficult to know if the recently released sequel to the cult hit RTS is something that could hold your interest. It’s exactly the kind of game that can benefit from a demo, and Microsoft isn’t oblivious to this, offering a free trial that introduces players to all the important nuts and bolts of its strategically-minded gameplay.

It uses the campaign’s opening mission, so you won’t have free reign of every gizmo and gadget available in the full game, but it does give you a basic understanding of the kind of Halo experience that Halo Wars 2 (opens in new tab) is. At the very least, it’ll save you from making the horrible mistake of buying the full title thinking that it’s another classic Halo FPS outing. Welp. 

Dead Rising 3 

Sometimes you’re not in the mood for enrapturing narratives, elaborate role-playing, or tough-as-nails PvP. Sometimes, you just want to whack a few zombies round the head with a baseball bat. Dead Rising 3 (opens in new tab) offers exactly that kind of therapy for the low, low price of nil, with a demo that chucks you head-first into its open world, with 20 minutes to do as you please with whatever you can find. 

Tear zombies in half with a cement saw if you want, or head towards a nearby side quest for something more purposeful. Whatever you’re doing, it’s mindless gratification from the get go, and tells you all you need to know about the kind of game that Dead Rising 3 is. 

FIFA 18

There’s a reason that every annual FIFA demo consistently breaks its own records as the most popular demo released on consoles, year after year, without fail. Not only is it the FIFA community’s first chance to test out the new software for themselves, but it always boasts a striking amount (pun intended) of replay value, thanks to the fact that players can enjoy match after match to no end, even if the conditions and choices contextualizing each game are necessarily limited.

If you’re not a massive fan of video game footy, but don’t mind having a quick kickabout whenever a friend is round, this demo is the perfect option, allowing you to easily boot up a game of FIFA 18 (opens in new tab) without ever having to spend dime. 

The post Gears of War 4, Wolfenstein 2, and the best demos you can play for free on the Xbox One right now appeared first on Game News.

Below you’ll find a full list of all the new likenesses, but before I get to that, here’s our pick of them – presented in a fairly traditional 4-3-3 formation…

GK: Jonas Lossl (Huddersfield Town) 

Their loan import from the Bundesliga is one of many exceptional Huddersfield scans – to the point that I had to limit myself to three Town players on this list so it wasn’t dominated by a single team. Also worth a look are Philip Billing, Martin Cranie and Collin Quaner.

RB: Dujon Sterling (Chelsea)

The Chelsea youngster is no relation to namesake Raheem, but has earned comparisons regardless with excellent performances on the wing at youth team level. He’s since converted to right wing-back, and recently made his first-team debut in the EFL Cup. 

CB: Jamaal Lascelles (Newcastle United)

Named Newcastle captain over the summer despite his tender age of 23, Lascelles has been one of United’s most impressive performers on their return to the Premier League. Also newly added are striker Joselu, defender Jamie Sterry and keeper Karl Darlow.

CB: Kamil Glik (Monaco)

While the new update is Premier League focussed, Glik finally gets a proper starhead to tie in with ambassadorial work carried out for FIFA in his home country of Poland. Milan striker Andre Silva receives the same treatment after promoting the game in Portugal.

LB: Gaetan Bong (Brighton & Hove Albion)

Replete with hair in a bun and customary white wristbands, the Cameroonian full back is one of the best new likenesses in FIFA full-stop. EA has perfectly nailed his gangly running style, too.

CM: James McArthur (Crystal Palace)

Nothing spectacular about the Scotsman’s likeness, but he merits a place here given that Palace fans have campaigned for two years to get his face in the game. Luka Milivojevic and Sulley Kaikai are also added.

CM: Danny Williams (Huddersfield Town)

The award for best likeness of all among the new 53 must go to United States international Williams. No only is his neatly coiffed hair rendered perfectly, so too are his inimitable neck and arm tattoos. 

CM: Pascal Gross (Brighton & Hove Albion)

Albion’s summer signing from Ingolstadt has been the Seagulls’ star player so far this season, and if his current form continues he’ll soon have an in-form Ultimate Team card to match this true-to-life starhead. 

RW: Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas)

Like Williams, the Portugal international’s starhead doesn’t only impress for its facial accuracy. His much-discussed teardrop tattoos, which he’s repeatedly and steadfastly refused to explain, also find their way into FIFA to the first time. 

ST: Steve Mounie (Huddersfield Town)

In contention for best new face alongside club mate Williams, the Beninese forward’s two-tone hairstyle and ‘tache-beard combo are captured perfectly. On the pitch he’s far better than a 76 overall rating suggests, too.

LW: Jiri Skalak (Brighton & Hove Albion)

An unnerving presence down either flank for both Brighton and opposition fans alike, the Czech wingman’s slightly scary demeanour is spot on. Other Albion players worth a look are defender Lewis Dunk, keeper Mat Ryan and midfielder Beram Kayal.

