Blizzard CEO Says OverWatch Loot Boxes Has Nothing Wrong
Loot Boxes have been present in games for many years now but recently the issue has turned into a controversy and has sparked much-heated debate where it is still unclear if loot boxes in games are gambling or not?
Many gaming studios where questioned about it but everyone one gave a vague answer to it. but now we have an answer from Blizzard CEO Micheal Morhaime and according to him, there is nothing wrong with the presence of Loot boxes in games.
While talking to Game Informer during the Blizzcon 2017 Morhaime discussed the issue with them where he said
“I think there’s absolutely nothing wrong with crates that give you randomised items. I think that whatever the controversy is, I don’t think Overwatch belongs in that controversy.”
Morhaime is not wrong here as there are Loot Boxes in major online games like CS: GO, Dota 2, League Of Legends and Overwatch but all of them are completely cosmetics and gives no advantage to a single player.
The gaming community has no problem with cosmetics as loot boxes but thing gets complicated when the loot boxes give items like weapon, armor and other boosts which essentially makes the game Pay To Win.
Further, in the interview, Morhaime was asked if the loot boxes where actual gambling and should be considered as such? to this, he replied the same thing which many supporters of Loot Boxes say that is it has no real life value.
“I think another element, in terms of the gambling question, the question in terms of that is whether or not you’re actually… There’s an element of converting back into real-world value. I think that’s a critical element, and that element does not exist in Overwatch loot crates.”
“but I think that’s an element. If you’re going to talk about those things, then you have to look at as, “Well, are people trying to make money doing this?
Currently, all the major rating boards such as PEGI, ESRB, and UKIE has refused to classify Loot Boxes as gambling as they do not fit the criteria of gambling law.
One politician from the UK raised the issue in the British Parliament but the only response he received was that they are currently monitoring the situation and will review it once they have enough data over it.