181 réponses à ce sujet

[A Wild Snorlax]

I'm inclined to say that this system is actually illegal in Norway, casinos and stuff like poker with money involved is banned here.

Cba going thorugh the laws covering the subject though...

https://lottstift.no...og-regelverk-2/ --> for any norwegians that care enough to read up XD

[A Wild Snorlax]

XxTaLoNxX wrote...

A Wild Snorlax wrote...

I'm inclined to say that this system is actually illegal in Norway, casinos and stuff like poker with money involved is banned here.

Cba going thorugh the laws covering the subject though...

https://lottstift.no...og-regelverk-2/ --> for any norwegians that care enough to read up XD

Is Magic: The Gathering banned in Norway?

No, I just skimmed through the topic now after posting and that seems to be a good point.

Modifié par A Wild Snorlax, 17 mai 2012 - 05:40 .

[vivanto]

Ban all the things, starting with kinder eggs!

[COLZ7R]

if it was like a trading card system you could actually trade cards you dont want!!

[Descy_]

COLZ7R wrote...

if it was like a trading card system you could actually trade cards you dont want!!

MMkay, CCG.

[Thuggy]

From what I've read, It's mostly legal because laws have not caught up with technology, and it's a trivial enough practice, that its unlikely to enter litigation. However, yes there is a legitimate case to be made that the store system is a form of gambling.

Trading card games are different, even though it's an identical system. With trading cards you have a loophole in that you can claim you're selling the physical card (and artwork), and not any associated value on the secondary market, or it's value as a game piece. Even then, many private institutions, and schools still consider it gambling and ban it.

[Signuversum]

Hmm, as for me - you don't buy RANDOM PACKS. You buy BIOWARE POINTS. Points you can spend on PSP/Paid DLC/Whatever.

Therefore, it's legal. At least - here down in Poland.

And the case with illegal online gambling stretches to the point when you can actually win/gain real money - or points you can cash out like real money. Short leap: tax evading. That's why it's illegal in some countries. You cannot sell your random PSP stuff -> no real money gain -> not illegal.

[robarcool]

lol, people get to law so soon it becomes funny

[TheMightyG00sh]

Klokos wrote...

TheMightyG00sh wrote...

Simple answer: Because it's optional.

 So, because I can choose not to kill someone killing is legal ?

N.B. : I don't support nor agree with OP .

It is legal to sell lottery tickets. It is illegal to kill.

[Sajhiri]

They employ the same loophole many sites employ. You are not buying the packs with real money. You are buying Bioware points with real money. How you choose to spend that virtual currency is up to you. Since it is indirect, it is not considered gambling.

[CmnDwnWrkn]

vivanto wrote...

Considering that many countries get repeatedly left out of harmless sweepstakes because of local gambling laws, it does make you wonder how this system got past.

That's a good point.  I do believe this occupies a grey area that is open to interpretation, especially given that the laws vary so much from state to state and country to country.  It's impossible to find even a consistent dictionary definition of "gambling".

I mean, the online poker rooms tried to make the argument that poker was a game of skill, but they got shut down.  There really isn't one standard interpretation of what constitutes "gambling" that everybody and the law can agree on.

Like a couple people said earlier, I think a lot of it depends on whether someone enters a lawsuit to challenge the legality.

Signuversum wrote...

Hmm, as for me - you don't buy RANDOM PACKS. You buy BIOWARE POINTS. Points you can spend on PSP/Paid DLC/Whatever.

Therefore, it's legal. At least - here down in Poland.

And
the case with illegal online gambling stretches to the point when you
can actually win/gain real money - or points you can cash out like real
money. Short leap: tax evading. That's why it's illegal in some
countries. You cannot sell your random PSP stuff -> no real money
gain -> not illegal.

It may vary by country or by platform.  For PS3 in the U.S., you buy the packs directly with U.S. dollars.

Thuggy wrote...

From what I've read, It's mostly legal
because laws have not caught up with technology, and it's a trivial
enough practice, that its unlikely to enter litigation. However, yes
there is a legitimate case to be made that the store system is a form of
gambling.

Trading card games are different, even though it's an
identical system. With trading cards you have a loophole in that you can
claim you're selling the physical card (and artwork), and not any
associated value on the secondary market, or it's value as a game piece.
Even then, many private institutions, and schools still consider it
gambling and ban it.

This could very well be the case.  And it may be the same for trading cards.  While it may technically meet at least some definitions of gambling, people probably aren't bothered to consider any type of legal action over a couple of dollars.  Plus, they've been around for so long, people probably just accept them as is without thinking about it too much.

