Lootbox Backlash

I apologise that it came across that way. I am actually very new to loot boxes as the only game I have ever played with them in is Battlefield 1 (and I am only level 14 on there).

I asked my question in that way because I honestly didnt expect anyone here to say that they do like them. And, although I did read your post, I still am unsure as to what appeals to you about lootboxes. Is it the randomness of them that you like?

Sorry if any of this is coming across as aggressive or something but I honestly dont understand lootboxes. I am very out of the loop it seems....

Generalizing them is what really doesn't work. Lootboxes are implemented very differently across many games. Some games like Overwatch have only cosmetic items. That game has no paid DLC (so far) so they support the game through that revenue in addition to sales. I wouldn't say I like them as much as they don't impact me at all. If I get a skin for a character I use for free, cool.

We've seen no paid DLC for Overwatch. Every add-on has been free. I really like that. Would Overwatch addons all be free without loot boxes? Hard to say. That game sells a ton so maybe they can support it just off sales.

Same with Battlefield 1. If I get a skin for a gun I use, neat. If not? I'll use the default one.

Other games are starting to try to use them very differently. Battlefront was going to let people pay for a chance at items that would give people a competitive advantage. On the flip side they are giving out DLC free too. Allowing people to "pay to win" is a line that a lot of us don't like to cross. Even though many games have as much as people try to ignore it.

Like most anything, there are positives and negatives and everything in between.
 
Apple announced a sweeping revision to the guidelines for its App Store yesterday, which now includes a provision that loot boxes must be transparent about their odds.



"Apps offering 'loot boxes' or other mechanisms that provide randomised virtual items for purchase must disclose the odds of receiving each type of item to customers prior to purchase," reads the new rule.

Loot boxes, which have always been common in the world of iOS gaming, are virtual grab bags that can give players a host of items ranging from common to rare. Most of the time, you can buy these loot boxes not just for in-game currency but for real money, which has led some players to classify them as gambling -- a label that the Entertainment Software Rating Board doesn't acknowledge.

This news comes after a year full of controversy over loot boxes, which many players see as manipulative, predatory methods to get them to spend more money on games. Although many mobile games have always had them, loot boxes received renewed attention this year thanks to their inclusion in console games like Shadow of War and Star Wars Battlefront II.

Rage over the latter game dominated its launch to the point where its publisher, EA, announced the day before release that it was temporarily removing all of Battlefront II's microtransactions.

As rage over these practices gets louder and louder, Apple's move is the first of what may be many steps that game publishers and distributors voluntarily take in an attempt to avoid regulation from outside bodies.
 
Apple announced a sweeping revision to the guidelines for its App Store yesterday, which now includes a provision that loot boxes must be transparent about their odds.



"Apps offering 'loot boxes' or other mechanisms that provide randomised virtual items for purchase must disclose the odds of receiving each type of item to customers prior to purchase," reads the new rule.

Loot boxes, which have always been common in the world of iOS gaming, are virtual grab bags that can give players a host of items ranging from common to rare. Most of the time, you can buy these loot boxes not just for in-game currency but for real money, which has led some players to classify them as gambling -- a label that the Entertainment Software Rating Board doesn't acknowledge.

This news comes after a year full of controversy over loot boxes, which many players see as manipulative, predatory methods to get them to spend more money on games. Although many mobile games have always had them, loot boxes received renewed attention this year thanks to their inclusion in console games like Shadow of War and Star Wars Battlefront II.

Rage over the latter game dominated its launch to the point where its publisher, EA, announced the day before release that it was temporarily removing all of Battlefront II's microtransactions.

As rage over these practices gets louder and louder, Apple's move is the first of what may be many steps that game publishers and distributors voluntarily take in an attempt to avoid regulation from outside bodies.
Wow.

Will be interesting to see how it goes.

And for games with tons of items, I wonder how cumbersome the odds list is. If a game has 500 items, it must list the odds of receiving each one? That's one long list!
 
What's weird is that EA pulled any pay loot from day 1.

I don't think you've ever been able to pay for microtransactions at all. Anytime I bring up the screen it is just blank.
 
Heh, Shadow of War drops them, too.

Six Months After Release, Shadow Of War Removes Microtransactions

Middle Earth: Shadow of War, a game whose loot box system helped spark 2017's backlash against the practice, is removing all forms of real-money purchases later this year.

From the dev: "... we have come to realize that providing this choice risked undermining the heart of our game, the Nemesis System. It allows you to miss out on the awesome player stories you would have otherwise created, and it compromises those same stories even if you don’t buy anything. Simply being aware that they are available for purchase reduces the immersion in the world and takes away from the challenge of building your personal army and your fortresses."


https://kotaku.com/six-months-after-release-shadow-of-war-removes-microtr-1824270848

The developer is clearly admitting that this practice negatively affected gameplay and immersion. That's exactly what should not happen, and it happened right out the gate. I'm glad that gamers protested. They were right.
 
What's weird is that EA pulled any pay loot from day 1.

I don't think you've ever been able to pay for microtransactions at all. Anytime I bring up the screen it is just blank.

Its probably because they had originally said that they were going to add them in later so they probably just went ahead and announced that they have no plans to add them now ever to be clear.
 
EA exec says they won’t repeat loot box mistakes

“We can shy away from it and pretend like it didn’t happen,” Patrick Söderlund, EA’s new chief design officer, told The Verge, “or we can act responsibly and realise that we made some mistakes, and try to rectify those mistakes and learn from them.” He swears blind that they’ve chosen option B, and they’ll try real hard not to guff up games like Anthem and the mysterious next Battlefield.

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/20...Feed:+RockPaperShotgun+(Rock,+Paper,+Shotgun)