Loot Boxes are Cancer, and We're Letting it Kill Gaming

Gamers, Loot Boxes are a huge problem that’s been allowed to happen by the gamers. From the very beginning, when Blizzard made this practice with Overwatch this shouldn’t have been allowed. Cosmetic or not, game-breaking or not, we allowed this cancer of gaming to devour us when it was a minor thing.

[-Foxtrot]

Certain people are, the ones who will say "it's not harming anyone, they are optional" or "you guys are overreacting"...they are the ones helping spreading this cancer because of the bullshit excuses developers have drilled into their heads to make them not seem as bad.

But journalists should also be to blame because they just seem to ignore this shit when reviewing games. Forza 7, Destiny 2, Shadow of War...hardly anything was said and even the reviews which did say something still gave the game a high mark. If the games don't get good reviews then it's obviously going to affect the developers bonuses and will put some sort of dent in the games sales...only then will the publisher get the message.

Battlefront II will be next I think...can already taste those pay to win features along with that mighty 9.5/10 score.

[UletheVee31]

.... You did read the article right?

[Skull521]

Games are more expensive than ever to produce. As a community we need to decide whether we want these micro transactions, do we want the $30-60 season pass, or do we want to start just outright paying $100 for our games...

[Princess_Pilfer]

@Skull521

Games also consistently sell millions of units, something most games, even most AAA games, couldn't dream of in previous generations.

Further, that's a false choice. Because, see, EA and Ubi and the like want ALL of those things, and consistently push them while also pleading poverty and hiding billions of dollars in like Denmark or something. Don't buy the corperate bullshit.

[cooperdnizzle]

@skull521

I'm sick and tired of hearing this argument. First game development has gone up but the sale of games have also gone up pretty substantially, although when you look at the number of people that are part of the in house dev teams, the numbers are still relatively the same, you can actually find many reports of studios having less developers.

The second fact is that most of the big game publishers/studios (UBI, EA, 2K etc) have parts of the game outsourced, meaning pennies on the dollar.

3rd game companies are not so open about how much they have spent on development for the last four to five years. MGS4 cost 80 million dollars to make. That had no dlc, season pass or micro transaction to save them.

Last and this is the biggest one, Developers are putting these things in such as Dlc and Micro transactions as a fail safe, plain and simple. If they make a bad game and it doesn't sell as expected they can bank on the people who will end up spending 100 dollars 200 dollars etc etc on a game, thus making worse games for less money and knowing that if it wasn't received well they will still make a profit. If this continues to happen we will see more and more games come out broken, incomplete or flat out terrible games. The path we are on is a bad one, but gamers more than any other market will not stand for it long i truly believe this.

[Chexs1990]

I actually allowed myself to be excited for EABF2. The first one was put out to reap sales along with the movie, so it was rushed and shallow.
Then they came out out and said that the second one had no season pass, which kinda raised the first flag.
Then I tried the beta for an hour and was like "yup, f**k this"
You'd have to be pretty low in the IQ department to not see sales tactic on this one. It'll essentially end up racking them more money than the season pass from the first one.

A shame really, seeing as the gameplay itself is quite good.

Same reason I'm not buying into Shadow of More: Pay up to complete edition

[PapaBop]

"Battlefront II will be next I think...can already taste those pay to win features along with that mighty 9.5/10 score."

The only silver lining with battlefront 2, it'll be a great indicator of what review sites I can respect. I've seen some dubious scores in the past for various games but the way progression is currently being handled in battlefront 2 is borderline gamebreaking and deserves at least -2 to any respectable review score.

[EatCrow]

Exactly. Lets wait and see what happnes...maybe these reviewers will surprise us...I doubt it.

[EatCrow]

Journalists are truly the biggest voice. Like the rest of the media. If theyre corrupt and stupid then we all suffer from it.

the progression system alone should be enough to convince reviewers to shit on the game. It is a terrible practice and terrible game system.

