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Exploitative Patternsin Games

Loot box

Also: gacha, surprise mechanic

A paid, randomised reward container with unknown contents at the point of purchase.

Loot boxes (and the related gacha model) are the canonical case where exploitation, not deception, drives harm: they can be fully transparent about being random yet remain the leading harm candidate, with a replicated correlation to problem gambling that is stronger in adolescents.

See also

References

  1. King, D. L.; Delfabbro, P. H. (2018). Predatory monetization schemes in video games (e.g. 'loot boxes') and internet gaming disorder. Addiction. doi.org/10.1111/add.14286 · citing patterns
  2. Drummond, A.; Sauer, J. D. (2018). Video game loot boxes are psychologically akin to gambling. Nature Human Behaviour. doi.org/10.1038/s41562-018-0360-1 · citing patterns