Over the last week, I heard--as did many others--that both Star Wars Battlefront II and Shadow of War--will follow the trend of including a virtual loot box system. Furthermore, these will be available for sale online with real currency; you can spend your Dollars, Pounds, Euros, Yen, etc. on these crates. The contents are random, following the model of Magic: The Gathering and its Booster Packs.
This is the micro-payment monetization model that's so popular in videogames these days. The problem is that not only do many games lock away most or all of their high-end cosmetics (which, believe it or not, do drive a lot people), but also actually power upgrades that make the game easier to play. As the contents are random, you cannot guarantee that you will get what you want when you pay your money. You can't even guarantee that you will get anything of use at all. It's a crap-shoot, so what we have here is a virtual slot machine.
That's gambling, folks, and if the gaming companies don't start doing what it takes to stop being so obviously gambling then the State will step in and make them stop. Why? Because actual gambling companies aren't going to put up with competition that is not as regulated as they are, and once they start clamoring for it you can count the days until the State does just that.
Fix your shit, gaming industry, before the other gaming industry shows you how its done.
Wow and 5his loit box idea will run afoul of many countries strict legislation against youth gambling and targeting youth to encourage gambling.
ReplyDeletePersonally, the gaming designers need to design fun games and stop this pay to play or pay to get goodies. Video games expensive enough so don't be a bunch of lazy rent seekers.
xavier