[vallencer]

They aren't going to go anywhere. More people buy them then anyone on this website realizes. I've been guilty of buying them but I earn my money and can do whatever I want with it. It's basically buying pokemon or magic cards people like to see what they can get. For me when its skin based loot or something similar it's fun to open them. F me though for supporting a game I like eh? Game cost have risen but the price of a game has not so game companies have to figure out a way to make money on a game after it's been completed. I'm ok with how overwatch does it. Everything is free technically speaking but you can buy loot boxes to support them if you like. Even rainbow six does it really well. Those are two games I wish everyone drew from. Destiny 2 does it in the most BS way possible because you used to be able to earn sparrows and ghost just through playing the game. Even ships but now they're all tied to those bright engrams. Also Shadow of wars loot boxes are a non issue. Every review and streamer who is playing the game agrees that you don't need them even for end game.

Like I said though they aren't going to go anywhere. They are a lucrative item to have in games. If I were to make a game I'd put them in there too. For every one person who won't buy them 10 people will.

[2600Thunder]

Wholeheartedly agreed. Games should only cost about $40 realistically given that high budget movies cost that to own on bluray. The ones defending loot gambling sound like addicts in anything unhealthy. They don't care how they get their fix as long as they get that nice juicy rush and will sell their grandmothers or quite literally give them all their money to get it. GaaS pioneers like MS, Activision, and EA are the reason we will see less innovation in games and more of it in how they STEAL value away from customers.

[DaNineTwo]

Freaking facts !

[WePlayDirty]

I know I’m not. I haven’t touched a AAA game with these boxes in them.

[Omnisonne]

Lootboxes themselves are fine, it's allowing people to pay for them that is bad.

Randomly generated loot has been in gaming for ages, from the old Diablo games to Borderlands to many others, it's a viable gameplay mechanic albeit very addicting. Now however people are literally gambling with their money, feeding developers' already poor ideas about this being a fun and profitable thing to do, while it hurts people in more than one way.

[Einhander1971]

The sheep keep buying it so it won't stop, they regard themselves as HARDCORE gamers, just mugs in my opinion. But that's modern gaming for you it's all about cash!!

[_LarZen_]

And the cancer has spread to the gamers themselves. Now buying so much that it's a business model they wont remove.

[kindkinesis]

so true

[CDbiggen]

I don't even know what a loot box is.

[PamelaSmith00700]

But u buy it anyway :)

[MattDavisGR]

yepp the rich sheep herd :)))

[Prince_TFK]

It is a box full of loot. Hence the name loot box.

😂😂😂

[billyysanderss]

It's what your rich daddy's buy for you spoiled kids, just the be OP and do stupid things like PK....

[Mikelarry]

I don't think gamers should give up just yet, just the same way publishers put it in our faces till some caved should be the same way those who want to take a stand against this business model in AAA games. Because the moment you roll over and give up is the day this hobby we care so much about gets worse

[datriax]

Thankfully, I have a backlog list that I couldn't finish in 2 lifetimes.

Last "AAA" game I bought brand new was Deus Ex Human Revolution in 2011. Since then, been putting money in much better investments, such as, my retro collection. 8, 16, and 32 bit games.

"Gaming" was ruined once every moron with the IQ of a pile of dogs**t found the graphics worthwhile. Opened a new market of people who are too stupid to realize when they are being ripped. The types of morons you see getting handled by sales people in department stores, and snicker to yourself as you walk by.

Here we are today, where these colossal idiots not only willingly bend over to get f**ked in the ass by people much smarter than they are, but they go out and defend it to boot! LOL You can't make this s**t up.

Generation Stupid is in full effect these days.

[bigmalky]

The Apple generation... Right enough, idiots have been paying for brands for years now. It's just more mainstream now and they're willing to up their debt to keep up with the Jones'.

I still have no idea why anyone would buy a full priced game, just to pay to progress now. Greedy bastards and dumb rich are really ruining the pastime.

[Weeblordbad]

You sound like a really "fun" person. Everyone else is stupid and I'm smart is a great look, makes you look like a reasonable person.

[BeRealisticNow]

I’m not going to skip out on a good game because you can pay to progress faster.
I’ve never bought any of this crap, and the games still function just fine.
Blame the real enemy for bringing in here microtransactions: Mobile Gamers

[EatCrow]

Then it will continue.

