300°

How to End Loot Boxes Once and For All According to Developers

On a follow-up to the news piece regarding the latest interview set by Gamesindustry. Game developers talked about the rising costs of the games according to technology. Afterwards, some other developers decided to speak up and talk about how the Loot Box system can stop being implemented.

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XiNatsuDragnel2810d ago

One thing just remove them or consumers will remove themselves from the equation. See it's simple.

Antnee5342810d ago

They won't remove them because it makes them money. Though they should be removed from all games cause it's a form of gambling and on mobile games it's targeted towards kids who don't know any better

opinionated2809d ago

Exactly. And we can’t forget to tax violent games that targets kids and turns them into serial killers.

Princess_Pilfer2809d ago

There is no stastical link between video games and violence.

@Opinionated
There *is* a historical precident and well understood phychological mechanisms for people getting hooked on gambling. Fundamentally different things.

opinionated2809d ago

@princess

Loot boxes dont turn people into gambling addicts anymore than violent games turn people into killers.

Can you show me any well documented studies that show kids being turned into gambling addicts from loot boxes? No? It’s not so different then imo.

Goldby2809d ago

@opinionated

Not only would that study be difficult to find, it is also a "new" mechanic put into gaming which means the statistics wouldn't be as accurate. But gambling on its own can be viewed to see the addictive traits form in the user. And that's how it needs to be viewed, as gambling. Not as a new mechanic in video games.

You look at any stats on gambling from a younger age and you will see the stats say that it increases the likelihood of addicted gamblers

opinionated2809d ago (Edited 2809d ago )

@goldby

Well there hasn’t been enough time to see what impact video games have on these serial killers. Give it some time, we can connect a dot or two somewhere down the line if we try hard enough.

Loot boxes are not a new mechanic lol. Random loot has been around for a century dude, giving another way to buy crates without earning them is not a “new mechanic”. Random loot does not equate gambling in any sense of the word. You are paying for a product. The product might not be what you want but it’s yours nonetheless. You are not gambling with your money under any legal definition. You will never get less or more money for a loot box.

Remember those gumball machines that give you random prizes for a quarter or whatever? Remember a Cracker Jack box? A pack of Pokémon cards? What’s the difference? It’s digital and “in game form”! Why would that study be any different? There is no difference dude. You would sound just as ridiculous in saying that buying crackerjacks for the prize is addictive gambling and preying on kids with suggestive advertising. You sound like the Christian Right attacking violent games with ridiculous strawmen.

You have no real reason or data to classify loot boxes as gambling or to suggest gambling is any more addictive than any other vice like fast food or video games themselves. You want to classify it because you hate loot boxes and want them down. I’m fine with that, hate all you want. I hate them too. Just don’t make up bullshit because you think it sounds good or justifiable. No disrespect.

nitus102809d ago

@opinionated

As for information related to child gambling due to loot-boxes how about putting the following into Google "loot boxes and child gambling". You will get about 500,000 hits although you will get more if you remove the "and".

Of course, you could use the following search "gambling addiction statistics 2017" and you will get about 4 million hits but an interesting site does explain this in more detail https://www.casino.org/gamb... Yes I know a gambling site explaining gambling addiction who whould have thought.

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TankCrossing2809d ago

Simple, but not something that's actually happening.

2809d ago
2809d ago Replies(1)
shinrock2809d ago

But aren't you worried about it's replacement?

Grap2809d ago

"Developers have retirement to save for and families to feed"
gotta feed the families lol.

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Gamist2dot02810d ago

We know we should vote with our wallets, but what happens when the developer makes the game super hard midway into the game and pushes players to pay for random items that might ease their experience through the level, or else grind for hrs? You can't return the game because you already put hrs into it (probably trade but unnecessary). "But consumers should read reviews before they buy." What happens when the reviewers receive a "reviewer copy" of the game where the game is easier and doesn't have loot boxes?

343_Guilty_Spark2809d ago

What examples do you have of this?

ccgr2809d ago

As a reviewer I play the game at the same difficulty as the target audience. If we are given in-game currency we disclose that.

yomfweeee2809d ago (Edited 2809d ago )

He has none. More hater talk. Just making up stuff.

