My research about lootboxes and microtransaction + a gibaway

There wasn't any message box for extra input on the survey so I'll add it here:

As many others do, I consider loot-boxes to be gambling and I'm against it.

Micro-transactions are a lesser evil and sometimes an understandable one, mainly in F2P games, I've only spent 3,01€ on in-game purchases in 10 years of steam, and never spent on other games outside of steam because I prefer the system that some MMORPGs implement, where you can either quickly acquire the cosmetic item you want by paying with real money, or very slowly grind towards it with event tasks and such, I always chose the grind, that is until I quit playing MMOs.

But then there are also Cosmetic DLCs, becoming much more common in recent years specially on weeb games, I'm ok with those being implemented based on fan requests over time even if paid, but I shun them when the game is launched in full and already has a ton of day 1 DLCs...

PS: If anyone is curious to know how much they spent on in-game purchases on their steam account you can check on account details, then go to purchase history, load the full history and then search "in-game purchase" and do the math yourself, enhanced steam used to do it automatically on browser but for some reason its not showing for me anymore.

Only "in-game purchase" I've made was in-game DLC that wasn't listed on the store page as DLC. 0 regrets.

Definitely hate lootboxes, including their IRL predecessors (be it sports type collectible cards or sticker collections with rare and super rare and whathaveyou items. Absolutely loathe this stuff, especially if geared towards kids).

Definitely not a fan of in-app purchases, but, I like the thing Nintendo did for some Free to Play 3DS software, where it's capped at 30€ on in-game premium currency, after which you can no longer purchase more (and usually have a mechanic of sorts that generates the currency for you in future use since you can't buy more). Granted these are games where there's no direct currency exchange between players though, so there's not two different tiers of players based on spending money, basically.
No (more) kids sinking 1000 bucks into a game lol.

Done. The highest monthly income class was surprisingly low btw.

Thank you for a giveaway!
I've been recently obsessed with a F2P game Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms. Making an in-game purchase is very tempting, cause it would make me progress much faster. But I am trying to resist this urge.

I am playing Quake Champions, there you can purchase lootboxes with in-game currency you earn by playing the game. I enjoy opening these, but I would never purchase a lootbox with real money. I can see how these might turn some people into addicts though, but nevertheless, I feel like they are a fun way to reward certain actions.

I guess I have mixed feelings about lootboxes. I've never to my memory bought any lootboxes, and the only microtransactions I've bought were some skins for a few dollars on Borderlands 2. I don't really think microtransactions are a big deal if they're just cosmetic, but it does irritate me how in your face it has become. I've been playing Quake Champions, and while I enjoy the gameplay I find the interface to be pretty repulsive. I'd like to be able to just open the game and play, without all the in your face login rewards, selling in game currency, character packs, loot crates etc. The move from server browsers to matchmaking only multiplayer is a real bummer too. You lose the sense of community, and people can become a lot more toxic when you're matched up with random players (luckily this is not currently an issue with Quake Champions, as the community is overall very positive).

Same thing with EA / Battlefield. I just bought Battlefield 1 for $5, and it's the first Battlefield game I've played since BF3. I find it pretty obnoxious how lootboxes are pushed in your face. That said, I don't think they should be banned / outlawed, but I do wish gamers would push back more and stop buying this stuff that's so heavily monetized. I do find it more annoying personally when it's right there on the main menu, vs. games like Killing Floor 2 where it's less in your face. I don't really see it as gambling personally, I mean yeah there's the element of chance but I kind of think it's more like buying packs of a collectible card game. You don't see the same voices calling for Magic: The Gathering to be regulated.

I do find microtransactions/lootboxes in single player games to be particularly avaricious, however. For example, the Creation Club in Fallout 4. I don't want to see ads for paid mods every time I launch the game, which is why one of the first mods I installed was the cc_cleaner which removes it from the main menu entirely. The addition of microtransaction orbs in Devil May Cry 5 is another example of game publishers trying to milk the consumer for every last cent. I miss the old days of cheat codes, now if you want to "skip the grind" you pay for character progression. I will never pay for a microtransaction in a single player game, and just their inclusion makes me very hesitant to buy the game at all.

For me this:
When\if a game offer an Honest Videogame Ecosystem\Gameplay (Without Cheaters etc.) and this game Reward the Player with any type of Virtual Items (Call it Lootboxes\Skins or all u want) and this items can be selled in the steam store for earn steam funds profit (Minimum 1 Euro , Max 10 euro) so for me is OK , because players can play that game,earn steam profit,and buy other games with it and this is good for players and also for steam and also for developers and publishers.
But i think this must be limited also to 10 euro at month for people,or then have people that abuse about the system,and i think also that accounts must be created with ID CARD and HOME RESIDENCE check at FIRST (also if necessary sometime random\montly videocall check too) or then people will abuse it.

