Backlash grows on 'Star Wars' video game 'loot boxes'

In a video posted on YouTube, Lee slammed the new title for being "designed to lure kids into spending money," adding, "It's a trap

well played.

we really are circling the bowl hey.

There is a difference between in game purchases and paying for a chance to win.

I am against any ingame purchases of skill/weapon upgrades.

Swapping accumulated experience points for those is different.

Granted I do buy game extensions and upgrades at times.

Can't say I see the point in paying to win a game, it surely defeats the whole purpose.

If the game is 'a gruelling slog' ...... just find another game to play, that you can actually enjoy and don't feel is a slog.

If the game is 'a gruelling slog' ...... just find another game to play, that you can actually enjoy and don't feel is a slog.

This is completely fair advice, but sadly many people cannot heed it due to a combination of poor self-control and game makers becoming incredibly adept at manipulating human psychology to create addiction. It's gotten to the point where people may even realize on a conscious level that they're not enjoying playing a game but still feel compelled to keep going (and likely spending more money on it, of course).

In Bioshock, etc you didn't need to pay, loot boxes were randomly awarded and what you got depended on in-game decisions.

Burnout Paradise had some upgrades you could purchase like game extensions.

Portal & Portal 2 had none.

IllyasToday  12:14 pm JST

It's gotten to the point where people may even realize on a conscious level that they're not enjoying playing a game but still feel compelled to keep going (and likely spending more money on it, of course).

Indeed, games are being built to blur the lines and train customers, who may well be children, to expect gambling with real money.

And while for now one can say, "well just don't play it," we can envision a future where all games or even all social networking experiences are built around compulsive gambling.

Why does this article not mention the fact that this company (EA) has already become notorious and hated by many due to this practice. They might also mention that they won the Consumerist 'Worst Company in America' award twice in a row (2012 & 2013). A little background might be nice.

Some will say that every company does it now, but that is simply not true. At least, not to the extent that EA does it.

Publishers should get rid of non-cosmetic microtransactions and just charge how much they think their game is worth, even if it goes beyond the psychological $60 MSRP price point

Basically right now they're selling for less, then trying to recoup the shortcoming thru microtransactions

This is completely fair advice, but sadly many people cannot heed it due to a combination of poor self-control and game makers becoming incredibly adept at manipulating human psychology to create addiction. It's gotten to the point where people may even realize on a conscious level that they're not enjoying playing a game but still feel compelled to keep going (and likely spending more money on it, of course).

Some people are completionists and "whales"

https://venturebeat.com/2013/03/14/whales-and-why-social-gamers-are-just-gamers/2/

I enjoyed Burnout Paradise with the Paradise Island extension and the Burnout and Mini cars additions.

Neither of which could be achieved/activated within the game itself. Add in that it had great music and you could upload your own too.

I think Monster Hunter had also in-game purchases curtailed, would need to ask my son as he played/finished all the games.

Right now ban on in-game purchases still varies between countries with more and more clamping down.

googleplay, apple and mobllephones & co will be very very very silent now, as all those looting & pay to play

started pretty much with mobilephone games.

It's Rampant throughout the Gaming Industry, particularly the Free to Play Games such as "World of Tanks Blitz".

There's no such thing as a Free Lunch.