The issue is too new for someone to have gotten a study funded for it, but I did find this article which has a psychologist weigh in on the issue: https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2017/10/12/the-esrb-is-wrong-about-loot-boxes-and-gambling/#5d1a590b2a64 .

I think this does help, but to an extent I know that it’s going to be just like any other M rated game where the parent will buy them the game either way. At least the parent will be knowledgeable about gambling/loot-boxes before hand, but parents will most likely give the approval.

Quality journalism! Straight from Reddit to Kotaku!

On that note, I’d really love to see Blizzard’s player retention numbers. Because, yes, it does seem like Hearthstone tends to hold more of its veterans than a lot of other games do.

Part of it is probably the classic “Sunken Cost Fallacy.” Players who’ve invested a lot of time and money in the game are far less likely…

I hadn’t played Hearthstone for quite a while so decided to boot it up again last night and give it a try. Played through the welcome back stuff without a hitch and even completed one of the challenges in Blackrock with my old decks. Feeling pretty happy I decided to give the multiplayer a try again thinking my decks…

Lighten up, Francis.

Journalism doesn’t really work like that. My job is to remain in contact with games so that people can be informed as to what’s happening in them. I try to call out trash practices when I see them. I’ve done that for Battlefront II, be that my review or a longer piece about how much I think loot boxes are bullshit. …

If I was putting on my game designer hat, I’d guess the cap exists to prevent players from grinding a ton against easy bots for fast credits. If I’m putting on my evil publisher hat, I’m keeping the cap so folks can run on the treadmill longer and get thirsty for our new, revamped microtransactions or whatever.

The…

“we heard that you was hitting a cap in arcade mode and instead of actually removing the cap we moved the cap up a bit so we dont hear as many complaints”

In other words, you felt peer pressure from a game and now want all of us to peer pressure gaming companies into making game that doesn’t peer pressure you back?

Good Morning Kinjaers!

People who use, let alone create/help create cheat software, are assholes

Yeah having some “super god” guards is a bit silly. I understand they are supposed to keep player in line and everything, but still. :D

Nintendo really hates things they can’t control with a wrinkled executive’s iron fist.

I normally like cosplay... and this is good cosplay... but man, this looks like an obnoxious group of hipsters. Which is how I felt playing FFXV, so ... mission accomplished. It’s like photo outtakes from a christian rock cd cover.

Overwatch also throws boxes at you between leveling rewards and weekly arcade. I’ve never, ever felt a need to buy a box in OW. Even the kind of “I want!” pang. Overwatch also allows you to rather reasonably purchase stuff a la carte. So I rarely miss a skin or emote or whatever that I actually want.

Belgium has created for your pleasure, in no particular order: Abbey beer, pommes frites, birth control, asphalt, and electrically powered trains. This is up there, but it is not the most useful thing they’ve ever done (that would be Abbey beer)

overwatch’s lootboxes are not tied to progression though, these ones are. it’s a key difference. although i wouldn’t mind seeing loot boxes burn to the ground either.

Your calorie "myth" is flat-out wrong, and doesn't even bother proving itself. All you point out is that "foods are different" and that's your argument against "calories are food energy, your body stores excess energy as fat"? Of course a cucumber is different than sugar — even calorically. A pound of milk chocolate…