Here’s the list of new faces in full:

Goalkeepers

Coleman (Huddersfield)
Darlow (Newcastle)
Joel Pereira (Man Utd)
Lossl (Huddersfield)
Ryan (Brighton)

Defenders

Billing (Huddersfield)
Bong (Brighton)
Cranie (Huddersfield)
Duffy (Brighton)
Dunk (Brighton)
Glik (Monaco)
Goldson (Brighton)
Hefele (Huddersfield)
Hunemeier (Brighton)
Jorgensen (Huddersfield)
Lascelles (Newcastle)
Lowe (Huddersfield)
Malone (Huddersfield)
Schindler (Huddersfield)
Smith (Huddersfield)
Sterling (Chelsea)
Sterry (Newcastle)
Suttner (Brighton)
Williams (Man Utd)
Wilson (Exeter)

Midfielders

Gross (Brighton)
de Jong (Ajax)
Harper (Blackburn)
Hogg (Huddersfield)
Kaikai (Crystal Palace)
Kayal (Brighton)
Lolley (huddersfield)
McArthur (Crystal Palace)
McTominay (Man Utd)
Milivojevic (Crystal Palace)
Murphy (Brighton)
Quaresma (Besiktas)
Scott (Chelsea)
Skalak (Brighton)
Stephens (Brighton)
Towell (Rotherham)
van La Parra (Huddersfield)
Williams (Huddersfield)

Attackers

Andre Silva (Milan)
Baldock (Brighton)
Depoitre (Huddersfield)
Hemed (Brighton)
Joselu (Newcastle)
Kachunga (Huddersfield)
Mounie (Huddersfield)
Quaner (Huddersfield)
Sambou (Everton)
Wells (Burnley)

Want all of the above players in Ultimate Team? Then use our extensive FIFA 18 coin-making guide (opens in new tab) to ensure you have the funds to purchase the lot.

The post FIFA 18 just added 53 new player faces – and these are the best 11 appeared first on Game News.

• FIFA 18 Ultimate Team coin tips: how to make millions in weeks (opens in new tab)
• FIFA 18 career mode guide – negotiate, scout, and buy the best players (opens in new tab)
• 9 things I wish I knew before starting FIFA 18 (opens in new tab)

1. Know the basics

The web app is available, free of charge, to all those playing FIFA 18 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Find it here. (opens in new tab) A few elements of the main game are missing – such as actual matches, obviously, and the option to view leaderboards – but most of the options in FUT proper are also available on the app. You can buy packs using in-game coins or FIFA points, although points themselves can’t be purchased through the app; sort through all your players, staff, club items, and consumables; and do plenty more advanced stuff, which is what we’ll go through over the next few points.

2. Sign in daily for freebies

One of the app’s best features is that every so often EA will give you complimentary goodies just for using it. For instance, at the time of writing this piece in mid-September, you’re treated to a different prize each day when you sign in. Over the past week I’ve had them range from a mixed contract pack (a bit rubbish), to a bronze pack (decent for those long-haul SBC plans), to 1000 coins (very useful). Similar freebie guarantees can be expected in the lead-up to Christmas, and at the back end of the season to coincide with Team Of The Year items.

3. Manage transfer targets

Whether it’s to slowly build the team of your dreams or simply buy the last few players required for a Squad Building Challenge, the app makes it far easier to track targets than either console. For instance, click on a player, then Compare Price, and you’ll see all available cards and their cost in list form; rather than having to cycle through cards one-by-one like in the main game. Tracking active bids is also more user-friendly, with Active Bids, Watched Items, Won Items and Expired Items all visible on a single screen. 

• FIFA 18: essential tips and tricks from the real experts (i.e. you) (opens in new tab)
• FIFA 18 The Journey 2 tips: ending, length, and all Ultimate Team rewards (opens in new tab)

4. Keep your transfer list refreshed

A critical element of making coins, again covered in more detail in GR+’s extensive guide (opens in new tab), is listing items for an hour – and then re-listing them as soon as possible if they don’t sell. However, it’s unlikely you’ll be busting your PS4 out to do that on the bus home from college, or during a busy day at work. Which is where the app comes in handy. Clicking through to Transfers > Transfer List > Relist All takes less than five seconds, and means you can stay on top of your outgoing deals throughout the day without the boss knowing. If you are the boss, well, sorry not sorry.

5. Completing SBCs

A common frustration with the FIFA 17 app was that, in the first year of Squad Building Challenges, there was no option to complete them when away from the game proper. This year, that’s rectified. Hit the ‘SBC’ button in the left-hand menu to bring up every such challenge in the game. Those you’ve already completed are in blue, those you haven’t in white. From this hub you can see the specifications for each individual challenge, and submit them once you’ve matched those requirements; although experimenting with the cards required is a touch more cumbersome than using the in-game equivalent. It’s one of the few areas where the console layout is superior.

6. Tracking objectives

A smart new feature within FIFA 18 which has gone largely unmentioned in reviews is the inclusion of Daily and Weekly Objectives. As it says on the tin, these are tasks which update regularly and pay out rewards upon completion – a silver gift pack (four cards) for scoring two goals with players from the Bundesliga, for instance. While in-match objectives inevitably must be completed in FIFA 18 proper, many others – such as buying a player, applying a fitness consumable, or extending a player’s contract – can be done in the app. Again, it’s worth checking in daily and doing them ASAP to maximise rewards.

7. Assessing Teams Of The Week

Saved enough cash to afford some elite cards? Then you can use the app to view the current Team Of The Week, and cycle through past TOTWs and other limited-edition squads, such as the One To Watch XI. Sadly you can’t use the app to immediately boast about your purchase of 86-rated, in-form Lukaku – but isn’t that what Facebook and Twitter were invented for?

The post FIFA 18 Web App: Free Coins, TOTWs, SBCs – 7 tips for getting the most out of it appeared first on Game News.