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I much prefer how Epic Games have done this with Fortnite. And by all accounts their method is raking in a LOT of cash. All cosmetic items only, but you purcha
by lathiat 8y ago
I much prefer how Epic Games have done this with Fortnite. And by all accounts their method is raking in a LOT of cash.
All cosmetic items only, but you purchase the exact item you want directly. The items are a little more expensive than you might expect (I think on average $4-10 each) and it includes skins, different "axes" to break objects, different dances and different "gliders" that you fly into the game on.
It's quite fun, but also totally unnecessary and you only spend money on exactly what you want - no random chance.
On top of the fact that it's a free to play game in the first place, and you can also get quite a wide range of skins, axes and dances (10s of them) by playing to complete the battle pass which is only about $10 or so per season. Plus there are a few freebies even if you pay nothing, and some you can get from linking to Twitch Prime, etc.
I think this is winning partly because it is fun (the skins are quite comedic) but also just because you know what you're getting. By comparison I spent about $10 on keys for PUBG and stopped because I just got useless crap that isn't really exciting - they're just basic clothing items. Even the rarer items aren't as exciting which doesn't help but the chance of getting one is quite low.
The thing Epic/Fortnite have done to make them sell more (compared to the random chance) is that there is <10 items for sale per day for 24 hours, after 24 hours the set changes and you may not be able to buy that item again (though in practice many returns a few days or weeks later, you can't be certain). So instead of random chance gambling they're capitalising on missing out / time limited offers. Plus there's a constant influx of new items so instead of wasting time gambling for that ultra rare item - instead you can keep up with whats newer and cooler.
- sundvor 8y agoFwiw, PUBG loot boxes are not game play impacting; they are cosmetic only. If you don't want that "chance", you could just buy the specific item you'd like on the Steam store from other players. You may even sell unopened boxes (which require a key) there. Sauce: https://www.finder.com.au/playerunknowns-battlegrounds-will-never-have-pay-to-win-items https://www.finder.com.au/playerunknowns-battlegrounds-will-...
- cannonedhamster 8y agoSo what you're saying is that there's a variable real world amount of monetary value that you could win determined solely on the random outcome of a loot box. Sounds exactly like gambling. If someone spent $5 on a chance to win either a marmot, a squirrel, a fancy coat, or a golden banjo and the rarity of winning those depended upon their real world value, it would still be gambling. The only difference with loot boxes is that their real world value is determined by their rarity.
- tehwebguy 8y agoAgreed, and when you experience Fortnite it makes Hearthstone look particularly like pay-to-win Farmville with a license for Blizzard IP.