Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency has concluded that social games that use “kompu gacha” (complete gacha) to be in violation of the law. The system basically lets players try and win a virtual item by getting a certain set of virtual cards. Companies like Gree and Mobage have made hundreds of millions of dollars off of these games, but if they become illegal than it would severely affect their business, worth in the neighborhood of 250 billion yen.
“The kompu gacha games have often been criticized for taking advantage of users’ gambling spirit. Some parents complained their children had become addicted and were billed for exorbitant charges,” notes the Yomiuri Shimbun. “The original gacha games were inspired by automatic vending machines that sell capsules containing toys. However, instead of buying real items, online gacha players purchase virtual items for hundreds of yen, which they then use for various purposes. The players do not know in advance which item they will get, giving the game the feel of a lottery.”
Source: Yomiuri
