• Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Gear
  • Reviews
  • Games
  • Science
  • Security
Reading: It’s Not Just Loot Boxes: Predatory Monetization Is Everywhere
Share
Ad image
Technology MagazineTechnology Magazine
Aa
  • News
  • Business
  • Gear
  • Reviews
  • Games
  • Science
  • Security
Search
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Gear
  • Reviews
  • Games
  • Science
  • Security
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
Technology Magazine > Games > It’s Not Just Loot Boxes: Predatory Monetization Is Everywhere
Games

It’s Not Just Loot Boxes: Predatory Monetization Is Everywhere

Press room
Press room Published August 2, 2022
Last updated: 2022/08/02 at 7:47 PM
Share
SHARE

Whenever a term from the world of video games enters broader society, it’s a safe bet that it’s not for a good reason. Loot boxes—like Hot Coffee or Gamergate—don’t buck this trend. For at least the past five years, driven by a mix of grassroots Reddit organizing and parental horror stories—“my teen spent £6,000 on FIFA cards”—these randomized prize draws have attracted the world’s ire; in several countries, they’re now illegal. Last week, after a 22-month consultation, the UK government decided that loot boxes will not be regulated under betting laws. Despite finding a link between these systems and problem gambling, the government has left regulation up to the industry.

Nuance has been lost in this discussion. It’s never just been a binary choice between bans—“the nuclear option,” says David Zendle, a professor in computer science at the University of York—and letting the industry run wild. This is “misdirection,” he says, and gives the impression to gamers that they are at risk of losing their games. The precedent it sets is disappointing. It shuts down debate about regulation of any kind, leaving industry-friendly groups like the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) to pick up the slack. After all, loot boxes are not the only industry practice that needs to be examined. Predatory monetization is endemic.

Researchers trace the first loot boxes back to the Chinese free-to-play MMO ZT Online, released in 2006, where players opened virtual treasure chests. This formula mutated through various mobile games until it reached core franchises: in 2010, Valve incorporated them in Team Fortress 2. The success of Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch and its rewards of color-coded rarity led to a bevy of major titles, including Activision’s Call of Duty: WW2 and Xbox’s Gears of War 4, incorporating them as well. The practice reached a nadir with Electronic Arts’ Star Wars: Battlefront 2, in 2017, a “pay-to-win”’ system that generated outrage and saw congressman Chris Lee from Hawaii label the game “a Star Wars-themed online casino.” EA redesigned the system, but lost billions, and regulatory bodies started to take notice: Belgium would ban loot boxes in 2018.

Currently, it’s Fifa Ultimate Team that most people would associate these systems with. The odds of picking, say, a Prime Moments R9 card are ludicrously low (EA won’t tell us how low exactly). Converted from the in-game currency of FUT coins, the card is worth thousands of dollars. 

Whether a system like this (or more egregious examples; not all loot boxes are built the same) constitutes gambling, or causes problem gambling, is both a hot topic and a red herring: The bottom line is that loot boxes provide another avenue for the vulnerable to ruin their lives. The correlative evidence between loot box engagement and problem gambling symptoms is robust. The thin line between gambling and gaming is a burgeoning academic field. And the rush I felt as a child when I pulled a shiny Venusaur from my booster pack is indistinguishable from the rush I feel as an adult when I win a hand of poker, or, more equivalently, hit big on roulette.

This all leaves a bad taste in the mouth, but it also suggests that predatory monetization boils down to gamblification. This isn’t the case. “Loot boxes are the thing many people know about,” says Zendle. “But at the same time as the loot box existed, there have always been other instances of players reporting exploitation or coercion.” Even if the UK had banned loot boxes, explains James Close, a lecturer in clinical education at the University of Plymouth, it would have made little difference. Fearing regulation, many game publishers have already moved on. Overwatch 2 won’t use loot boxes, and even EA, says Close, with a little effort, could switch up its business model. Monetization has diversified (in some cases for the better, he says) but this goes for the predatory kind, too.

Press room August 2, 2022
Share this Article
Facebook TwitterEmail Print
What do you think?
Love0
Sad0
Happy0
Sleepy0
Angry0
Dead0
Wink0
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You Might Also Like

Games

Netflix Games Is Still Happening. Just Don’t Hold Your Breath

4 Min Read
Games

Scams Are Ruining Pakistan’s Digital Economy

4 Min Read
Games

‘Tentacular’ Is the Only Game That Does VR Right

3 Min Read
Games

‘Like a Dragon: Ishin!’ Is a True Yakuza Game

4 Min Read
  • Review
  • Top Lists
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use

We influence 20 million users and is the number one business and technology news network on the planet.

I have read and agree to the terms & conditions

Contact US

  • Contact Us
  • DMCA
  • Editorial Policy
  • Advertise

Quick Link

  • Gear
  • Games
  • Security
  • Reviews

© 2022 Technology Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

Follow US on Socials

Removed from reading list

Undo
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?