How happy are you about the government of the country in which you live deciding on your behalf which video games you can and cannot play?
 

Nobody likes to be banned from stuff by their government, though we all are. But I suppose the fear is not so much that the government gets a bee in its bonnet about occasional or extreme cases, but that it institutes a rigid regime in which lots of games get banned. If you took anti-loot crate laws to an extreme, you might end up banning almost all FTP games.
 

On the one side I certainly know enough about game monetization to be able to make my own decisions on which predatory game I want to play or not. On the other side there is some hope that if enough governments enact rules against predatory commercial practices of games, game companies would be forced into fairer practices.

Note that if I absolutely wanted, I would certainly be able to play Lost Ark with the help of a VPN. I just don't care enough about that game to be worth the hassle.
 

Doesn't Belgium still allow online gambling on sports and casino websites? It seems odd to allow those and ban similar stuff in video games. Are we back to the old assumption that video games are just for kids?

Mind you thinking about Steams ridiculously inadequate age check tool it would be hard to defend the position that the games industry actually cares about enforcing age ratings.
 

From what I'm reading and seeing on youtube, you're missing nothing. Diablo-like run-of-the-mill korean MMO with intrusive monetization. If I decide to give it a try I'll let you know :)

As for the government deciding which games you can play: I'm sure that steam can apply for the same authorization that any other casino/gambling structure can get. If they don't.... well... they don't.
 

Ironically, Lost Ark is protecting itself from all of Southeast Asia.

Welp, guess everyone here will continue throwing their thousands of dollars into other mobile gacha games as per their usual habits.

Me, I have zero interest in most gacha games and hence, zero interest in Lost Ark, but given the amount of people I know who blow large chunks of their salary into competitively playing stuff like Pokemon Go and paying hundreds for Runescape weapons and Maple Story stuff, it seems very much like a lost profiteering opportunity.
 

So why does your country ban Lost Ark and not WoW due to the token? Is it because in WoW it's not a direct thing from player to player? Or maybe because you get Blizzard bucks and not actual cash?
 

I'm currently playing Lost Ark and to be honest I feel zero pressure to spend real money. There is a lot of content and everything is freely available. No annoying popups, no restrictions, etc. Any random energy-based mobile game is more aggressive, I don't understand how Lost Ark poses a threat. It's way less intrusive and "monetized" than other titles.

The real issue for me is the setting. Too many half-naked players running around, plus a strong sexualization everywhere. I'm not against boobs or anything, it's just not my cup of tea. I like the game and I like the mechanics but if you're not into this Korean style... It's very hard to swallow.
 

It has nothing to do with trading real life with other players. It is the gambling thing. In lost ark you can buy those armor upgrade mats (of which you need a ridiculous amount to max out an item for), and you have a chance to have it fail and get nothing.
I am pretty sure that is why it is banned.
 

It's a shame that a game like Lost Ark gets banned in its entirety. The game is actually well done (and fun). On top of that it's 100% free and there are a lots of things to do. If you're a collectionist/completionist it's a real dream (I am not, but I can see its appeal).

Compared to most mobile games it really offers all the content for free. No tricks, no annoying popups, no artificial timers, etc.
 

You don't need a VPN to play it. You can just literally input the product key in Steam and it will install the game. The only way it was "blocked" is by removing the product page from Steam, but it's very straightforward to play it if you have a key. You can either get it gifted by someone, or use of of the available packages on the market.
 

Give it a try, if you have the chance. It's really worth it.

There is an insane amount of stuff to see/do/experience and if you like collectibles and completing things then you're set for life. Visually stunning too (I'm playing at max settings on a 1440p screen capped at 144Hz/fps, it's unreal how beautiful it is even on my GeForce 1080).

I went all-in with some bias, because I sadly don't enjoy the anime/manga/Asian style. On top of that, sexualized and/or young characters with boobs and heels are not my cup of tea at all. But I did my best to "ignore" them and here we are, I'm completely hooked to the game. I'm addicted to mokokos too, which is really weird because I never collect virtual gadgets...

Compared to some competitors I must admit Lost Ark blows them out of the water. Cinematics, animations, little details, QoL features, ... It's huge. Player agency is very strong (you're always in the middle of something, cutscenes included). Dungeons are amazing and extremely different from each other.

Of course it's a MMO so you will need some time to digest everything. Also, sidequests are often "silly" or forgettable. But always short and fast. I am still leveling (almost there!) but from what I've read the "real" game starts at max level. Well, it's already a success so far, for me.

Let us know!