post-it-contents/what-is-a-loot-box/contents.md

title	credits	contents
What is a loot box?	XPUB	PLACEHOLDER COVER A closed box with objects inside. 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 you character in the game or can be collectable. A lottery box. It looks like a real gift, but you purchase it for yourself. You choose it. You get something nice. 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. nw se Payment Reward 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. 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 It is what motivates immediate irrational purchases. It can be rational in the context of the game. 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 rare chances to get powerful items. It is like gambling because you anticipate what is inside. Surprise mechanism The element of surprise is a highly appreciated aspect of the loot box. 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. 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. 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 You have more power in the game. 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. sw ne Emotional trigger Collectible item Strong emotional reactions are tied to the financial elements. nw se Excitement Disappointment ne sw Desire Exploitation Even if you don't get exactly what you wish for, you will get something, and you feel somehow rewarded. 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’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 ne sw Game coin Real money nw se Power-Up Pleasure 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. Some rewards are rare and that makes the loot box desirable. 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. A trigger for addictive behaviour. 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 builds a habit by triggering the attention and the emotional response of the player. It's fun. It ensures that you keep playing potentially forever. From habit to addiction. You pay money to obtain something new. sw ne Ritual Thrill nw se Risk Destiny 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 collectables or power- ups that make you progress inside the game. A temporalized tool for the distribution and management of resources. The potentially endless collection creates artificial needs. 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. It targets vulnerable players. A trigger for addictive behaviour. A trigger for toxic behaviour. An escape from real life. Fake promises. FOMO (fear of missing out) The surprise mechanism and exclusivity of the loot box creates a constant FOMO. Peer pressure ne sw Social pressure Individual engagement A personalized 1 to 1 interaction 1 to machine interaction