Every respectable gamer knows what loot boxes are these days. At the same time, we all know how disappointing it can be when you spend your hard-earned cash on a loot box and get absolutely nothing in return.
These boxes are designed to offer greater rewards to gamers but at a lower chance. Most of the times you get mid-tier items or something that you can already acquire while playing the game extensively. There are only a few situations where you actually get something valuable.
However, many countries have started looking at the phenomenon of Loot Boxes as gambling. Since you don’t know what you are getting in return and you need to pay real money for it, some people truly believe that it is similar to playing casino in UK and think they could have a bad effect on underage players.
It has eventually led to Loot Boxes being banned in certain countries or not allowed for players younger than 18.
What is All the Fuss About?
Online purchases and especially Loot Boxes have become a staple in the gaming industry. Many games have them, even those from different gaming genres like FIFA, Call of Duty or Apex Legends.
However, the most infamous example comes with Star Wars Battlefield II. Namely, the only way players were able to acquire characters like Darth Wader or Princess Leia was by purchasing these boxes. And even then the chances were pretty low.
Many players opposed this and started making a big fuss about it. EA eventually suspended all game purchases but it led to certain countries supporting gamers in their claim. This is why Belgium decided to ban any Loot Box purchases within their country.
They said that this is something dishonest as it tricks young gamers into spending more of their money.
In-Game Purchases Origin
A few years ago, in-game purchases were not such a big deal when it comes to PC and console gaming. This is a concept taken in its entirety from mobile phone gaming.
Since game developers cannot hope to sell as many copies of their games as they used to in the old days, they had to find ways to make an additional profit. In-game purchases have proven to be more than fruitful in acquiring a larger profit.
The Verdict
In-game purchases can be really cool and interesting for gamers. You can shorten hundreds of hours of gameplay by buying one box and getting the desired item you need.
However, this does not pay off if gamers start going overboard. There are examples where people have spent somewhere from $1,000 to $5,000 on in-game purchases.
We need to draw a line somewhere and although valuable, Loot Boxes may not be the best idea for casual gamers.