omg, you guys, there's finally some hope on the horizon for the video game industry's payment processor crisis. it's been a total mess, with devs and creatives getting their livelihoods threatened just because of some outdated rules and restrictions. but now, the american federal trade commission (ftc) is stepping in and calling out payment processors like mastercard, visa, stripe, and paypal.



basically, the ftc is saying that these companies can't just deny service to people because of their political or religious views. it's pretty obvious, but apparently, it needed to be said. the chairman of the ftc, andrew n. ferguson, wrote a super strong letter making it clear that everyone deserves access to the financial system, no matter what they believe in or what kind of content they create. it's all about fairness and freedom, you know?



so, what does this mean for us gamers and devs? well, it could be a big deal. remember how itch.io had to stop showing nsfw games because of stripe's restrictions? or how valve had to change what games they showed on steam because of mastercard's pressure? it was all pretty messed up, and it hurt a lot of queer devs and players who felt like their voices were being silenced. but now, with the ftc breathing down their necks, maybe these payment processors will chill out a bit and let devs create whatever they want.

i'm not getting my hopes up too high just yet, though. we'll have to wait and see if this actually makes a difference. but it's definitely a step in the right direction. and who knows, maybe this will inspire other countries to take a closer look at their own payment processor rules and regulations. preorders are available at major retailersRead more: Full article on www.eurogamer.net

What do you think about this?