EA's Star Wars Battlefront II's "Lootboxes" Stir Controversy, Calls For Government Regulation

It used to be if we paid money to play a game, whether all at once for a console game or monthly for an MMO, that was it. If a game was free to play, that the makers would offer a few items to make gameplay easier for a few bucks was accepted. So what happens when a game noted for it's multiplayer mode with player versus player combat, which you have to pay sixty to eighty dollars to play to begin with, starts offering people the chance to buy the loot boxes needed to advance? A lot of controversy, comparisons to online gambling, and talk of the government getting involved.

Read more in Other Grids, MMOs, and Games.

World of Warcraft To Test Using Real Money to Buy Experience Buffs

With people in Second Life complaining about how Linden Lab does things, it isn't just on the Grid that people are wondering what's up with the people behind the scenes. This month, it's been revealed that the makers of World of Warcraft have been testing an option once thought of as something only smaller games would use - paying more for player buffs. This comes on the heels of other news: the number of subscribers has been getting smaller.

Read more in Extra.