lockboxes
New UK research finds opening lootboxes is ‘structurally and psychologically akin’ to gambling
The mountain of research-based evidence against lootboxes has had another leaflet added to the pile. A recent report from researchers at the universities of...
The Soapbox: How Magic Legends went wrong with the Dimir Assassin class
Cryptic and Perfect World Entertainment are known for their love of lockboxes as a monetization strategy. Therefore it was not wholly surprising when Magic:...
Not So Massively: Magic Legends is messy, deep, and more of an MMO than you think
I can't remember the last time I struggled so much deciding whether I like a game or not. I'm a fan of ARPGs, and...
Not So Massively: Checking the pulse of Star Wars Battlefront II
As I am someone who is at best lukewarm to the Star Wars franchise, nearly as ambivalent toward shooters, and almost entirely uninterested in...
Judge enforces a Dutch government order for EA to remove FIFA lockboxes or face over $11M in fines
This has been a long and drawn-out battle, so let us review: Back in 2017 when the outrage against lockboxes was at its highest...
Canadian class action lawsuit argues EA’s lootboxes constitute illegal gambling
Ah, it's a good thing for the companies relying on lockboxes that people have completely forgotten about those this year, isn't it? Turns out...
The Daily Grind: Does gacha have a place in MMO business models?
Just so, so many of my friends are playing Genshin Impact these days -- and not just playing, but gushing over the fun, the...
EA’s advertisement of FIFA lockboxes in a children’s toy catalogue draws mounting criticism
It would appear that Electronic Arts didn't learn from the last time it pulled this kind of nonsense, but apparently there was still fuel...
Star Trek Online’s newest promotional ship in a lockbox angers fans for breaking the developers’ own rules
There's always been some consternation between players of Star Trek Online and the Perfect World Entertainment marketing philosophy of adding new ships via lockboxes. Generally,...
EU study recommends taking on lockboxes as a consumer issue rather than a gambling issue
As much as the companies using them to make bank might want them to, the discussions around lockboxes are not going away. And a...
New UK parliament report recommends regulation of lockboxes as gambling
Remember last month when UK lawmakers started making fresh noise about classifying lockboxes/lootboxes as gambling to protect children following multiple reports and surveys on...
Class action lawsuit alleges Apple promotes gambling via lootboxes through its storefront
Legal moves are being made against the practice of lootbox monetization against one of the largest targets possible. A class action complaint filed with...
English lawmakers may classify lockboxes as straight-up gambling
Video game studios that feature lockboxes in their titles are sitting very uncomfortably this week as England decides whether or not to make their...
TERA added lockbox transparency and skill balance changes with this week’s patch
The newest patch for TERA is not really about content. Obviously, you can take a look at the full patch notes and find some...
PEGI adds lockbox warnings to rating labels
That sure didn't take long. Earlier this week, we found out that the ESRB would be adding a specific content warning to games in...
Phantasy Star Online 2 introduces its ‘scratch tickets’ lockboxes as the open beta kicks off
The open beta for Phantasy Star Online 2 has kicked off today on the Xbox One, with Windows 10 still listed as "coming soon."...
UK NHS director calls out lootboxes as ‘under the radar’ gambling
As much as the developers who make lockboxes would probably like for the random packs of items to start slipping back under the radar,...
Chronicles of Elyria starts selling $75 Longest Night advent calendars
There has to be a measure of masochistic joy in stocking up account items that you can't use (yet) for a game that is...
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is getting rid of locked lockboxes altogether
The process of getting crates in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is not necessarily all that rewarding. You pay your hard-earned BP to get a crate, and it...
LOTRO’s Minas Morgul lockboxes are raising community concerns
Ever since SSG increased its use and contents with the Mordor expansion, LOTRO's lockboxes have been a sore point among players who have heavily...