Honestly speaking, yes I do consider lootboxes as gambling.
What you need to consider is how a lootbox is programmed.
The work flow is usually that the publisher would require the developers to create the lootbox system, but have them make it easy to customize (usually with an outside tool). The publishers then (regularly) have an extra employee, and sometimes not even someone who was close to the original product handle the contents and (the part that makes it gambling) the probability that each time has to drop.
What is usually done is that you have a big banner item (so in SW BF2's case, let's take Luke) that will be given a probability of something ridiculously low (can be 0.01% or something). They then will add about 5 other 'good' items that are still sought after but not the big banner prize, each of these will have a low drop rate, and then finally you get the trash items, items that are usually easy to find ingame, but perhaps the lootbox would give you a bit more (quantity wise).Each of the items are given a probability and the drop rate is based on that. That's what makes it gambling in my eyes.
Another way of looking at it is if I tell you:
You pay me 10 euros to roll 2 dice that I have.
If you get double 6, you win 50 euros. (This is the awesome item, say Luke)
Get double of any number, and you get 20. (These are the good items that are still worth more than the initial payment)
Get anything else and you get a consolation prize that is 5 euros. (These are the trash items).
(I personally know this because before working for Hash Rush I used to work for a large Game publisher that unfortunately did this in pretty much all the games, quite glad to be out of that.)
Great comment thank you for getting involved. I bet you are glad to see the back of those types of publishers. This has given our community a real insi
The worst part is, whilst I will (personally) always consider lootboxes, mysteryboxes, wheel of fortune (they're all the same thing) gambling, there are ways to make them more fair and less game damaging.
I'm speaking about Aesthetic items, these are regularly sought after and are perfect to go in lootboxes, these are things like new skins, different firing effects/animations. These effects can be active for a range from 5-30days and players will want them just because they 'look cool'.
There are some games that do this, and that do it well. They're proof that these boxes can work if designed with care. But the large publishers only care about how much money they feel they might get from such a feature, and having a banner item (unit/character/weapon) just makes it so much easier to sell with much less effort.
I agree skins and things are fine.
I don't know man. It's a weird subject. But I guess if you put up money and have a chance of losing it, I guess its gambling.
Nice post man!