Senator Maggie Hassan spoke in a recent congressional oversight hearing with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about her fears and doubts concerning the video game industry. “Video game bad,” Hassan told the FTC. When asked to elaborate, Hassan also stated, “Loot boxes gambling,” “Gambling bad,” and “Children dumb.” She concluded this riveting speech with a powerful call to action: “Video game bad. Make better.” In unison, the members of the FTC nodded their heads and repeated, “Video game bad.”
This is not the first time that Congress has urged the FTC to crack down on virtual grab-bags purchased with real currency in video games. So, why should we expect the FTC to do anything now? Critics and political analysts alike claim that Congress’ speech was much more compelling this time around than it was previously. Then, Congress used uninspired diction like: “Video games not good” and “Children not smart.” While this first speech was met with a resounding “Sure” from the FTC, their response was not nearly as enthusiastic as the most recent speech delivered by Senator Hassan. One reporter who was at the hearing had this to say about the atmosphere: “The tension was palpable. In fact, the FTC chairman was so stirred by some of [Senator Hassan]’s statistics that he lifted his head long enough to wipe the drool off his chin before returning to his stupor.”
I’ll leave you with this mind blowing prediction that was put eloquently by Ms. Hassan: “Video game company make big money by 2022. Many kids become gamblers.”