Rebel_Scum2809d ago

"But consumers should read reviews before they buy." What happens when the reviewers receive a "reviewer copy" of the game where the game is easier and doesn't have loot boxes? "

It's not uncommon for online features in SP games to not be available for reviewers. That doesn't mean that MT's aren't visible to the reviewer either.

Deathpreacher2809d ago

its all going to come down to piracy so them greedy basters soon will learn

2809d ago
Rebel_Scum2809d ago

Good solution man, just put them all out of business ay. Such progressive thinking.

DillyDilly2809d ago

Don't buy the games with Loot Boxes seems like the most logical thing to send a message

Rebel_Scum2809d ago

That works. But if it's a SP game you can buy the game and not the loot boxes/MT's and you'd be sending the same message. They measure sales data metrics on everything.

UletheVee312808d ago

And that's what I did, do you see a Battlefront II review? Do you see a Shadow of War review? No? That's because I literally didn't buy into it. Even if I was provided with review copies I would've low scored it for the MTs

Many-hat52807d ago (Edited 2807d ago )

Ditto. Now we just need a couple of a million others to join our ranks to save video gaming as we know it. :)

2809d ago Replies(1)
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60°

Rogue Trader producer reveals his dream project: a CRPG SCP game with an actual budget

Owlcat Games producer Anatoly Shestov reveals his dream project: an SCP game with Owlcat RPG flair and a proper budget.

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videogamer.com
190°

While Layoffs Hit the Industry, Nintendo Retains 98% of Staff Including 78 With Disabilities

TNS: Based on its most recent ESG data, Nintendo boasts a remarkably low staff turnover rate of just 1.9%, with virtually no reported layoffs.

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thenerdstash.com
Jin_Sakai2d ago

Because Nintendo makes great games.

Yesyes1d 8h ago

It’s unreal that people are downvoting this when they consistently have the best scoring games on metacritic.

2d ago
rlow12d ago

Well it doesn’t surprise me. As much money as they make and how they value their employees. It’s a great company in that regard.

2d ago Replies(1)
drivxr2d ago

Well, when your games remain full price many years after release.

And you make profit off of outdated hardware.

I would be shocked if they couldn't afford to retain their staff.

lodossrage1d 22h ago (Edited 1d 22h ago )

I didn't want to say anything but drivxr is right.

Nintendo always sells at a profit because they purposely use tech that's always 5 or more years behind. And it's also true their games hardly ever get price decreases.

Don't get me wrong, it's great they kept most of their workforce, but making a point to have your tech specs behind everyone else affords that luxury.

Darkegg1d 19h ago

I don’t think it’s their purpose to use old tech. It’s their purpose to make value of software and know their value. Nobody makes games like them that’s for sure. I just don’t appreciate their customer unfriendly policy.

It’s not impossible to take their status. Companies need to have a selection of 8-bit and 16-bit. Now imagine a split screen for 8 player game for SNES Mario kart and selling at $9.99. The problem is that it doesn’t make profit. So many companies won’t invest in “old” technology. Everyone guns for triple AAA modern technology software but honestly we can enjoy modernized 16-bit creative ideas that allows 8-player mayhem. It’s a pipe dream, possible but impossible.

Shane Kim1d 20h ago (Edited 1d 20h ago )

If they ended up kicking people out after all of that stated above, it would be truly shameful.

DivineHand1251d 16h ago

Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Tesla and Meta are all trillion dollar companies yet they are laying people off in large numbers.

I believe the reason Nintendo layoffs off less workers may be a result of their culture. It seems Japanese companies believe in giving their workers long term or life long employment opportunities and will exhaust all options before laying off workers. This is something we don't see much of in the west unfortunately.

Rdeal1d 10h ago

might be something to do with the fact all those companies hire more than 20x the employees than Nintendo

LoveSpuds1d 15h ago (Edited 1d 15h ago )

What the hell are you talking about? It has nothing to do with how profitable they are. Its completely cultural, MS and Sony make stacks of cash and still lay folks off. Nintendo chose not to lay off staff for the same reason their execs took pay cuts to increase staff pay instead; because they value their staff and view them as colleagues, and respect them as such.

