Loot boxes, also known as loot crates, are randomized items that can be purchased while gaming using either real money or in-game currency. The contents of loot boxes varies enormously, with some boxes containing common items, and others containing much rarer finds. Although almost all gamers have encountered loot boxes, and many gamers are excited to find them, the practice of placing loot boxes in-game has come under scrutiny.
This is because loot boxes have been compared to real-world gambling mechanisms like slot machines and scratch cards. With legislation looming, loot boxes are experiencing a marketing facelift. Many companies are opting to rebrand them, either with vague names like surprise mechanics, as has been the case with EA, or with a more obvious rebrand name like mystery box. This article will discuss the name change and the regulations that have inspired this new practice, while also warning of the ambiguity these name changes bring.
New legislation is creating confusion, with loot boxes avoiding criticism by adopting the name mystery box. However, there are some critical differences between the two. Loot boxes are always tied to in-game wins like new weapons and upgrades, whereas mystery boxes can also be attached to prizes with fiscal value, like tech gadgets and NFTs.
For players who love the mechanism but who struggle to find the experience in-game, their best option for finding the same hit is to use a mystery box website. For now, players can still enjoy a similar experience that includes all the fun and anticipation of winning a mystery prize without legislative interference.
So, why are loot boxes looking to be rebranded as mystery boxes in the first place? The debacle started in 2018, when the gaming giant Nintendo placed loot crates in their famous game offering Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. This was immediately denounced, with critics saying that the practice should not appear in such games due to who they are generally aimed at.
Even though these loot boxes are critical to the game industry, generating $15 billion per year in revenue, 90% of the revenue produced is not generated by newer generation players, but rather by “whales”. Whales, as they are known in the gaming industry, are a small group of players whose love for loot boxes means they exercise incredible spending power, generating 90 percent of purchases made on loot crates.
With this being said, the tides are shifting to better legislate loot boxes in the gaming industry. The UK has made moves to better inform gamers of loot crates in-game, with a new law demanding that games containing loot boxes are accurately advertised.
In Austria, changes in gambling legislation meant that SONY came under fire for including loot packs in their FIFA Ultimate Team games. These regulation changes are forcing the gaming industry to critically reframe the way that legislators view their games while still maintaining their faithful base of players. One of the ways that they do this is by opting to rename their product.
EA, which has come under fire for the practice of in-game purchases and loot crates, has tried to evade criticism by renaming these items “surprise mechanics”, a decision which was derided by fans of the company.
With name changes on the horizon, fans need to be discerning with how they interact with loot boxes. When playing video games, use loot boxes responsibly and be prepared for a variety of items related to in-game play.
However, when a game touts the name change of mystery box, be mindful that they have made this change on account of legislative changes, and they will not be providing anything that isn’t available for gameplay, such as NFTs or merchandise. Maintaining clarity on the nature of the in-game mechanism will help you make responsible decisions on when and how to spin safely.