Games which feature loot boxes will soon be given an age rating of 16 across Europe, including in the UK, under a host of changes by the European video game ratings organisation. The Pan-European Game Information body (PEGI)'s age ratings are displayed on games sold in the UK and other countries in Europe to indicate their suitability for children of different ages. Loot boxes are an in-game feature allowing players to buy random mystery items with real or virtual currency, but recent research has found they blur the line between gaming and gambling. The new ratings, taking effect from June, could see games containing loot box systems, such as EA Sports FC, receive a much higher age rating. The PEGI system is used in 38 countries to help consumers and particularly parents make informed decisions about the games they purchase.

Over the last decade, Dean has amassed a healthy collection of video games, from smash hits to cult classics. His digital library is like a modern day Blockbuster, all readily accessible with just a click or two. But his son, Sam, has eyes for only one video game: Roblox, the behemoth virtual universe-slash-video game that's among the most popular on the planet. The company reports that more than 97 million people log on to Roblox every day. Around 40% of those are, like Sam, under 13 years of age.

Everyone's favorite sorta-poker game Balatro is set to cause yet another dip in global productivity levels. The roguelike -- which encourages you to bend and twist the rules of poker in all kinds of wild ways -- is available on Game Pass Ultimate, PC and Standard. Apple Arcade subscribers also have access to it at no extra cost. A trailer that premiered during Monday's ID@Xbox showcase also revealed the latest batch of cosmetic crossover card decks that are now available on all platforms. They include tie-ins with Critical Role, Dead by Daylight, Assassin's Creed, Fallout, Bugsnax and Rust.

A new report published by the child safety groups Heat Initiative and ParentsTogether Action details the alarming presence of inappropriate apps that are rated as suitable for children as young as four years old on Apple's App Store. The groups worked with a researcher to review as many apps as possible in the span of 24 hours, and say they ultimately identified over 200 apps that contained "concerning content or features" given the ages they were rated for -- including stranger chat and AI girlfriend apps, gaming apps with sexual or violent prompts and imagery, and AI-powered appearance rating apps. Engadget has reached out to Apple for comment and will update this story upon hearing back. The research focused on apps with assigned age ratings of 4, 9 and 12 in categories considered to be "risky": chat (including AI and stranger chat apps), beauty, diet and weight loss, unfiltered internet access (apps for accessing schools' banned sites) and gaming. Among the findings, the report says at least 24 sexual games and 9 stranger chat apps were marked as appropriate for kids in these age groups.

Apple has blocked an email app update from entering the App Store because it includes support for ChatGPT, according to a report. While the inclusion of AI isn't strictly the issue at hand, Apple says that the email app's use of it could lead it to generate content that isn't suitable for kids. As a result, the app will need to be given a 17 age rating before it can be released into the app store. The email app, called BlueMail, currently has a 4 age rating. The WSJ (opens in new tab) reports that Apple's concerns are that the use of ChatGPT is unpredictable and that the developer of the BlueMail app would either need to remove it, change the app's age rating, or build in filters that can deal with whatever the AI spits out. "BlueMail's new AI feature uses OpenAI's latest ChatGPT chatbot to help automate the writing of emails using the contents of prior emails and calendar events," the WSJ report notes.

Another European country could soon place legal restrictions on video game loot boxes. As Der Spiegel and Eurogamer report, Germany's Bundestag has passed a reformed Youth Protection Act that would limit loot boxes to games with an 18-plus age rating. The "gambling-like mechanisms" pose too many risks for kids, according to the law. The revised law still has to receive approval from the Bundesrat (Federal Council), but could take effect as early as the spring if it moves forward. Developers like EA have long denied connections to gambling, likening loot boxes to Kinder eggs and other treats with surprises inside. Critics have rejected these defenses, though, accusing studios of designing loot box mechanics to exploit users with promises of rare cosmetic items or pay-to-win advantages.

A new study has revealed that children play video games for a shocking 15 hours a week. The research from McAfee also found that a stunning 94 percent of parents are concerned about the risks their children are exposed to while gaming, but nearly half of parents let their children play games that are above their age rating. On average, children play video games for 2.13 hours a day, and 92 percent of parents let their children play at least an hour of games a day. Eight percent admitted that they let their kids play more than five hours a day. A new study has revealed that children play video games for a shocking nearly 15 hours a week.

For me, parenting often feels like endlessly having to say no. No, we can't have Kinder Eggs for breakfast. No, we can't buy a horse. No, it doesn't matter that you only met her once, you still can't wear swimming trunks to Auntie Ethel's funeral. Although that last one was my husband.