In February 2018, the Entertainment Software Rating Board announced that it would begin labeling physical copies of games containing microtransactions as "In-Game Purchases. "ESRB President Patricia Vance explained at the time that the idea was "to ensure that parents know when a game contains offers for players to purchase additional content," a goal spurred by the furor over loot boxes.

The problem with this label, as we noted at the time, is that it covers everything from season passes to soundtracks to the loot boxes that caused the ugliness in the first place. Vance said it was intentional: most parents don't know what a loot box is, so the ESRB's goal was not to explain loot boxes in detail, but to make it "clear, concise, and easy for parents" to know if a game might be eating up more money after purchase . was to make it possible for them to do so.

That system has evolved: the ESRB announced today that it will begin applying the new label "in-game purchases (including random items)" to all games where random items can be purchased, including loot boxes, card packs, treasure chests and gacha games. Games that only offer non-random purchases, such as expansions and cosmetics, will continue to use the original "In-Game Purchases" label.

While the ESRB cited concerns about parental knowledge when it created the initial "In-Game Purchases" label, the new label is in response to calls from "game consumers and enthusiasts" (not necessarily parents) for a label that clearly states the existence of random purchases. Parents in general, on the other hand, have not yet caught up with the ESRB's estimation, and thus the common gaming term "loot box" is not used.

"We do not want to confuse consumers who are unfamiliar with what a loot box is. A recent survey shows that less than one-third of all parents have heard of the term loot box and know what it is," the ESRB explained.

"'Booty box' is a term that is widely understood in and around the video game industry and among avid gamers, but not understood by many who are less familiar with gaming. This new label is primarily in response to feedback from gaming enthusiasts, but it is still essential that all consumers, especially parents, clearly understand the rating information we provide."