Cut the Crap with the Loot Boxes

(DrD3ath) #1

SD has sold their soul.
Tapirs are disappointed.
Why did I give my money for this crap.

Lose the loot box strategy and stay with game play quality.

(DarkangelUK) #2

I’ve spent money on DB, but for guaranteed things and not loadout crates (I always bought the exact bronze I wanted from the store with credits). There’s some onus on the individual here as well, not saying developers are innocent but people need to be responsible for their own actions as well… I didn’t like RNG boxes so i didn’t buy the bloody things.

(Jan S.) #3

Lootboxes in free2play titles are fine in my opinion and while I don’t like melee skins implementation in DB(cs:go copypaste, not a fan of that), it’s not a big deal compared to premium titles with microtransactions, lootboxes and other bullsh*t.

That said, I agree it’s gambling and I don’t see any other change that would work except for prohibiting lootboxes in every game.

(Gire) #4

Since they are all just cosmetics and f2p and they want to get money from somwhere, its fine.

(KeMoN) #5

Shameless plucking of my own concept:


concept.jpg3508×2480 3.4 MB

A loadout card system that has certain RNG elements, because you can still receive cards by case drops, but you can buy the exact cards you want and improve them, by actively playing them or buying Weapon/Crafting kits to further adjust them according to your play style.
Also it would separate skins from the cards. Right now, I feel like it is often the case, that there is a wonderful skin that you would actually spend money on, but it is tied to a fixed card, that you may not really like, so you don’t buy the skin. Or maybe you like the card, but would rather have another augment.
With that concept you could buy Weapon/Crafting kits to shape the perfect card for you.

In my eyes this increases the desire to play, because you can shape your card and it also gives more incentive to buy things, because the player knows what they will get.
The money making potential here is bigger than the current one I’d assume, but since I have no details, that’s just speculation. However I can imagine that the player would want one ‘perfect’ card per weapon per merc or even a defensive and an offensive card per weapon per merc, so until you have your final card deck you would still play a significant amount of hours.

Let me know what you think. Maybe with enough signatures SD might have another look.

(binderr) #6

I’m not a fan of loot boxe either, people should realise when you buy loot box, your at a disadvantage because you can’t choose, you have not choice’ but to accept the random reward. Seller will obviously sell you more of same shiitt just so you can try again. This is the game SD is playing.

(DrD3ath) #7

I guess I am a little disillusioned by the use of underhand psychological manipulation “tricks” to get people to spend more money. Back when the Dirty Bomb project began many people, including myself, were wiling and happy to put money upfront to help out SD based on the game play we expected from great games such as ETQW. We were promised community servers etc. (I see an update mentioning there availability soon)

I realise that the game has to monetised some how however I am just disappointed to feel I am sometimes playing a pub fruit machine.

(Nail) #8

LOL, they put stuff for sale stating it won’t help you, it’s just BLING and you feel that’s underhanded ?

silly person, I bought ONE thing in game, the full merc pack when it was half price, I only had 6 mercs at the time so it was a FREAKIN GREAT DEAL, but it’s been the only great deal.

You seem to equate “rare” hard to get (RNG) things with your perceived status in game, it doesn’t actually work that way

(Timpage) #9

Hello

Game companies need to cut the crap—loot boxes are obviously gambling

(Xenithos) #10

I tried so hard not to tell OP he was a silly hunam, then you went and did it anyway.

@DrD3ath you do realize that you as a consumer have certain responsibilities, right? one of those is if you don’t like the design decisions or product offered then you don’t offer your money or time.

(DrD3ath) #11

Perhaps Xenithos you didn’t bother to read the linked article from Arstechnica or Eurogamer.net.

Let me be very clear, I have not paid any money for loot boxes nor will I.

I, and many others lurking about these forums have been following Splash Damage from their early days as developers beginning with their Marketgarden mod map for Return to Castle Wolfenstein back in early 2000’s through Enemy Territory, Enemy Territory:Quake Wars and Brink. Brink didn’t work out for them and after that many of us paid over money to Splash Damage so they could begin to develop Dirty Bomb when it was just a concept. We believed in and had great respect for Splash Damage as a developer of good class based, objective based games which we all enjoyed playing.

The point of this post was to provoke a discussion regarding loot boxes and their place in gaming in general and specifically their place in Dirty Bomb. I think it is obvious what my thoughts are relating to loot boxes. Just to be sure I will say again that they are simply gambling and should have no place in any game.

I am not alone in thinking this and loot boxes have been heavily criticised because they use techniques used in other forms of gambling. All you have to do is look at the graphical presentation when you open a loadout box. Take a look at any gambling fruit machine for comparison. Look at how EA had to back down with Battlefield.

The sad thing is that many games seem to be following the same route. For sure, developers and publishers have to make some money, otherwise there would be no games. However, some monetization practices would seem to be amoral at best if not immoral.

I am perfectly aware of the “buyer beware” concept. However, unless loot boxes worked as revenue generators, as opposed to just selling stuff straight up, they wouldn’t be doing it. Why can’t we go back to simply selling the game for a fixed price and forget about ingame monetization.

(Chris Mullins) #12

We’re keeping a very close eye on regulations and how they’re evolving over time. We’ll make sure Dirty Bomb is compliant in every way.

(DrD3ath) #13

Rather than aiming to stay within the regulations would it not be more fitting to lead by example?
Consign loot boxes to the amoral bin and take the randomness out of purchases.

(Nail) #14

I like the RNG, separates the men from their money
:orange_octo::balloon:

(Runeforce) #15

Call the press! This gaming company just stated its intent to comply with the law!
The only way you could have been more honest, were if you had written ‘fuck you’ in all caps.

(DrD3ath) #16

I’d like nothing more than to wear my founders edition “Dirty Bomb” T-Shirt with pride, and I do. Please move away from this style of monetization. It is demeaning.

(Mc1412013) #17

I dont know how many cases i have any more. All them cases droping doesnt even phase me any more i dont pay any attention to cases or locked cases or fragment drops in db. With the exception of event cases. I use my obsidans and event cards l. colbalt gold, platnum,antimantium, verbrainium, what ever rarity there called. cards that come in as every day game drops are useless to me

(DrD3ath) #18

15 countries and one US state team up to fight gambling in video games

In the comments after the article :

“The only people this hurts are developers who are abusing the psychology of humans to exploit maximum profits with minimal design effort.”

(Swishar) #19

That’s true, but I think it is also problem with education if people spend enormous amount of money for such things