Love them or hate them, almost every developer is incorporating loot boxes and micro transactions into their games. But where did the trend start from, and why has it infested large title games such as Star Wars: Battlefront 2 and the upcoming Street Fighter 5?
Most loot box alterations have stemmed from the release of free-to-play games, such as Hearthstone, in which players can choose to spend no money on the game and enjoy the baseline experience. However, the option is included to use real life money in order to get some sort of advantage. Being an online trading card game, players could purchase packs of cards with real money for a chance to get stronger, legendary cards that fit better into the meta game.
Blizzard began incorporating loot boxes into almost all of their games after this, most notably with Overwatch. The positive aspect of Overwatch’s loot boxes is they are all cosmetic, so they don’t have an impact on a player’s performance in the game itself.
Where most gamers draw the line is loot boxes which can actually give you an advantage in the game. It pressures the player, making them feel the need to spend even more money on a game they have already purchased for a chance to get items with better stats or characters with stronger abilities.
It has become a form of online gambling, and its actually having a negative impact on children who do not fully understand the concept. The purchase of a loot box never guarantees a high-quality item. In fact, most of the time they give you duplicates of items you already have, or things that the player doesn’t want.
But there’s always that slight chance that they’ll get the one item they’re looking for. And that is the sole reason that every developer is designing a loot box system. Consumers can purchase a 60 dollar game and continue to pour money into a title they already own for the slight satisfaction of gaining the upper-hand or receiving that one cosmetic upgrade they’ve always wanted. Some people, myself included, get sucked into this cycle, ensuring developers that gamers will spend more than necessary on a game they already purchased.
It’s a vicious cycle, but its increasing revenue for game developers across the board.
