Loot boxing: badness vsbenefit Introduction: Today video gaming industryeconomic sector is rapidly changing, as well as, changes the marketing anddeveloping process of video games. Loot boxing is a randomize rewarding systeminside the game frequently used by developers to monetize in-game assets andcan usually be purchased with in-game currency or through microtransactions.
First introduce in freemium (free-to-play) games, most of the casesmassively multiplayer online role-playing games, loot boxes contained”skins”, cosmetic attributes. Then the content versatility increased from skinsto abilities assets: health, damage, and fire rate.Such business module has beenrecently used by Electronic Arts (EA), one of the biggest name in a gamingindustry. However, it is created a big controversy and received criticism frompress and gaming community after EA published Star Wars Battlefront II, apay-to-play multiplayer video game based on the Star Wars film franchise. Loot boxing: benefit In video game industry, lootboxes are not a major source of profit for gaming developing companies; and itis fair to say that developers prioritize creating a fair and fun gameexperience.
Selling of the loot boxes provides additional revenue to giveplayers more reason to keep playing a game. Thereby, the longer players are inyour game, the longer game remains alive. And let’s not forget that studios arestill burning millions money in order to run all servers or other technologythe game requires. If people expectation unfulfilled, companies either get anew patch or damage their reputation.
In today’s world reputation is a vitalfactor for success – perhaps more so than the actual developing of the game.Furthermore, players also benefit from loot boxes as they have a choice whetherto experience the additional exclusive content of the game or not. Forpassionate video-game enthusiasts experience new experimental features of thegame they like is priceless.It is worth mentioning thatplayers can earn loot boxes in the game, in this case Battlefield II, throughplaying the game without spending money at all.
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Therefore, players’ ability to succeedin the game is not dependent on purchasing loot boxes. Loot boxing: badness Not allchanges are for good. Looking back in the days it used to be a fixed price fora long-term gaming experience.
The “Old” gamers of that era, are the ones whooverreacting as they used to pay only once. For them having paid 80$(CAD) forthe game, Star Wars Battlefront II, and not having access to main characters ofa favorite franchise would be waste of their hard-earned money. And this isexactly what EA has done with their product. To play Darth Vader, one of themost popular fictional villains from the whole universe, a player hasapproximately forty hours of a game play or try your luck by opening lootcrates. Furthermore, loot boxes contain relatively powerful upgrades that giveone player incomparable advantages over others who played or paid less.
However,there is a bigger problem that hides behind all this marketing, it is kidsgambling epidemic. Many people have a notion of gambling as a bad and worthlessthing to do as well as it is morally wrong activity. However, some of usoccasionally buy lottery tickets without considering it as gambling. Accordingto Oxford English Dictionary, word gamble means taking a risky action in hopeof the desired result. Rated as a game for ages thirteen and above createsaddiction equivalent to adult playing roulette or blackjack in a casino. Manypeople have a notion of gambling as a bad and worthless thing to do as well asit is morally wrong activity. However, some of us occasionally buy lottery ticketswithout considering it as gambling. And if it is not for a desirable result,people gamble for a happiness that comes from a pleasurable experience.
Competitiveness among the children inside video game today is been one of themain causes of unethical behavior. Nowconsider the following utilitarian argument: kids spending their parents’ moneyon opening battlefront loot boxes without parents’ permission. On the one hand,it is a pleasure from a process, opening loot crates, and it is an opportunity togain an advantage over other players.
On the other hand, it is waste of theirparents’ hard-earned money and irrecoverable time. Such wise, kids’ decisionsto gamble on loot boxes, taking risks, could possibly lead to bad consequencesfor people around them. Current situation is a controversial dilemma on its ownas all parents want for their children to be happy; therefore, parentssometimes close their eyes on kids buying crates. At the same time, kids feelforced to spend parents’ money under peer pressure.
Since loot boxingtechnology usually offers in games where most part of consumers are childrenunder eighteen. Conclusion:Ultimately, consumers decide whetherloot boxes ethically bad, benign or good and whether government put legislationon loot boxing inside video games or not will be influenced by our behaviorwhen confronted with them. The one thing to keep in mind, if loot boxes were todisappear, they would be replaced with something else.
