[HN Gopher] Balatro dev swings at PEGI for rating it 18 because ...
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       Balatro dev swings at PEGI for rating it 18 because of its 'evil
       playing cards'
        
       Author : galleywest200
       Score  : 22 points
       Date   : 2024-12-16 21:30 UTC (1 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.pcgamer.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.pcgamer.com)
        
       | legitster wrote:
       | > "teaches--by way of images, information and gameplay--skills
       | and knowledge that are used in poker ... this knowledge and skill
       | could be transferred to a real-life game of poker."
       | 
       | > He doesn't even like poker all that much--me either, for the
       | record, though I adore Balatro, even if I am cursed with
       | incredibly bad luck
       | 
       | I feel like I am missing something - is there like a cultural
       | moment or something against poker? I played it all the time
       | growing up, almost never for money, and there were absolutely
       | zero qualms from anyone - church, school, grandma - anyone.
       | 
       | It's kind of shocking that PEGI really has a problem with
       | gameplay mechanics like poker hands and probabilities. I get that
       | poker has a more direct connection to casinos, but that would be
       | like giving Madden an 18+ because it teaches football. (That
       | might lead to "skill and knowledge" transferrable to sports
       | betting, don't you know!)
        
         | zamadatix wrote:
         | I think anything tied to gambling got a big black eye after
         | everyone got constant access to the internet with epayments. Be
         | it loot boxes or traditional gambling the accessibility to any
         | where any time money gambling games created a more negative
         | image than the space had previously.
        
           | danudey wrote:
           | This would make sense if, as mentioned in the article, loot
           | boxes were also considered problematic. Unfortunately, loot
           | boxes in FC are 3+ even though they're linked to actual
           | gambling addiction, whereas poker-like roguelike mechanics
           | are 18+ even though you never lose a cent of real money (and
           | the game doesn't teach you enough about poker to actually
           | play poker).
        
           | chrismcb wrote:
           | Poker had always had a bad reputation. Has nothing to do with
           | the Internet, just gambling in general.
        
         | chrismcb wrote:
         | Poker, while considered a game of skill, had a direct
         | connection to gambling, and hence the negative connotation.
         | Poker isn't very interesting of it isn't played for stakes
         | (whether it is money or something else) in fact what is the
         | point to it, if you aren't playing for something?
        
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       (page generated 2024-12-16 23:02 UTC)