![]() ![]() In some redemption processes, yet-revealed items are presented with a colour that corresponds to its rarity level, further heightening the excitement of revealing the items. While the set of items given are randomly selected it can come with certain guarantees, for instance that it will contain at least one item of a certain rarity or above. The items that can be granted by a loot box are usually graded by "rarity", with the probability of receiving an item decreasing rapidly with each grade. When the player runs out of loot boxes or keys, a prominent button may be displayed with which they can buy more. Some such interfaces are similar to those of slot machines or roulette wheels, and designed to create a psychological response to increase player excitement. Loot boxes are generally redeemed through an in-game interface which dresses the process with appealing visual and audio effects. Some loot boxes can be redeemed immediately, while redeeming others requires further consumable items dressed as "keys". Players can also buy them directly, most often with real-world funds but also through in-game currency (sometimes, in-game currency can or has to be paid for with real-world funds to obtain lootboxes). Loot boxes may also be given out through promotions outside of gameplay, such as watching certain streaming events. Loot boxes are often given to players during play, for instance as rewards for leveling up their character or completing a multiplayer game without quitting. Digital card games may use the term " booster pack" following from collectible card game roots. A "loot box", "loot crate" or "lockbox" is often applied to shooter games since one obtains new equipable outfits or gear from it. Once the process is done, the player is presented with a button to take them to the shop to buy more boxes.Ī "loot box" can be named several different ways, usually related to the type of game that it appears in. Elements such as the box shaking, the flying discs with rarity indicated by colour, and the final reveal, are designed to heighten the appeal of opening loot boxes. The opening of a loot box from Overwatch. Due to fears of them being used as a source in gray-market skin gambling, loot boxes began to become regulated under national gambling laws in various countries at the same time. Such criticism included " pay to win" gameplay systems that favor those that spend real money on loot boxes and negative effects on gameplay systems to accommodate them, as well as them being anti-consumer when implemented in full-priced games. By the later half of the decade, some games, particularly Star Wars Battlefront II, expanded approaches to the concept that caused them to become highly criticised. Loot boxes were popularised through their inclusion in several games throughout the mid-2010s. Loot boxes are just one form of chance-based mechanism used in paid reward systems within some digital games, and research has explored their impact on children, youth and families, and the boundaries between gaming and gambling. They are seen by developers and publishers of video games not only to help generate ongoing revenue for games while avoiding drawbacks of paid downloadable content or game subscriptions, but to also keep player interest within games by offering new content and cosmetics through loot-box reward systems. They first appeared in 2004 through 2007, and have appeared in many free-to-play games and in some full-priced titles since then. Loot box concepts originated from loot systems in massively multiplayer online role-playing games, and from the monetisation of free-to-play mobile gaming. These systems may also be known as gacha (based on gashapon – capsule toys) and integrated into gacha games. ![]() A loot box is typically a form of monetisation, with players either buying the boxes directly or receiving the boxes during play and later buying "keys" with which to redeem them. In video games, a loot box (also called a loot crate or prize crate) is a consumable virtual item which can be redeemed to receive a randomised selection of further virtual items, or loot, ranging from simple customization options for a player's avatar or character to game-changing equipment such as weapons and armor. Mock-up image of opening a loot box in a video game
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