Even though players may not want to hear it, the developers agree: Loot boxes are important if games are to have a future.
Loot boxes were likely the controversial gaming topic of 2017, although the discussion has carried into the new year. While players primarily split into the camps of “I don’t care as long as they aren’t Pay2Win” and “Loot boxes are the death of all video games”, developers also have their opinions on the additional loot crates that can be purchased for real money.
In a few months, the Game Developers Conference will take place, where over 4,500 developers will exchange ideas and discuss developments in the gaming market. There was already a survey beforehand where developers were asked to express their opinions on various topics.
One of these topics was loot boxes. The result may be sobering for many. According to the developers, loot boxes will accompany us for a long time and will not disappear anytime soon. A total of 11% of developers reported that they are currently working on games that will contain “paid loot crates” in some form.
“As long as everything is earnable, no one can complain”
One of the developers stated that “time is money”. He further elaborated: “As long as the content is obtainable by playing the game and the balance of the game content first considers gameplay and only then monetization, I see no basis for justified complaints.”
However, the developers are currently also concerned, as the uproar triggered by Star Wars: Battlefront 2 could negatively impact games that offer “fair” loot boxes and do not hide a Pay2Win system behind them.
Microtransactions are now part of the strategy for all major AAA titles, and everyone has to figure out how that can work for them, another developer stated.
What do you think about loot boxes? Are they a necessary evil? Or should developers find other methods – if so, which ones?
