- A loot box is a virtual box inside video games containing randomized items.
- A loot box is a virtual box of hidden motives designed to persuade and/or trick players.
- A virtual box where the user can pay and access products/items that can be useful to go on with the game, or can be collectible.
- A digital or physical box.
- A virtual box inside video games containing randomized items.
- A virtual box of hidden motives, designed to persuade and trick players.
- A virtual box where the user can pay and access products. Those items can be useful to develop your character in the game or can be collectable.
- A lottery box.
- It looks like a real gift, but you purchase it for yourself.
- I choose it.
- I get something nice.
- You choose it.
- You get something nice.
- The loot box is embedded in a context.
- A box embedded in a context.
- It works within the context of a game.
- It works outside the context of a game.
- When the game gets tough, the loot box offers you a shortcut.
- Payment.
- The loot box is a virtual feature players can purchase with real money in free-to-play games or full-price-games.
- Payment
- A virtual feature that players can purchase with real money. It is usually available in free-to-play games or full-price games.
- "You don't get it for free, and you don't know what you get."
- I payed real money to buy a virtual treasure box HOPING it contains something valuable within the world of the game.
- A promise for a virtual treasure that is purchased with real money. You buy a virtual treasure hoping it contains something valuable within the world of the game.
- Fast-thinking.
- Fast-thinking
- It is what motivates immediate irrational purchases.
- It can be rational in the context of the game.
- A quest, narrative, social pressure or else can justify any loot boxes.
- It appears and disappears quickly in order to seem exclusive and to make the player buy it without thinking too much.
- Time pressure creates artificial urgency.
- Excitement-anticipation.
- A quest, narrative or social pressure can justify any loot box.
- It appears and disappears quickly in order to seem exclusive. Thus, it makes the player buy it without thinking too much.
- Time pressure creates artificial urgency (jeopardy).
- Excitement and anticipation
- A feeling of excitement and anticipation could be related to the excitement of gambling.
- You know that there is a chance of getting some items that you desire.
- It is desirable because it creates the chances that you get a really rare or powerful item out of it.
- It is like gambling because you don't know what is inside of it.
- It is desirable because it creates rare chances to get powerful items.
- It is like gambling because you anticipate what is inside.
- Surprise mechanism.
- Surprise mechanism
- The element of surprise is a highly appreciated aspect of the loot box.
- The loot box is like a secret treasure that is usually not worth the money you pay for it, or the expectations you have for it, but that is somehow exciting.
- I think the addictiveness is very connected to the surprise mechanism, I think that anticipation moment is what is addictive. How that makes you feel. Anything is possible.
- Of course then you open it and it's disappointing. But there is a moment before opening it when ANYTHING is possible. I like that state of being.
- It's like the cat in the box, is she dead is she alive, she is both until you open the box.
- Surprise.
- A secret treasure that is not worth the money you pay for it, nor the expectations you have for it. However, that is somehow exciting.
- "Addictiveness is connected to the surprise mechanism: the moment of anticipation is addictive. It makes you feel that anything is possible."
- "It's like the cat in the box: is she dead or is she alive? She is both until you open the box."
- Surprise
- An entertaining element.
- It keeps the players hooked to the game by using an element of surprise.
- The player never knows what is inside of it.
- Surprise that comes with consequences.
- Reward.
- Immediate reward.
- The immediate reward makes it fun, the risk comes with pleasure.
- Loot box derives from the loot, a bunch of goodies that you can get as a reward after you conquer a super boss or level up.
- Reward
- An immediate reward.
- The immediate reward makes it fun. The risk comes with pleasure.
- It derives from the loot, a bunch of goodies that you can get as a reward after you conquer a super boss or level up.
- A reward after accomplishing a really heroic task.
- An immediately rewarding response preceded by a generally customized trigger.
- A guaranteed reward in exchange for money.
- Progress in the game.
- Progress in the game
- You have more power in the game.
- Some players might even feel cornered into purchasing loot boxes as the game cannot reach its full potential without it.
- You will get better if you buy one.
- Sometimes the game doesn’t reach its full potential without buying a loot box. That makes players feel compelled to make a purchase.
- You will get better if you buy a loot box.
- Emotional trigger.
- Strong emotional reactions are tied to finances.
- Emotional trigger
- Strong emotional reactions are tied to the financial elements.
- Pleasure.
- Thrill.
- Excitement.
- Desire.
- Disappointment.
- Even if you don't get exactly what you wish for, you will get something, and you feel somehow rewarded.
- It's collectible.
- "Even if you don't get exactly what you wish for, you will get something, and you feel somehow rewarded."
- "It's collectable."
- Incremental rewards.
- It is disguised as safe and innocent.
- You can keep opening loot boxes forever.
- It interfaces the game and the real world.
- It is an alternate reality experience of collecting things you can't own in real life.
- It is a pulse in the circulation of resources between a virtual game and the reality outside of it.
- "It’s an alternate reality experience of collecting things you can't own in real life."
- It’s a pulse in the circulation of resources between a virtual game and the reality outside of it.
- Loot box as currency exchange.
- Game coin.
- Loot box as currency exchange
- The game coin.
- Collectible item.
- Real money.
- Power-Up.
- Designed to be addictive.
- Designed to be addictive
- Very real addictive mechanisms.
- A repeated scheme that ensures constant spending into virtual game currencies.
- Designed to be desirable and to be purchased again and again.
@ -91,17 +93,16 @@ contents:
- It puts you in a condition for purchasing without thinking too much.
- Its timespan is similar to the discount periods or Black Friday.
- Looking under the hood.
- "Time constraint or the lack thereof: how does this contribute to the risk/pleasure/adrenaline rush that comes with every loot box unlocking experience?"
- A trigger for addictive behaviour.
- A loot box is a gambling mechanism, exploitative by design, that promises immediate in-game rewards to the player.
- A gambling mechanism, exploitative by design, that promises immediate in-game rewards to the player.
- The rewards of the loot box can affect both the gameplay and the social environment around the game.
- It sets the beat for repeated microtransactions.
- it's a repetitive rhythm for the player's temporality.
- "It's a repetitive rhythm for the player's temporality."
- It builds a habit by triggering the attention and the emotional response of the player.
- It's fun.
- "It's fun."
- It ensures that you keep playing potentially forever.
- From habit to addiction.
- You would pay weird amounts of money to obtain something new.
- You pay money to obtain something new.
- Risk.
- Ritual.
- Destiny.
@ -109,29 +110,27 @@ contents:
- It hacks the temporality of a game.
- It allows you to customize your game character.
- It shifts the dynamics in the game.
- It provides you with collectibles or power-ups that make you progress inside the game.
- It provides you with collectables or power-ups that make you progress inside the game.
- A temporalized tool for the distribution and management of resources.
- Exploitation.
- Exploitation
- The potentially endless collection creates artificial needs.
- Exploitative fun.
- The benefits for you are emotional. The benefits for the game platforms are financial.
- A money-making mechanism that uses real world money in video games' worlds.
- "A money-making mechanism that uses real-world money in video games' worlds."
- It targets vulnerable players
- A trigger for addictive behavior.
- A trigger for toxic behavior.
- An escape from the real life.
- It targets vulnerable players.
- A trigger for addictive behaviour.
- A trigger for toxic behaviour.
- An escape from real life.
- Fake promises.
- FOMO.
- FOMO (fear of missing out).
- The surprise mechanism and exclusivity of the loot box creates a constant FOMO.
- Peer pressure.
- Social pressure.
- How does exposing the inner workings and real motives of the loot box affect the players' behavior and decision making?
