Thoughts on lootboxes?

MasterworkStone

MasterworkStone

Wasteland nobody
Lootboxes in paid games going away would be a great thing to hear.

But for free games, I worry.
Lootboxes are easily one of the best things to happen to them in years, they can give away content as much as they want and there'll always be an incentive to still buy stuff, free stuff with no requirememt of purchase really draws in players I feel, making the games more popular, and thus increasing the likelyhood of someone who will make a purchase.

Depending on what happens and how it's all handled, things might go back to the old ways of cosmetics being locked in a store only, greatly decreasing the likelyhood of a purchase, and with that increasing the likelyhood the game might get shut down due to low profit.
 
Lootboxes are something really bad. I do hope they disappear from gaming for good.

Free games can still employ "incentive techniques" to make people spend money. Stuff like paying for specific bonuses or equipment is always an option. Stuff like paying to gain double xp for 30 minutes, or to access some area with higher level enemies/loot, etc.

Paying for random things you have no idea what it is should go away, paying for things you know what you get will probably be what companies will focus on if lootboxes are banned.
 
I don't buy microtransaction stuff so I don't really care so long as the game isn't obnoxious about it all, like forcing the player to grind A LOT unless they want to speed up process then just go right ahead and buy this bonus microtransaction.

I did buy keys for them for CS GO and learned my lesson that it isn't worth it.

As much as I dislike the idea of them I gotta say that gamers need to learn some self control and just ignore the damn things.

So while I'd be in favour of lootboxes being removed from all games I think gamers are at fault for making it such a profitable thing in the first place.
Being suckered into it once is fine. But you better learn your lesson and stay the hell away from it.
If you don't, then you are part of the problem for why so many games are trying to nickle and dime players constantly.
 
It's a gross annoyance in video games that is designed to milk the customer with shitty loot that you're forced to gamble on.

I'm more comfortable with smaller games if they're THAT fucking expensive.
 
Mr Fish said:
So while I'd be in favour of lootboxes being removed from all games I think gamers are at fault for making it such a profitable thing in the first place.
Being suckered into it once is fine. But you better learn your lesson and stay the hell away from it.
If you don't, then you are part of the problem for why so many games are trying to nickle and dime players constantly.
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The problem is that many gamers are young people that spend their parents money on it. So they don't realize how it is screwing them. Because it is not their money they spend. They have no idea how hard it is to earn it.

Also, loot boxes usually employ strategies that make the brain feel pleasure when the player opens them. Gaming companies have spent small fortunes financing entire studies about how to make them addictive and stimulating, just like drugs or gambling. They also design the games to make players feel like they will be more competitive if they buy loot boxes, many people can't control themselves because it has a similar effect like what I mentioned above, drugs and gambling.
You don't realize how addictive it is until you are trapped in the addiction, then it will be hard to get out.
 
If it's a game you need to buy to play, lootboxes shouldn't be included, even if it's just cosmetic stuff.

If it's a F2P game I can see why they're added, but there are more player friendly ways to gain money other than a system so heavily based on chance.
 
Is there even a debate here?

I think everyone pretty much agrees that Lootboxes are an abusive and manipulative practice that takes advantage of gambling-like tendencies of people.

The only actual debate that seems to be going on is about free-to-play models.
 
a721402 said:
If your game need to selling lootbox to maintain profit, perhaps that's because you are doing something wrong.
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That's an easy conclusion, but there have been some great games that died from lack of profit, typically it only happens with bad publishers like EA for example.
 
Just pointing out, Belgium has declared loot boxes official gambling. They pretty much are at the end of the day. As shitty as buying power is in gaming, at least if you bought a cool sword it was 100% guaranteed, not just opening crates until you get what you want.

There's a game I used to play called Happy Wars that had a weapon called the Cannibal Chainsaw. I've played HW for probably more than 300 hours back in the day yet I've never come close to ever getting it due to the broken loot box system. It also had special events where you could get sets of unique gear. One event was train conductor focused and despite that there were only FOUR items you could obtain, I never got the hat. I got so many copies of the shield, cloak and weapon, but never the hat even though I got like 50 fucking chances, all because of this shit loot box design.
 
It's a bit disturbing how readily Overwatch fans defend the fact that the game they have to pay 40 dollars for, with no single player campaign also has lootboxes. Must be a Blizard fan thing.
 
Walpknut said:
It's a bit disturbing how readily Overwatch fans defend the fact that the game they have to pay 40 dollars for, with no single player campaign also has lootboxes. Must be a Blizard fan thing.
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It's a fan thing period, when people get attached to a game or a company they overlook problems because they tend to project themselves into it. Criticising the game or the company to such people is like criticising themselves, that's why criticism is taken very personally, that's why companies get a way with such things.
Or maybe people trully don't care, who knows.
 
Walpknut said:
It's a bit disturbing how readily Overwatch fans defend the fact that the game they have to pay 40 dollars for, with no single player campaign also has lootboxes. Must be a Blizard fan thing.
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Without lootboxes, all those cosmetics would be either event or store only.
But with them, you can obtain everything for free.

It's already a fact that people despise microtransactions, but if they can get it for free it becomes not a bad thing for most people, but then the developer sees them as getting everything too easily and therefor not having much incentive to pay.
Lootboxes are effectively the middle ground.
Free but difficult to get what you want, which is how developers want it; a reason to pay.

I think Heroes of the Storm does it right.
You can't buy boxes from what I remember, and everything can be directly purchased.
 
a721402 said:
Define those "Great games", because i can't think of any actual great games exists that needed lootbox to survive.
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I think I may be overexaggerating, when I search my head for "Great games" can only think of Dawngate, which was owned by EA.

I think you're right, as this thread went on I worried less and less about lootboxes being banned.
My mind has been changed.
 
I don't mind lootboxes. Free money for me is a good thing! Think i've got like 30-40 euros selling free stuff on steam so far this year.
 
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