[Liqu1d]

Blame mobile gamers? No. I'll blame the console & PC gamers that support this crap in AAA games. Buying the game new still supports them.

[deadwiseman85]

Problem is even if we buy the games with these loot boxes in we are some what complisit in these games success. I don't buy any games with them in full stop.

[Weeblordbad]

Your comment history mentions playing BF1. That game has loot boxes, cosmetics sure but loot boxes all the same.

[deadwiseman85]

I played the beta!

[bamillington]

i for one will never entertain loot boxes

[jessicalewis2k17]

Me to :)

[ifrit_caress]

Blame the whales, the dolphins, the gaming outlets that don't speak out about it (ie IGN for example) but don't blame all gamers.

[Mikelarry]

I have stopped going to that site as time and time again they give high praise to games that should be rated at best 6.5 and enforce anti consumer business like loot boxes ie 9.0 to evolved. Like in what planet/time/universe does that game warrant a 9.0

[ifrit_caress]

Agreed, Evolved is terrible. Doesn't even deserve a 7/10. IGN gives almost any game on their website a 8 or 9/10, and those wankers never mention or comment on the microtransactions in the game. They want to be happy with their access in the gaming industry.

[Weeblordbad]

Just like L4D it's a lot of fun with a group of friends. 9.0 is still really high, but it's not unreasonable to believe someone had that much fun with it.

[chris235]

if people would use their minds they would set an example and boycott these titles. but the devs and publishers know very well how human minds are ticking. what is a minimal backlash of some random dudes on the internet (us) against the millions of people who get tricked into opening their wallets to these transactions. i would ignore the righteous gamers, too. most definitely. and so would everybody else who had to run a business. everybody who wants to tell something else is a hypocrite.

[bluefox755]

100% agree. Unless we want AAA gaming to turn into the mobile gaming model with a $60 price tag, I think we should really stand against it.

[lildudexst]

It a choice to buy the box. Nobody grabing your hand to buy it. Wanna look different quick gotta pay to look good,or or grind the shit out of the game like real gamer do.

[Gitgud]

But it's just not. Games that are PTW are ruining games. OW's lootcrates doesn't have effect on your gameplay experience unless you believe having a shiny skin makes you a better player. People said CoD has PTW weapons but I never once experienced this and I use vanilla weapons landing a fairly decent K/D in most games. People said that Destiny 2 has PTW elements but it just doesn't. Weapon upgrades can be earned without opening once eververse engram. If lootcrates effect the gameplay experience then I'll join you lot, but currently from my perspective you guys seem like you're whining over nothing. I played Battlefront and I didn't know until recently there's a lootbox system, I just played the sniper class and kept playing and enjoyed it (ain't gonna buy it though.) Go ahead and say I'm spreading this supposed disease, but until I see a glimpse of it myself then I just won't.

[tigertron]

Remember when you bought a game, you bought it in its entirety? no DLC, no season passes, no loot boxes. You just had everything in the game. Now you pay £40-50 for a new game and it's just barebones because they sell you the rest of the game at ridiculous prices.

[QUIMICOMORTAL]

It's easy, as long as people keep wasting their money there, it will continue to happen!

[billyysanderss]

That's for sure...

[DaCandyman]

Loot boxes are not the problem. It's how loot boxes are acquired. I like Overwatch's concept. It's cosmetic , doesn't effect competitive gameplay, you don't have to buy it and everyone can grind it out to get it, No unfair play loss when a level 10 (zero star) novice player gaining advantage bc he/she bought their way up. Injustice 2 is different but I still like that players have to grind to get evenly matched. The annoying ones are the ones that boost players with hardly any effort. That spoils the competition

[Princess_Pilfer]

No, it's lootboxes. The whole point of the system is to frustrate people into buying them because it's interminably grindy, and then get them hooked on a positive feedback loop to keep buying them. That's not acceptable, wether it's "just cosmetic" or not.

[andron]

Between Loot boxes and Donald Trump's presidency, life is sure gloomy these days.....