However, the entire process was changed after Star Wars: Battlefront, which was one of the first full-price triple-A games to include loot boxes that can be purchased with real money. Loot boxes were introduced to games in the late 2000s, as a form of monetization of free-to-play games. As the item is better and rarer it will be less chance of it appearing in a loot box. The items that come in loot boxes come in different rarity levels, usually ranging from basic items to rare and even legendary ones. However, many people decide to skip the gameplay process and purchase the loot boxes with real money. This mechanic encourages players to play more often since they are given a chance to win a loot box. The process of loot boxes requires players to purchase them with virtual currency (purchased with real money) or earn loot boxes through the gameplay. The reward system gives players a chance to earn cosmetic items, which can improve the player’s in-game character, or give a player an advantage to win. They are virtual goods that contain in-game items and rewards for players to enjoy. Loot boxes may come in different forms and sizes but their definition is always the same.
So, this got us wondering, are loot boxes more addictive than casino games? What are Actually Loot Boxes? Secondly, they both cause addiction where players are driven by the fact that they can earn high rewards. And that is why countries like Belgium and Netherlands have banned them already.įirst of all, they are both games of chance where in some cases you can earn high rewards based on random generators. The problem is that online casinos are meant to be for adults, while loot boxes are many times triggered by children, who do not have their own source of income. If a game like hot drop jackpots can cause a sense of adrenaline into a false sense of winning, loot boxes can cause too. If we compare both online gambling and loot boxes, we can find many similarities. However, it seems like loot boxes are blurring the lines between gaming and gambling. Loot boxes are the not-so-new way of keeping people engaged in games. However, a few years ago there has been a new discovery introduced as a form of a random reward system that gives a chance for players to receive rare in-game items. Game developers are in constant search of finding a new way of keeping people engaged in their games.