XxTaLoNxX wrote...

CmnDwnWrkn wrote...

All I
would like to know is why this wouldn't be considered an illegal
lottery or gambling.  I am not arguing that it IS one way or the other.

Wow. Someone's never played Magic: The Gathering or Yu-Gi-Oh or Pokemon or any other trading card game.
Do you know how buying a pack of Baseball cards works?

Geez.

No, what are these "trading cards" you speak of.  I'm assuming they're similar in nature to ME3 MP packs?

That's a great litmus test as to whether something is legal - whether a similar, but different, product is legal.

I can go and legally purchase crack cocaine since aspirin is legal.

Modifié par CmnDwnWrkn, 17 mai 2012 - 06:28 .

[PSUHammer]

CmnDwnWrkn wrote...

Hammer6767 wrote...

The OP is ridiculous. Of COURSE it is legal. No one is forcing you to buy anything. It is completely voluntary. The person with the gumball machine analogy was spot on.

This is perhaps the most idiotic reply yet.  If nobody forces you to do something, it's automatically legal.  Think about that for a second.

It is not idiotic.  The gumball machine analogy (which you ignored) made my point.  Thanks.

[CmnDwnWrkn]

Hammer6767 wrote...

CmnDwnWrkn wrote...

Hammer6767 wrote...

The OP is ridiculous. Of COURSE it is legal. No one is forcing you to buy anything. It is completely voluntary. The person with the gumball machine analogy was spot on.

This is perhaps the most idiotic reply yet.  If nobody forces you to do something, it's automatically legal.  Think about that for a second.

It is not idiotic.  The gumball machine analogy (which you ignored) made my point.  Thanks.

The gumball machine analogy is not the best.  Gumballs aren't assigned separate rarity levels where rarer gumballs are intrinsically more valuable.

[John123453242]

I like the op saying replys are idiotic after making this thread. Too funny!

Again, you get something for your money no matter what. That is not gambling. This is common sense. Get some.

[PSUHammer]

CmnDwnWrkn wrote...

Hammer6767 wrote...

CmnDwnWrkn wrote...

Hammer6767 wrote...

The OP is ridiculous. Of COURSE it is legal. No one is forcing you to buy anything. It is completely voluntary. The person with the gumball machine analogy was spot on.

This is perhaps the most idiotic reply yet.  If nobody forces you to do something, it's automatically legal.  Think about that for a second.

It is not idiotic.  The gumball machine analogy (which you ignored) made my point.  Thanks.

The gumball machine analogy is not the best.  Gumballs aren't assigned separate rarity levels where rarer gumballs are intrinsically more valuable.

Sure they are.  I really want that grape gumball but I am not sure I wills get it when I put my coin in and turn the kknob..  The consumer assigns the value (whether grape gumball or Paladin pistol).

[PSUHammer]

Writing on an iPad stinks in this forum. Sorry for the typos!

[Biotic_Warlock]

vivanto wrote...

Ban all the things, starting with kinder eggs!

HOW DARE YOU 

The choc is soooooo nice.

[Guglio08]

Yo this is not the same as a TCG.

In a TCG, you buy a pack and then can do with the cards what you want. You can sell them to people, you can trade them, etc, There is no equivalent for that in ME3's store system. The packs are modular.

[Sacrificial Bias]

 Paying for digital goods is illegal?  Might want to tell the folks who made all those iPhone apps then.

[bobwill]

As others have pointed out, it's no different than:
Magic the Gathering,
Heroclix Booster Packs
Dealer Incentive Comic Books with special covers that come in some proportion to the amount they order, but still semi-random.
The contents of all these things sell for 1 fixed price in an unopened pack; but, may contain products of wildly varying market value.

[CmnDwnWrkn]

John123453242 wrote...

I like the op saying replys are idiotic after making this thread. Too funny!

Again, you get something for your money no matter what. That is not gambling. This is common sense. Get some.

Given the wide range of responses to the question, I would say it isn't "idiotic" or obvious at all.

Can't say the same about your post, though.  Essentially, your point is, it's legal because common sense says it should be legal.  In order for this to be true, you must first accept that common sense dictates all laws.  I wouldn't agree with that, would you?

[Inutaisho7996]

They're only charging you for convenience. Some people think their time is more valuable than a few dollars, so they buy packs instead of spending time getting credits.

[PSUHammer]

Inutaisho7996 wrote...

They're only charging you for convenience. Some people think their time is more valuable than a few dollars, so they buy packs instead of spending time getting credits.

True...it is an option for those that don't want to acquire their goods organically.  Kind of cheating but that's another story!