How the Loot Box Controversy Shaped Gaming Industry in 2017

The loot box controversy of 2017 is not unheard of, and sometimes you see that the game developers are highly benefited by the buzz around these in the industry. How players behave in response to the controversy makes more difference than what the players say as their actions directly impact the business. The question is whether loot boxes are a form of gambling?

With the rise of online casino and its accessibility on smartphones, mobile casino games are widespread and convenient to play. However, the online casino like Jackpot Fruity fixes age limitations on gambling so that children friendly games do not promote or endorse underage gambling.

The Changing Face of Gaming in the Industry

The industry scenario looked different before the Star Wars Battlefront 2 as it was designed around its earnings and profits rather than for fun. When the game was launched, players displayed their angst to such an extent that Disney thought it could ripple a negative impact on their business. These days with players’ exhibition of their negative reactions to loot boxes the economies are becoming rather controversial. However, on the one hand, there are the online casinos like the Jackpot Mobile Casino where you can play your favourite slots as well as table games and win big rewards in real money. Playing licensed games like the classic European Roulette, Blackjack and much more offer great entertainment along with easy accessibility and convenience of gameplay.

Powered by prominent gaming developers like Nektan, Microgaming, NetEnt and NextGen, Jackpot Mobile casino brings a variety of popular titles based on a range of themes with HD visuals and sounds that can suit every preference and taste. While the online casino industry involves huge money in circulation, the free-to-play loot box economies make lots of money without burning holes in the players’ pockets.

Understanding the casino games and the video gaming industry

Loot boxes though are a form of micro-transactions, they are often referred to as a unit owing to their sales techniques, and they also allow drawing of unlimited revenue from a single game. In a recent report, Ubisoft reported that they earned much more from such microtransactions than from their digital sales of the games. Moreover, the unit sales were recorded lower than the microtransactions than grew significantly. The debate on ethical issues arises where young players are enticed into spending big amounts on playing these games. The gambling regulators have made several statements in the battle over loot boxes as the stakes are large. Eventually, it depends on the industry to choose what it wants to be.

The evolution of gaming on mobile platforms has allowed a massive expansion of the gaming industry. The modern video gaming companies have been adopting techniques like that of the mobile casinos ensuring that their customers too are easily addicted to their games.

For instance, use of the fake currency like poker chips, cards and gems are popular, and with the use of these, the gaming companies create an illusion where players do not realise how much real money they end up spending while paying through their debit cards. It seems that the loot box has been traversing an ethically dubious path and the question is whether it is morally correct to charge gaming enthusiast for a product they own already.

About Author