Publishers may argue that this is a way to get a greater return on investment so they can continue making more expensive, innovative games. While publishers fund developers working on cutting edge graphics with innovative gameplay, full voice acting and motion capture and, in some cases, continuing to support the game for years after release, they haven’t been charging more for those games. Video game prices have largely been flat since the late 1990’s. And while EA and others are likely looking to make more money, it’s a bit more complicated than that. (Image credit: EA) Why do publishers include loot boxes?Īt the end of the day, publishers are businesses, and they’re looking for a profit. Many refer to this as “pay to play.” In the case of Battlefront, it was far easier to pay for a ton of loot boxes filled with powerful cards for your characters, rather than spend dozens of hours grinding for them in-game. How likely is that? As of now, it’s hard to tell, as most publishers don’t list the likelihood of getting certain items (Nintendo recently did in its new mobile game, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, when using items that get you random collections of bugs or fish).Īs for microtransactions, the argument is that you’re paying for something that should already be in the game. This means that to get items they want, players may have to invest lots of money in multiple loot boxes until they hit the jackpot. That’s generally not the case in loot boxes. Think of them like a digital pack of baseball cards, though at least you could sell baseball cards you didn’t want, or trade them for ones you do. You open up a box and get items that may or may be what you want, or they may be worthless (though, unlike gambling, you always get something). In the case of loot boxes, many gamers equate them to gambling. Even more games include microtransactions, which often let you pay real-world money for in-game currency. Recent games featuring them include Apex Legends, Overwatch, Star Wars Battlefront II, FIFA 19, Middle-earth: Shadow of War, Gears of War 4 and Halo 5: Guardians. “Any events or circumstances that negatively impact our ability to reliably provide content or sustain engagement for Ultimate Team, particularly FIFA Ultimate Team, would negatively impact our financial results to a disproportionate extent,” EA said in its 2021 fiscal year financial report.Loot boxes have become more and more popular in the last few years. Contraĭutch courts overturned a €10 million ($10.7 million) fine against EA in March after it sided with the video game company’s argument that the game’s loot boxes are not a required part of gameplay. The United Kingdom will soon publish a report on loot boxes amid calls from lawmakers to treat the practice as gambling. In 2019, EA stopped selling “FIFA Points,” which cost money and can in turn be used for packs, in Belgium due to its loot boxes laws. A 2021 study by University of Plymouth and University of Wolverhampton researchers found loot boxes “are structurally and psychologically akin to gambling.” American video game maker Activision Blizzard called off the release of its “Diablo Immortal” game in Belgium and the Netherlands this week, reportedly due to the countries’ loot boxes laws. However, European countries have been quicker to link loot boxes to problem gambling and legislate against it. The FTC has largely avoided addressing loot boxes except for a 2019 workshop that outlined the associated risks with the practice.
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