In a Stream the viewers can check-in once a day in the chat using a command. Then the viewer will receive some points. With these points the viewer can get pictures and collect them in a virtual scrapbook e.g. like Football Cards.
I am now developing an extension through which a viewer can buy loot boxes via Bits. These loot boxes contain e.g. 100 points. The viewer can then give the loot boxes to other community members (selected by the viewer) in the chat so that they community members can unlock new pictures. Similar to gifted subs.
Is that allowed by the guidelines? Yes right? The pictures cannot be bought anywhere else and they have no monetary value either. The Viewer can only collect the pictures virtual.
Since the streamer and I don’t want to do anything wrong and we want to adhere to the guidelines, we absolutely need advice.
Diclaimer: I am not a Lawyer, this is not Legal Advice. Consult a Lawyer if you seek Legal Advice. Additionally, you may want to contact legal@twitch.tv for clarification.
While not directly against the Bits AUP (as far as i can tell), i would argue that this falls under " * Using Bits as a bet or wager or soliciting or accepting Bits for a bet or wager." (at least in those countries where Loot Boxes are considered gambling) since your points are exchangable for these loot boxes.
Regardless of that, I (having made my own Loot Box-based, get-points-for-being-active Chat Bot) highestly recommend you to not intruduce exchanging Bits for your currency in any way shape or form, since this effectively allows people to get your points for something of indirect monetary value, allowing one to associate your points (and thus, your loot boxes and images) with real world monetary value. This means those that obtain and use bits have a clear advantage over those that do not or cannot afford to do this.
You’re introducing Microtransactions to your game. I recommend you not do this.
Having re-read your post more exactly: You say that the viewer choses who the lootbox goes to - so they can’t claim it for themselves. That changes it a bit, but I would still recommend against it, due to the indirect link to real world value.
Also, note that Bits are never used to “buy” or “purchase” something - there is no contract made and nothing is sold. Bits are always “used” or “exchanged”. (Legal kerfuffle, yay)
TL;DR: While not strictly forbidden, I’d recommend against the practice.
Hi Marenthyu, thank you very much for your extensive answer!
This subject is really difficult.
I think about two things after your answer:
Having re-read your post more exactly: You say that the viewer choses who the lootbox goes to - so they can’t claim it for themselves. That changes it a bit, but I would still recommend against it, due to the indirect link to real world value.
Right, the users who can get the loot boxes cannot use them for themselves. They can only be shared with other users.
“This means that those who receive and use bits have a clear advantage over those who cannot or cannot afford it.”
That is almost correct, because every sub can collect points free of charge once a day using a chat command. Those who use Bits can only have their album / collection complete more quickly.
But there is no advantage there. Because you collect the pictures for yourself and not like in a game with loot boxes for weapon improvements in order to have an advantage over other players.
COMPARE GIFTED SUBS
If you look at the topic of gifted subs, then the user “buys” something here to give it to someone else who in turn gets advantages (sub-emotes, sub-only chat, badges, etc.)
The same is then with the loot boxes, which are not real loot boxes with “random content”, but have fixed content.
Example 1: PictureBox Basic - 500 Bits - 2500 Points
Example 2: PictureBox Medium - 1000 Bits - 7000 Points
The user can then give away the points:
Example: 2500 points box> User can give gifts to 5 other users (with 500 points for a picture).
This new example has a static content for the “Box”. “Loot boxes” are usually a special product that you don’t know the contents, and therefore are against the AUP. If you have static content where you just exchange bits for a set amount of “points” then that is allowed, but you can’t go and exchange those points for anything physical, or enter raffles, or anything that would be against the normal bits usage rules. a lot of extensions exchange bits for points so you can do transactional events since you can’t refund bits, but you can manage your own economy and refund points if something doesn’t work right on the usage of the points.
