Although the system
of loot boxes in the three other video games can be seen as a game of chance, there is always lack of protection for the players.
For now, it seems at least one nation has verified a link between certain
types of loot boxes and gambling.
While every fight will give XP and credit bonuses, defeating the whole challenge will give the player a reward in the
form of a loot box containing equipment.
The first issue worth mentioning lies within the highly publicized and controversial
inclusion of loot boxes referred to as prize crates.
They're also only available from special
kinds of loot boxes earned during the period, meaning that you can not find them in the regular loot boxes you may have been saving up.
I can only imagine this was done to expose new players to the fancy equipment that higher - ranked players have unlocked to boost
sales of loot boxes.
After a long study into the
effect of loot boxes in games, Dutch lawmakers have published their findings which will prove troublesome for several major titles.
As with the first game, gear progression is tied to both difficulty and loot boxes (note: there are no in - game
purchases of loot boxes).
However, its study read that there were «no
indications of loot boxes being opened on a large scale by problem players and / or addicted players».
Despite the all - consuming evil
of loot boxes there was still good in the game, and now at last it has been redeemed.
And it's a discussion far from over, with the the
problem of loot boxes effect on minors reaching the world outside of gaming.
As well as this, others have talked up the popularity of in - game purchases, and the
success of loot boxes in mobile and free - to - play gaming.
The
cost of a loot box starts at 700 BP but the price effectively doubles with each box purchased.
So if you want the more rare skins for the character you actually play as, you need to open a
lot of loot boxes.
Previously, most
defenders of the loot box economy and its associated trading websites said that since real currency wasn't being won, no real gambling was taking place.
For now, it seems at least one nation has verified a link between certain
types of loot boxes and gambling.
Some high profile releases have featured controversy, with aspects of long - running series being removed to allow for the
inclusion of loot boxes.
The game has seen many changes since the start of closed beta, both in terms of gameplay and other aspects, such as the
removal of loot boxes.
Another popular gripe with the game is loot distribution that doesn't reflect individual player performance or preferences at all, due to the random
nature of the loot box system.
With the debacle that was Star Wars Battlefront II and its
implementation of loot boxes gaining such publicity the question of whether they are...
Star Wars Battlefront II improved on the previous game in every way but its experience was tarnished by the
introduction of loot boxes strictly tied to character progression, sadly.
Since obtaining the
contents of loot boxes in «Star Wars Battlefront II» is like a game of chance, the Belgian Gaming Commission is trying to determine if it's a form of gambling.
To fix Star Wars Battlefront 2, I would pull all Star Card abilities - character abilities -
out of loot boxes so there is no way to buy progression in the game.
Whether we are seeing a wave of criticism that will end up erasing or minimizing the use
of loot boxes from mobile gaming (and gaming more generally) remains to be seen.
It's hard to deny the
impact of loot boxes on gaming, though, with big developers spending a ton of money and development time optimizing their use and the various mechanics that will make them more «attractive.»
IGN's executive review editor, Dan Stapleton, noted on Twitter that the
addition of the loot box microtransactions defeats the whole purpose of having fun with the game, but it doesn't stop the game from being fun.
However I do have some concerns with the
proliferation of loot box systems which I consider to be gambling in all but name and the move away from single player experiences.
With the debacle that was Star Wars Battlefront II and its implementation
of loot boxes gaining such publicity the question of whether they are appropriate was brought to the attention of politicians.
As for a solution, Mr. Wolfe wrote that the
regulation of loot boxes in video games could be a difficult task, and that the right approach to the issue could be cooperation between various competent agencies which could put pressure on game publishers.