Vice Versa when\if a game offer NOT Honest Videogame Ecosystem\Gameplay (with cheat etc.) OR the game use Lootboxes\Skins and other virtual item only for EARN money for selph so i don't like it because this not help player,not help steam and not help globally devs or publishers,only help who make that game,so is greedy to do.

Bump!
It is good to see that you can conduct a research in a subject you are interested in. I would be definitely interested in what you make out of this in the end. However let me share my experiences about lootboxes and microtransations, maybe they will help you.
I often play a game called, Depth and I am pretty sure this is the only game where I have ever used lootboxes. They were free, so I don't know that it is even considered lootbox. I don't really have too much spare time to play nowadays and my computer is way outdated for these kind of activities, but with these basically free lootboxes I was able to buy some cosmetics which I liked. So I can see why people like the idea of microtransactions and lootboxes. With time and some effort you can buy most of the skins, cosmetics you want or maybe even earn some more money. Basically I don't consider myself wealthy enough to spend proper money to these.
Of course I am aware of that it probably costs more to spend time and grind for a certain item, but why buy it if you never going to enjoy having that item. My experience is that when you buy a cosmetic or an item, you won't get any satisfaction out of it. So that makes (at least for me) unreasonable to buy it.
Okay I rambled enough on nothing, so I might as well just stop at this point. I wish you the best luck with your research!
Oh and of course, thank you for the giveaway!

Thank you guys for the feedbacks, really appreciate it

I mostly play PAYDAY 2. You get a free "safe"(loot box) every now and then. Used to be like a week, now they changed things.
Anyway, opening them is free, so I once won an epic skin in 1 of them, sold it for 22EUR.
Later I spent the money on more "safes", they are sold on the steam market, not ingame. Won worthless items. But I got the money for free, so no regrets.
And that's almost all of my experience with loot boxes.
Nice survey.

Thank you very much for filling the survey and all the feedback as a comment. You guys are really helping me out, and I'm glad and happy at the same time :D

How would you classify spending cash on in game currency to participate in events that reward random card packs pased on your performance?
Is that paying for virtual content or an indirect purchase of a loot box?

For 3.1 "What is your motivation before buying a virtual content?" the question doesn't really have an answer for me. My reason behind it is either as gifts for friends or making profit by reselling the items at a later date. I never buy any for my own use ever.

I might one of the few people who doesn't think that lootboxes should be banned tho. People should do what they want with their money and if they are stupid enough to spend thousands on them it is their problem.

Anyways survey solved, best of luck with your research!

Filled it out, but I stumbled on a few questions since I tend to open lootboxes and do all that kinda jazz but only if there's a way of getting it without paying real money e.g. Overwatch. I'm cheap like that.

Also #@$!% fully-priced games with micro-transactions.

Good luck with your research, anyhow!

I've never bought any of these kind of things in a game, but have a bump for interesting research and a good gib :)

Thank you guys for all the feedback as comments, and filling out the survey.
I'm really happy that you take the topic seriously and you give honest feedback. This is really useful to me to get a good approach and good view about the community's idea about the topic.

awesome idea! can't wait to see result!

i spent about 60 euro on starwars the old republic subbed, cause i was spending hours in the game and wanted to do end content...kinda regret it. once should of been enough, but it kind of gets addicting cause of the tier qqupment you can get
spend 5 dollars for a starter pack in riders of icarus, really regret it cause the game turned out to be not playeble in the end if ya didnt buy more.

lootboxes in general should be banned in my opinion, its like gambling without the rules states/countries have for gambling to protect people
fully priced games with microtransaction should be banned, already payed for the content now did t i? (not including payed for dlc like wow does)

• ftp games with microtransaction are awesome...if they do it right.Dont spam me with offer, only x amount...one more week!If ya dont buy you regret it forever!. They got to make their money somehow.
• low prices games with microtransaction are okey, if they dont spam the microtransaction. keep the transaction to stuf that needs alot of grinding though.

gl with it!

If you guys will be interested, I'll publish the study here after it's done and goes through all mandatory process (it might be next march until everything is done)

Also the survey system is hungarian, unfortunately I cannot change the language

It was a bit rémes seeing those magyar messages and controls mixed with the amúgy English content :-)
I could only repeat what has been mentioned already: lootboxes may come for "free", or at least you may also pay for them with your time and participation instead of actual money.