If Sony weren't so US centric I fancy they'd fare better too, they should get shot of US and European leadership and go back to when Japanese execs were running the show if you ask me!

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170°

It Shouldn't Take Expedition 33's Success to Remind Square Enix That Turn-Based Still Sells

TNS: Expedition 33 was the wake-up call Square Enix needed, telling it turn-based RPGs are still popular, but that shouldn't have been the case.

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thenerdstash.com
Relientk774d ago

True, but if it does get it through their thick skulls, then that works.

Although, the Dragon Quest 1 + 2 HD remakes will be turn-based and (the worst kept secret) Final Fantasy IX remake should be turn-based I would imagine. Let's see if any newer games go turn-based too.

thorstein4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

DQIII HD Remake was turned based and very successful. Then there was a really obscure turn based game came Balder's Gate 3. I heard it might have done well.

Profchaos4d ago

I wouldn't be shocked if they switched ff to the vii remake combat system

PapaBop4d ago

It won't get through to them though, despite E33's success, they still won't risk going fully turn based for their big budget projects simply because they are still in the mindset that it needs to be action combat to appeal to the mainstream audience. I hope I'm wrong but don't underestimate just how stubborn Japanese execs can be

barom3d ago

Ya'll are hyping up Expedition 33 too much. Reminder that FF XVI sold 3 million in a week and it took Expedition 33 approximately a month to get to that (33 days to reach 3.3 million).

barom3d ago

1 platform vs 3 platforms
1 week vs 1 month

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DivineHand1254d ago

While it is true that Sqaure Enix has moved away from turn based games compared to how they were in the past, there is a good reason for it.

Older gamers will know this but during the ps2 era, we were flooded with turned based games from Japanese studios and this created a form of fatigue back then going into the next generation.

When Square released FF13, they received heavy criticism for making the game turned based like every other FF game and not doing enough to innovate. This is why they made FF15, FF7 Remake and FF16 have real time combat. It gave the series a fresh spin and has brought in new fans to the series.

I personally would be happy with either turned based FF or the real-time combat version we see today.

Shane Kim4d ago

Remake and Rebirth have "turn based" if you set it in the settings.

Lexreborn24d ago

Dang wish I saw your post before I made mine because we definitely feel the same way lol

Profchaos4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

Yeah hit the nail on the head but its like ww2 games we get hundreds of them then a decade of nothing and people start missing them i think we're going to start seeing them return

Claire, dragon quest even yakuza have seen turn based return

Runechaz3d ago

Every Pokémon game is also a Turn Base RPG.. and selling millions

andy854d ago

Only need to look at their own game DQ 11 approaching 10 million to show there's a market. And that's not as big of a name as FF

Runechaz3d ago

you can also look at the Pokemon game number

Tacoboto4d ago

Another article about Expedition 33 and Square Enix and turn-based games? This is starting to sound like propaganda.

The game didn't sell because it's a turn-based game; it sold and is enjoyed because it's a really freaking good game that released completed at a good price without gamer drama attached to it. No Mtx, no wait-until-it's-patched, minimal bloat, a self-contained story, no multiplatform BS. Just a solid original game that absolutely nails what it intended to do.

Redemption-644d ago

I was just about to say the same thing.

anast4d ago

This comment should have a 100 upvotes, at least.

CrimsonWing694d ago

Maybe try actually listening to the fans who have supported the series for decades. This habit of ignoring your core audience just to chase people who were never interested in Final Fantasy in the first place makes no sense. And when that approach fails, doubling down on it is beyond baffling.

The battle system has never been the main reason non-FF or non-JRPG players stayed away. Gutting the series’ identity to chase a broader market doesn’t attract new players. It just alienates the loyal ones.

Keep going down this road and we’ll end up with Final Fantasy Fortnite abomination or a F2P Battle Royale game.. Oh wait…

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