PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is set to introduce loot crate keys for real money like many other games in the genre. However, this feature is expected to remain out during the early access phase.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, the early access battle royale game by Brendan “PlayerUnknown” Greene, is currently free from real money microtransactions. There is a market for skins on the Steam Marketplace, but the skins sold there all came from loot boxes that you purchase with in-game currency.
However, according to Brendan Greene, real money loot boxes – like in the main competitor H1Z1 – are not far off.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds: Monetization yes, Gambling no
However, Greene intends to implement the feature of real money loot boxes only after the game’s release at the end of 2017/beginning of 2018. The boxes are also expected to contain valuable skins worth 20 euros. Greene believes it is great that the skins can then be resold on the Steam Marketplace, thus creating a valuable economic structure.
What Brendan Greene strictly rejects is gambling with virtual items, such as in the gambling scandals surrounding CS: GO. “I do not want to encourage gambling. I am very pleased with the new Steam guidelines that prohibit using skins for gambling.” However, he explicitly welcomes a thriving skin trade on the Marketplace.
What do you think of the announcement to introduce microtransactions for loot boxes after the release of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds? Do you immediately exclaim, “That’s outrageous, it will be just like in H1Z1 and CS: GO!”, or do you say, “Well, the developers need to make money somehow, and I can also unlock the boxes through gameplay”? Let us know in the comments.
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