I find it interesting that gamers are collectively so upset about loot boxes when trading card game booster packs have followed the same gambling-esque model for many years.
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If I had to guess, it might be because most TCGs are physical products? Like, the lizard brain is at least thinking, "but I at least GOT something out of it"
Yeah, and with physical product there is resale value. There is no real way to do that with most digital items.
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Again, I'd argue that the resale value is a secondary market created by the players, not offered by the producers of the cards. People do try to sell accounts with legendaries as a secondary market, but I don't think that makes the gambling aspect less insidious as a model.
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I think the thing is the "Trading" in "TGC" and that helps perpetuate a secondary market, right? To my understanding, even if you have a ton of garbo commons, you can trade in a ton for maybe an uncommon with a friend, can't do that with digital junk.
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But then you have online manifestations like Hearthstone and MTG Arena, in which you can't trade/buy/sell cards (though they make boosters and cards much more accessible in various ways).
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I don't think it has much to do with the value of the products. It's how they did it, and how big companies responded to criticism.
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Although personally I think online TGC is scummy as fuck, I guess those audiences have different expectations, so there would be less uproar. TGC already had this expectation so there was less friction when going to online, compared to say, palette swaps in Overwatch.
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*nods* And that's exactly the point I'm making. Lootboxes and TCG boosters are extremely similar models, if not fundamentally the same. But TCGs get a pass because it's the way they've always been, despite most people finding it a bit skeevy. I find that interesting.
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I think that's only part of it. When you open a pack of trading cards, you don't get a glitzy, epic animation timed to extravagant music as your winnings are revealed to you. Gaming loot boxes took as many queues from slot machines as the medium allowed. Paper can't do that.
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You're right, but that didn't stop them from trying. They put rares at the back of the back so you build up to them. Rarer cards get better art, distinguished borders, more power, some are shiny and holographic.
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Can you trade lootbox stuff with other people? If not, that should totally be a thing.
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Not in a lot of the games I play with them. You can't in Overwatch, for example.
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