Dispelling the Lootbox Myth
Why “surprise mechanics” aren’t real progression
When the lootbox/gaming debate began to take off last year, several people in the industry tried to argue that lootboxes — or “surprise mechanics” — are just another form of progression in video games. In fact, one person even tried to convince me that the action RPG core gameplay loop (where the player acquires randomized loot) is the same as purchasing a lootbox. Recently, I’ve tested out this theory myself in an effort to verify it. Now I’m in a position to articulate why these two concepts are not the same.
What is the “ARPG” loop?
Let me start by defining what I mean by “ARPG loop”. ARPGs are built on the following cycle:
- Fight enemies
- Get loot
- Grow stronger
ARPGs will always use some form of procedural generation (in other words, an algorithm) that pulls from a loot table and determines what gear is generated for the player. As a result, players won’t ever know exactly what loot is going to drop, although they may be aware of the preceding conditions that give rise to certain kinds of drops. Examples include: the player killing an elite monster, finding a treasure chest, or completing a quest.
