this post was submitted on 19 Dec 2024

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Balatro dev: Talked with PEGI and they do not see anything wrong Balatro being rated 18+, nor with EA sports FC (and similar games) having a 3+ rating (x.com)

submitted 1 week ago by nanoUFO@sh.itjust.works to c/games@sh.itjust.works

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[–] De_Narm@lemmy.world 300 points 1 week ago (11 children)

It's entirely his fault for not being a multi-billion dollar company which actively invests in better ratings. In capitalism, there is no fairness - there is only money.

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[–] donuts@lemmy.world 184 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

One looks like gambling but is actually a fun roguelite card game, the other one looks like fun but is actually a gambling game. Guess which one is rated 18+?

spoiler

Okay I lied, FC24 doesn't even look like fun, but that's my personal opinion.

[–] ryven@lemmy.dbzer0.com 182 points 1 week ago (9 children)

If you search for "poker" on PEGI's site, it seems that many games which are actually about simulated gambling are rated 12 or 16. They seem to think Balatro is more likely to expose children to realistic gambling than, say, Prominence Poker or Pure Hold'em World Poker Championship, which seems completely bizarre, given that those games are about playing poker and Balatro is a fancy kind of solitaire with no betting.

[–] Comment105@lemm.ee 45 points 1 week ago (12 children)

The thing you have to understand about PEGI is that they are mentally challenged.

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[–] WhyDoYouPersist@lemmy.world 92 points 1 week ago (2 children)

This is actually quite eye opening to me, as someone who doesn't really ever have to look at ratings as a consumer and has always just taken them for granted. Now I'm keenly aware it's yet another example of runaway capitalism. Just never thought too hard about it.

PEGI's a cunt.

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[–] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 87 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (4 children)

Actual gambling - 3+

Suggestion of gambling - 18+

[–] Comment105@lemm.ee 25 points 1 week ago

The queen of hearts is inherently obscene, that's why my copy of Alice in Wonderland is rated 18+

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[–] osaerisxero@kbin.melroy.org 83 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Sounds like grounds for a defamation suit to me considering his stated opinions on gambling.

[–] illi@lemm.ee 61 points 1 week ago (1 children)

In the meantime we can start guessing which side has more money to hire lawyers

[–] SARGE@startrek.website 39 points 1 week ago (2 children)

As someone who never planned on playing Balatro, and was kind of getting tired of seeing it on my feed the way I got tired of helldivers 2 stuff right after release.

I would happily toss a tenner to the dev for a lawyer over this.

[–] pachrist@lemmy.world 26 points 1 week ago (3 children)

It's a really good game. As a mobile game, it's honestly up there with Stardew Valley. They are the only two mobile games I know of that check all the boxes. They are actually good games, there are no ads or micro transactions, and they're infinitely playable.

[–] mosiacmango@lemm.ee 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Slay the spire, slice and dice, dicey dungeons are also up there as mobile games.

[–] Albbi@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 week ago

I was just about to mention Slice and Dice. The new patch had been great for balance!

[–] illi@lemm.ee 3 points 1 week ago

I would probably never play on PC. Was considering getting the mobile port but my phone doesn't support it apparently...

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[–] SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 week ago

Don't buy it. It's too addictive

[–] Quill7513@slrpnk.net 67 points 1 week ago

i think it's clear from this these regulatory bodies primarily function to help the industry make money. indies can sometimes get co-signs from these bodies, but only if they stay in their lane. balatro has been a huge smash hit, and it feels like this body just wants to keep it down that little bit

[–] ieatpwns@lemmy.world 37 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I’m willing to bet PEGI was lobbied to push for that 18+ rating by ea and other publishers because balatro is taking revenue from them. They don’t get how a game without microtransactions is doing better than they are

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[–] blackjam_alex@lemmy.world 36 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Self-regulated organization my ass.

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[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 30 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Learning the names and ranking of poker hands is the devil!

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 25 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Dragon Quest 11 has a T-for-Teen rating and it's got a literal casino built into the game. Roulette, poker, and slot machines. This isn't even uncommon for JRPGs. Curious how the ratings agencies just glaze over this fact when assigning their scores.

[–] ryven@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

This is the part I can't figure out. It's not just indie games: ages ago, Pokémon dropped the casinos from their games specifically to avoid having their age rating bumped in NA and EU. So clearly they sometimes account for gambling in side content. But somehow other franchises have kept them in, and aren't suffering.

Does it just depend on whether or not the particular person assigned to review your game is a hardass about particular things?

[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 week ago

Just needs a good cover. Like Watership Down. Nice lil thing about bunnies.

[–] steeznson@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

They probably have some checklist which has vague definitions of "glamourising" gambling. I reckon this game unwittingly strays into the red tape in its presentation along with the poker theme (like I've said elsewhere it's more a maths game than a poker game). The music and lights despite being atmospheric and ambient probably have some similarities to fruit machine like environments in the sense the music is repetitive and there is flashing visual feedback.

Edit: Should say it's still B.S. to rate it 18. Just that I can imagine ratings boards can't apply independent thought/logic.

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 24 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Baltaro devs may need to invest in gambling to earn enough money to bribe PEGI the way EA almost certainly does.

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[–] CobblerScholar@lemmy.world 19 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Guess I just have to buy Balatro harder then

[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 week ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

I just picked it up. I was going to wait for a better sale because I probably don't have time to play it, but I'll happily support them here, and I'll probably play it with my kids.

Screw PEGI.

Edit: picked it up and it was a blast. My kids watched and now they want to pay too. Good game is good.

[–] gibmiser@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Did he try getting a friendly industry insider appointed to the regulatory body to "facilitate" ?

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

Have you tried partnering with Disney and incorporating some Marvel/Star Wars IP into the Balatro Cinematic Universe? Perhaps selling your company to Ubisoft or Sony and letting their massive legal/lobbyist team take a swing at this? Perhaps you could just take a total end-run around the problem and release an edition that uses the Minor Arcana instead of standard poker cards?

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