For those who are not gamers or regular users of online games, the term ‘loot box’ may have no meaning. However, for video game enthusiasts on computers and consoles, loot boxes are one of the most attractive incentives to play more and more.
Random Reward Mechanisms or loot boxes are an invitation to participate in something similar to a roulette wheel to have a chance of obtaining a prize. They are a chance-based dynamic within any type of game, which may have nothing to do with betting, playing cards, or luck, that seeks to capture the player’s attention and encourage participation, sometimes free of charge—allowing them to try their luck without giving anything in return—and sometimes in exchange for real money. This proposal bears an evident parallel to the gambling games found in betting houses. The problem? These dynamics are being made accessible to young people and minors from within their leisure space.
How Can “Loot Boxes” Generate Harmful Behaviors?
Within the game, these “offers” are so well integrated that they appear to be part of the decoration or design. The proposal to participate in a chance-based dynamic is not presented as an invasive, annoying, or insistent pop up. This makes the user think that participating is their own initiative and they do not fear it or feel insecure, as occurs with other types of online advertising.
Once the proposal is read, which is usually attractive, intermittent reinforcement from participating appears along with stimulating visual or acoustic effects that encourage trying one’s luck to win a prize. Indeed, these are the elements we also find in casinos and that can cause the user to become hooked on participating.
The Concerning Way This Affects Young People
While most adults are aware of behaviors that generate addiction, children and young people are probably not familiar with this danger. Girls and boys up to 15 years old, who also have access to these games, do not usually understand probabilities, nor do they have self-control, nor can they distinguish the real cost of these boxes, which are sometimes acquired with virtual game coins but sometimes require payment with real money. This makes them very vulnerable to these “predatory” mechanisms. Furthermore, it represents a gateway to developing a harmful taste or interest in gambling.
According to 2020 data, 58% of gaming apps on Google Play, 59% of those on Apple Store, and 36% on Steam contained loot boxes. A notable majority of these mobile games with reward mechanisms (93.1% for Android, 94.9% for iOS) were rated for ages 12 and up. In short, this information reveals that there are problems with the target audience to whom these chance-based dynamics are being presented.
The Motivation for Incorporating This Type of Reward in Video Games
Until now, the creation of coins—which had no real offline value—within the universe of each game was sufficient, such as the gold coins in Mario Bros, the Rupees in Zelda, or the Simoleons in The Sims. By accumulating them, you could exchange them for objects, abilities, or improved or more personalized characteristics for video game characters. This enhanced the objective of generating a Universe with its own rules and dynamics in which incentives were created to retain the user for the purpose of winning and accumulating.
Currently, purchases with real money enter the game not only to offer advantages to those who want or can afford that expense to “improve” their mode of entertainment, but also so that users pay real amounts to try their luck, like someone buying a lottery ticket, in these loot boxes. Why?
Many of these video games are free (meaning they are financed through voluntary payments), or cost a symbolic acquisition price. This business model is undoubtedly unprofitable since, even in paid video games, a fairly durable product is offered for a single initial payment. It is then that loot boxes appear as a mechanism to provide a financing avenue for companies.
How Video Game Loot Boxes Work
There is often the possibility of choosing between different box options to open. The description indicates what they can obtain, and the better the possible prizes, the higher the value of the box. In this way, participation has a price that the user decides to assume (in a chance investment that is no longer positive), and obtains a prize that, as usually happens with slot machines, is neither the best nor even satisfactory, which makes the user want to try their luck again, hoping for a better result.
It should be noted that rewards are almost never necessary for game development but rather tend to have a complementary character to free functionalities. They can function as a shortcut to obtain something that costs more to achieve for free or simply provide status.
All types of rewards typically offered could be classified into seven categories according to their objective in the game and in what scenario they appear. In any case, any mechanism that provides for the buying and selling of these boxes for real money promotes problematic behavior comparable to gambling.
What Makes Video Games Addictive?
The development of video game addiction is multifactorial and does not occur for a single reason, in many cases, nor for the same set of reasons. There are many possible causes that affect the user in a complementary way. The first attractive factor may be a popular character, but once inside, the user stays for the fantasy setting, for example, and is motivated by the possibility of making their character stronger or having more abilities, or even driven by the possibility of obtaining better scores than their friends.
Below are some of the reasons why video games can be so absorbing and generate addiction.
The Appeal of Video Games Lies in:
- An Immersive Atmosphere. It works the same way as stores that use psychomarketing methods to generate favorable consumption attitudes. The background music in establishments, the store’s scent, or the lighting are comparable to the identifying elements of each video game. These are designed with their own aesthetics that make them recognizable and in which the player feels more comfortable the more they play.
- The Progressive Dynamic of Level Advancement. The difficulty increases as the game progresses. Sometimes there are even sub-levels of complexity within the same level that allow the player to participate more superficially or more deeply, achieving all possible objectives. This creates an attractive challenge and a comforting sense of progress. Of course, successfully overcoming the challenges the game proposes also improves the user’s self-esteem.
- The Design of an Engaging Experience. According to some theories, the key to success for a game to be attractive is that the first part of it is enjoyable. If punishments or obstacles are presented too soon, the user may lose interest.
- Rewards on Variable Schedules. A game that is connected to real temporality—varying options depending on whether it is day or night or how much time has passed—encourages the user to be more attentive to what is happening at each moment and to have the need to check the game periodically.
There are many video games that reward the user according to completed tasks or after a certain amount of usage time, often with variable or random prizes. It is not known in which of those periodic prizes a large reward may appear, but the possibility exists in each occasion. This causes the user to extend the periods of time dedicated to the game waiting for the big prize to arrive.
What to Do When Identifying Concerning Behavior?
If after this reading you identify with the behavior described or know someone who regularly invests in loot boxes, it is advisable to obtain professional advice to understand the severity of the case and be able to act accordingly.
A no-obligation call to CC Adicciones can be truly useful for clearing up doubts and resolving concerns. Our team of therapists includes professionals specialized in screen addiction and gambling addiction who will be able to advise you in the most clarifying way.
Call us anytime at 617 200 882 or fill out our form with your questions and we will contact you while always maintaining your privacy. Identifying the problem is the first step and one of the most important! Do not be afraid because for any addictive behavior, there is a way out, always.
