■■■■■ That ■■■■■■■ sucks and it’s pissing me off right now.
but even in those days and expansion was an expansion. not the DLC issue we have now with half games sold as full games in box like now under the guys of “season pass”. looking back on it the lootbox phenomena was the logical succession.
MoleUK
24
There’s a lot of industry practices that have led to this point.
Mobile gaming is by far the biggest element though, imo.
Partly because they weren’t designed to attract the core gaming audience that had been around forever. Though arcade machines were definitely a thing for a while there, so they knew it would work.
MoleUK
25
Perhaps.
But we’re talking about kids here too.
And despite several PR disasters and backlashes against abusive microtransaction practices, EA et al continue the march onward.
The risks have been raise numerous times with these companies, they don’t seem to want to listen.
mobulis
26
If you could win money in loot boxes then it would be gambling, but you can’t so it isn’t.
MoleUK
27
You can win items worth hundreds of dollars in CS: GO, as one example.
Though I don’t think you have to be able to win $$$ directly to qualify as gambling, that’s an overly simplistic view imo.
mobulis
29
So you can actually sell these items for hundreds of dollars?
It’s sometime sad to see how gaming has evolved. I’m a more classic gamer. I’m an old dude who cut my teeth on an Atari 2600. Took a short break and back in with NES, then SNES. Now pretty much PC gaming. But I mobile too. And just the influx of ■■■■ like microtransactions and Day One DLC is aggravating and disappointing. Used to be you buy a game, you get a game. Now you gotta buy more stuff to unlock more stuff. That’s why I don’t game as much any more. Oddly, at 51 I find Minecraft to be pretty damn therapeutic. So I play often.
Oh, and screw EA. There’s a reason they’ve been consistently voted the worst brand in gaming. And it’s their ■■■■■■ ethics. I try not to buy their games any more.
MoleUK
31
Thousands, sometimes.
Not every game with lootboxes has that kind of marketplace, mind.
very good point. the low cost of entry to creating these game coupled with the increase in computing power and graphic display of mobile devices had a great hand in bringing gaming to the “masses” so to speak. simple gameplay, attractive and shiney colors, cute music are all the exact same elements these game (candy crush for example )share with casinos without the hassle of going to a gambling state. fortnight just seem to combine those elements with team fortress gameplay.
MoleUK
33
It does make me feel like an old man, but yeah it’s been sad to see the progression.
On virtually every other “Games cause X negative behavior”, it’s not been hard to find the gigantic holes in the argument that reveal it to be bunk.
Here, though? There’s no defence. It’s gambling, and many kids are being introduced to it by modern games.
true in fortnites case its more of free to play, pay to look goofy wining but its the same formula
MoleUK
35
They have legit just lifted tactics and strategies from the casinos at this point, it’s really sad.
And this isn’t the game devs doing it, almost 100% guaranteed it’s the marketing departments et al.
one of my characters in galaxies was worth over a thousand $ on ebay at one point
MoleUK
37
I used to be of the opinion than cosmetic DLC stuff was nothing to really worry about, notsomuch anymore.
MoleUK
38
Sold an EQ account for almost £500 back in the early 2000’s iirc.
Real money for virtual items isn’t new.
When you introduce gambling elements though? That’s putting that ■■■■ on steroids.
agreed. and that is not even going to the sport section both Esports and the sports game themselves
WuWei
40
I’m not sure I’m going to buy that. I will defer to your expertise for the time being.