Since arriving innocuously a few years ago, loot boxes have grown into a major component for most games while also drawing the ire of many video game fans for its perceived overuse. One of the biggest games to really embrace the idea of loot boxes has been Blizzard's insanely popular shooter Overwatch, which not only rewards players for leveling up their account but can also be purchased using real money as well. Even with the increasing controversy and division that loot boxes cause, Blizzard president and co-founder Mike Morhaime doesn't believe Overwatch is apart of that conversation.
In a recent interview at Blizzcon this past weekend, Morhaime gave his thoughts on a variety of topics from Battle.net, upcoming expansions and even his take on the rising controversy surrounding the use of loot boxes. With regards to the practice, he doesn't believe he sees a problem with earning randomized items from in-game crates, and that whatever the controversy is, Overwatch doesn't belong in that conversation.
When asked specifically about potentially crossing a particular line, Morhaime revealed that it is something the studio monitors and that they've worked hard to avoid. As for this idea of loot crates being linked to a type of gambling, he believes that only applies if there's an element of converting items back into real-world value. As such, Overwatch doesn't fit because there's no way to take those items and make money off of them.
With the addition of loot boxes to games like Middle-earth: Shadow of War, Need for Speed Payback, and Star Wars Battlefront 2, the gaming community has gotten fairly vocal on this fast-rising trend. Many have begun to speak out on the practice, campaigning to see the feature classified as gambling. Whether or not a ruling like that ever comes to pass, there's no denying that companies are embracing this idea, thanks in large part to the monetization it provides long after the game has launched. High profile games continue to feature this component like the just-released Call of Duty: WW2, which takes things even further by rewarding players for watching others open loot crates in its shared social space.
Overwatch is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Source: Game Informer