When I was a teenager, my younger brother – no older than 14 at the time – maxed out my debit and supplementary credit cards buying skins on Steam. I forget the exact game, but it was probably either League of Legends or CS:GO. I realised what had happened pretty quickly, when I tried to pay for something and saw my lunch money for the month had been drained from my account.
I’d been hurt by the fact that he’d done all this behind my back, but most horrifying to me was that he’d spent it all on cosmetic skins. Not new games, not DLC, not items that would make the game easier – skins. Of all the things to spend my money on, it was digital outfits for his characters. I was furious at first, ‘til I remembered I was just a little younger than him when I spent hundreds of dollars on Habbo Hotel, making my parents just as mad at me as I was at him. I decided to give him grace, just not enough to not snitch on him. I still needed money to eat, and I wasn’t going to say I spent all my money on video games.
Video Games Haven’t Changed At All
I can’t help but remember this every time I think about the exploitative nature of microtransactions and free-to-play live-service games. It’s all too easy for people to spend a ton of money on video games, especially kids with underdeveloped frontal lobes, which is why we’re seeing the practice become increasingly regulated on a global scale. Right now, it’s top of mind because Overwatch 2 is bringing loot boxes back after axing them for the sequel’s release.
Overwatch’s loot boxes were largely considered to be pretty exploitative at the time. You could unlock a loot box with each level gained, but you’d have no control over what you got out of that box. It might be something you didn’t want, or a duplicate, but you had the chance to obtain basically anything for free. Alternatively, you could buy loot boxes, gambling on getting the specific thing you wanted. In Overwatch 2, you can instead buy cosmetics with in-game currency, which is in turn purchased with real money.
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But fans have been hankering for it, apparently, as part of the nostalgia for OG Overwatch. Granted, the new loot box system that Blizzard has implemented isn’t quite as exploitative – these loot boxes can’t be purchased with real money and are readily available through the battle pass and completing challenges, at least during their first season. You can also reroll for items if you get a duplicate.
The Gamers Yearn For Skins
Technically, these loot boxes are a win. It’s an attempt to lure players back in with the promise of free stuff and no option to purchase extras, at least for now, in a time when player counts are flagging. I guess, if you care about free stuff that much, this is a good reason to start playing Overwatch 2 again.
I just don’t understand why you’d care. Perhaps I just don’t have the right personality for it – I get mad when I see multiple currencies in a game, not excited. I never buy skins, and I don’t even really care when I get them for free. When I play games, it’s not to get stuff, it’s to play a game.
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I don’t think buying a skin makes you a lesser gamer, or even necessarily a mark. Sometimes you just want your favourite character to look cooler, and you’re supporting the developers of a game you really like while you do it, which is… fine? I guess? I don’t get it, but it’s fine.
But it’s also a fact that the mere presence of microtransactions makes games worse because the game’s priority becomes pushing those potential purchases on you instead of being as good as it can be. I agree with Editor-in-Chief Stacey Henley – us cheering on loot boxes is a terrible sign for the future of gaming. We’re so greedy for cool skins that we’re letting companies take the money out of our pockets, and it’s not even real stuff.
The sequel to Blizzard’s popular team-based hero shooter, Overwatch 2 features a roster of over 35 fighters and over 20 maps. It features team sizes reduced to five, aiming to create faster and more action-oriented matches, while PvE elements add to the options available.