The newest trailer for NBA 2K20 could be mistaken for a casino ad. Check it out below.
In an era where gambling and lootboxes have been a focal point, it seems surprisingly tone-deaf to include such outwardly predatory features, even for a company focused on making a profit. For those who didn't watch, the trailer features several casino games with clips of basketball in-between. Take-Two president Karl Slatoff (in)famously said his company doesn't view lootboxes as gambling. However, it's tough to see literal casino games like slots, pachinko, and roulette as anything but gambling.
A few countries have already taken measures to regulate and/or ban lootboxes and gambling mechanics in videogames. Belgium has already banned lootboxes, and China has begun taking steps to regulate them. Other countries like England and even the U.S. have seen legislators begin discussions around the issue. In the U.S. this has the potential to vary state-by-state. In Hawaii, for example, legislators introduced a bill that would ban the sale of games with lootboxes to individuals under the age of 21, but it failed to become law. The controversy stems around the fact that recent studies have shown links between lootboxes and gambling, and that young children are exposed to these mechanics from an early age. A common argument against this is that users cannot "cash out," or in other words, turn their virtual winning into real-world money. However, even if the practice doesn't constitute "gambling" many argue it's still predatory.
The NBA 2K community has been quick to mock the developer on social media and in the YouTube comment section.
This isn't even the first time fans have been upset at 2K over their latest NBA game. NBA 2K18 faced similar backlash over the high price of customization options for the game's MyNeighborhood mode. The company also faced backlash when they urged fans to contact the Belgian government to reverse their decision to ban lootboxes around the release of last year's NBA game.
While lootboxes are almost to be expected any modern AAA (sports games especially,) the extent to which 2K seems to be glorifying them is troubling, to say the least.
The series is known for its high-fidelity visuals, and this is the first year the game will feature WNBA players. Still, it's hard to see the new casino features as anything but a major step in the wrong direction.