This is fully righteous indignation. Balatro is not gambling. It may have rules similar to poker but it is an entirely solitaire game that only uses the concept of money in the most abstract sense.
Unlike EA football games which have kids pump real money in to gamble on tradeable character cards.
Unlike EA football games which have kids pump real money in to gamble on tradeable character cards.
Reposted from
Culture Crave 🍿
#Balatro is now rated 18+ 🃏
The game's creator fires back:
"Since PEGI gave us an 18+ rating for having evil playing cards, maybe I should add microtransactions, loot boxes, and real gambling to lower that rating to 3+ like EA Sports FC"
The game's creator fires back:
"Since PEGI gave us an 18+ rating for having evil playing cards, maybe I should add microtransactions, loot boxes, and real gambling to lower that rating to 3+ like EA Sports FC"
Comments
But the fact things with ruinous finanical gambling systems get a pass just because they don't look like poker is gross.
Overzealous? Probably.
Though people falling into chain of similar-but-higher-stakes gambling is a whole thing that does happen.
https://gamemakersnotebook.libsyn.com/balatro-creator-localthunk-talks-inspirations-and-jokers
The EA sports MTX is especially insidious since a substantial portion of that game's audience is children who have no business being exposed to MTX.
I have bad news about the slot machines in Sonic 2 (a game rated +3 btw).