Now Loading: Are Gaming Loot Boxes Inherently Bad?

Loot boxes are the hot trend in gaming, and considering how many people purchase these in-game items it’s no surprise to see them popping up in more games. They’ve appeared in a wide range of games from multiplayer hits like Overwatch to single-player titles like Middle-earth: Shadow of War. Heck, they’ve even appeared in fighting games (Injustice 2) and will be in Assassin’s Creed Origins. The trend isn’t stopping any time soon.

That’s why the question we posed in this week’s Now Loading was “How do you feel about gaming loot boxes? Are they inherently bad?”

Check out the gallery below to find out what the staff thought of this controversial subject:

Now that you’ve seen our answers, we’d love to see hear your answer. Feel free to chime in below with your answer to the question. We’d love to know what you think about gaming loot boxes, and if they impact your purchasing decisions any!

We’re always looking for suggestions for our next Now Loading. If you’ve got a good one then let us know via email (or leave a comment below), and we might feature it next week. If we do, we’ll make sure to include a special thank you to the sender!

Now Loading is a weekly recurring feature where the PlayStation LifeStyle staff discusses anything video game-related ranging from hot topics to more whimsical subjects. Past editions can be found here.

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Now Loading: Loot boxes

Are Loot Boxes Inherently Bad?
Anthony Nash

As long as the concept of microtransactions doesn’t limit me from earning anything that’s in the game. I don’t really mind. I like that they exist for the people who want to play something, but may not have the ability to invest 100’s of hours into in order to fully enjoy a game. It all boils down to how they’re implemented, and are only really a problem when a game becomes too dependent on them or tries to constantly force the player to acquire them.
Cameron Teague

I don't mind loot boxes, because it really doesn't impact the core game.
Chandler Wood

This is practically an article of its own, mostly because there are so many factors at play. Loot boxes are great. They are fun and there's a certain rush from opening one or two or 20. But poor implementation can shed a bad light on them. My number one thing is that they have to be earnable in-game. Loot box microtransactions are awful if developers don't offer the same opportunity to players who don't pay money. If the field is balanced, then I'm all for them, microtransactions and all.

Let's say I don't have a chance to play an Overwatch event, but really wanted a shot at the event skins. I've got no problem dropping some money for the chance, because I know I'll be grinding out and playing for other event skins later. Loot boxes are most often in games I find myself pouring hundreds of hours into, so the occasional microtransaction to support the dev that gave me hundreds of hours of enjoyment is fine by me. In many ways, purchasing microtransactions like loot boxes is my way of tipping the developer for an exceptional job and an enjoyable experience.
Elizabeth Henges

I don't like the general idea of loot boxes, outside of a cosmetics thing. I don't hate microtransactions in general mind you--stuff like season passes and other DLC are fine as long as they're reasonably priced. But paying for the chance to hopefully get something useful to you, I feel is a rather scummy practice, especially when real money is introduced into the economy. It's a thing that can easily trigger the same tendencies as you would in a gambling addict, and without proper ways to limit spending on the loot boxes, that's really... well, just pretty terrible. It seems even worse in games you have to buy in the first place like Shadow of War, because it's just tacking on extra money given to Warner Bros that may or may not be worth the money you spend.

That said loot boxes don't affect me one way or the other, as I'm not a multiplayer gamer, and none of the single player games have loot boxes in them... yet.
Heath Hindman

If you have the option to buy individual items alongside or in lieu of earning (or buying) loot boxes, then okay, whatever. But paying for just a chance of getting the thing you really want is, by definition, gambling. Some people have personalities and brain wiring that won't be affected by the setup, while others can and will be open for exploitation. It's in general a shitty practice. I say this even though I love Overwatch.
Keri Honea

I don't play multiplayer, so loot boxes have never really crossed my thoughts. I can see why they would be a problem if they offer a pay-to-win scenario,
Paulmichael Contreras

I'm in the same boat as everyone else. As long as any paid loot boxes aren't part of some pay-to-win scheme where the only way to stand a chance in multiplayer matches is to cough up more cash, then they're fine by me. I've never outright purchased a premium loot box in any game, but then I'm okay with spending extra time grinding for something that I want.
Tyler Treese

This isn't an easy question to answer as the implementation varies from game to game. There are certainly cases where loot boxes being present can take away from the sense of progression and it's an annoyance, but there are also games that have benefitted greatly from them. I love the feeling of leveling up in Overwatch, getting a loot crate as a reward, and then seeing what I got. I also feel that Injustice 2's loot boxes had me playing that game for far longer than I would've without it, as I wanted to get new gear for my characters. The system was balanced really well as players couldn't pay for new gear, just cosmetic items, so it never veers into the pay to win category. There are also plenty of instances where loot boxes are present and there aren't microtransactions involved (such as the upcoming WWE 2K18), so it's a bit annoying that the two ideas are constantly conflated together as one.
Zarmena Khan

Honestly, I don't remember the last time I played a game that involves loot boxes. I mean, I'm not a multiplayer person and I'm not exactly competitive so I'm probably not the best person to answer this question. However, I can say that as long as the core game isn't impacted by the loot boxes, they're fine. The practice only becomes bothersome when people are roped into spending money and gain an advantage based on that.