3 ms·

Even if you can't trade the items (and you often can), they have a perceived value, and often a hard cash market value. A value that is frequently over-promoted

Even if you can't trade the items (and you often can), they have a perceived value, and often a hard cash market value. A value that is frequently over-promoted by the game to encourage purchase of more premium currency by the naive to buy more boxes. I can't distinguish a loot box from a scratch card -- except a scratch card must reveal odds. I'm old-school in terms of paying for games: £xx for a complete game, £x for a month's access as they provide a known value exchange. Doubly so when it's the underage being sold to. My kids learnt never to ask - my answer was always no. Lootboxes and other variable rewards, time unlocks and so forth are just a piss-take driven by sheer greed of the GameCo that's ruined many games.

aianus 8y ago
> I can't distinguish a loot box from a scratch card -- except a scratch card must reveal odds. A lot of problem gamblers get in a bad way because they think that the only way to recoup their losses is by continuing to play until they win. If you can't sell loot for cash, then it can't lead to this same kind of problem gambling because it's literally impossible to recoup your losses instead of merely unlikely. Therefore lootboxes should be regulated differently from actual gambling if at all.
- oldcynic 8y ago
  > A lot of problem gamblers get in a bad way ... by continuing to play until they win The why does not matter. By removing that part of your text the behaviour applies equally to both. Whether it is about recouping losses, or desiring the "ownership" of some pixels the same addictive behaviours are at work, and the same problems and financial losses can accrue. Game companies employ psychologists and economists to try and ensure addictiveness - giving you a meaningless "almost a winner" tickets with 2 of 3 required tokens etc > If you can't sell loot for cash In a good proportion of games you can sell the loot for cash. Via Steam Marketplace and so on. They deserve the same regulation and age limits as fixed odds betting terminals and fruit machines as that is essentially what they are.

aianus 8y ago

> I can't distinguish a loot box from a scratch card -- except a scratch card must reveal odds. A lot of problem gamblers get in a bad way because they think that the only way to recoup their losses is by continuing to play until they win. If you can't sell loot for cash, then it can't lead to this same kind of problem gambling because it's literally impossible to recoup your losses instead of merely unlikely. Therefore lootboxes should be regulated differently from actual gambling if at all.

oldcynic 8y ago
> A lot of problem gamblers get in a bad way ... by continuing to play until they win The why does not matter. By removing that part of your text the behaviour applies equally to both. Whether it is about recouping losses, or desiring the "ownership" of some pixels the same addictive behaviours are at work, and the same problems and financial losses can accrue. Game companies employ psychologists and economists to try and ensure addictiveness - giving you a meaningless "almost a winner" tickets with 2 of 3 required tokens etc > If you can't sell loot for cash In a good proportion of games you can sell the loot for cash. Via Steam Marketplace and so on. They deserve the same regulation and age limits as fixed odds betting terminals and fruit machines as that is essentially what they are.