The Rise & Fall of Loot Boxes

Loot Boxes used to be the WORST type of microtransactions and monetization in video games. Although the Loot Box seemed to be at it's most popular just a few years ago, the winds are changing, and an era without Loot Boxes or gambling in video games is upon us!!
This video Mostly Edited by WiseFish ➤ bit.ly/3eSWRhm
___TIME STAMPS___
Introduction - 0:00
How Games are Monetized - 3:24
Loot Box Origins & Outbreak - 7:26
The Rise of Loot Boxes - 10:48
The Role of RNG - 14:04
Why Loot Boxes Are Problematic - 15:18
The Fall of Loot Boxes (A Liability) - 20:00
Conclusion - 24:26
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[@TheActMan]

Apologies for the re-upload! Some crazy glitch happened, I freaked out and poured Mountain Dew on my computer. But THE LOOT BOX WARS SEEM TO BE AT AN END!! Check out my AWESOME Act Man Merchandise ➤ bit.ly/2Um0qmX

[@Jedi25]

Yeah sure

[@Msf1011]

I thought that was intentional since you were talking about glitches LOL

[@whitecoffee1427]

its alright, youtube was doing it to a lot of people yesterday

[@Dean2191]

It’s all good

[@citizena1495]

Acting Homosapien Would you kindly tell me if you prefer MW2 or WaW? Great video btw:)

[@The1Wolfcast]

"It might be illegal to bring a kid to a casino, but there's no law bringing the casino to them." Damn that's so true

[@zephyrus573]

@Dreymon Green not legal in most countries

[@apophisRO]

@Dreymon Green in most countries you're not even allowed to enter.

[@johnyj2082]

I am going to quote this

[@tipnsunny2107]

Remember how Pokémon stopped having a game corner with slot machines because they wanted to keep the age rating down?

[@mexican_geese7134]

@@apophisRO when I went to Vegas , some cop went to tell me I couldn't be near the check in area which was near the casino so I had to stand outside or in the hall that was near the elevator

[@The_chosen_one23]

KZbin getting real comfortable with these double ads.

[@ThatTopFiveGuy]

Ads: laughs in KZbin premium

[@wyattt9820]

@Spoods Noodle Doodles *joins in on that laughter* 😂

[@cliffturbo2146]

It's time join forces with Adblock.

[@no-legjohnny3691]

The worst are the double 15 second unskipable ads

[@jackboots3372]

Just get premium my guy 😝💹💱😪

[@kthepro3204]

"its not loot boxes its suprise mechanics" its not a war crime its crimes against humanity

[@andershusmo5235]

It's not a war crime, it's surprise strategy!

[@charlie1234500]

It's like a George Carlin's bit towards political correctness. Where people give out new terms to old words to make things sound either more drastic or less significant than they actually are. A sort of rebranding to make people forget the obvious.

[@crispywings9066]

if you gave the player the choice to grind (like maybe play 2 matches and then receive a loot box for free) and you could give the player a option to pay for it. Would that still be greedy or is this fine

[@kevoelevo88]

@@crispywings9066 that’s still kinda greedy

[@danishraisham1697]

@@kevoelevo88 it's fine. Said player will either waste-- I mean, invest their time, or their money into getting the same thing.

[@Hyperlethality98]

Ea: We want your kids money Hawaii: jokes on you they don’t have any

[@NotMuch4321]

As an Indian kid I'm crying

[@Obi-Wan_Kenobi62]

EA: we’ll squeeze blood from a stone one way or another!

[@Aaleg]

"Its not murder its called a surprise trip to heaven"

[@jimbeaux89]

xD

[@carbonmarshmellow9056]

I swear this is the funniest thing I read all day.😭

[@devinarato69420]

“Non consensual agreement to be forced into six feet in the ground”

[@darkwhispersstories47]

Its not murder its enforcing expired life license

[@brandonmunsonakamr.youtube7979]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHKYfKuJoKZlbMlq6

[@ad4ch1_]

Let’s be honest. Battlefront 2 was a saint in disguise for destroying the loot box industry.

[@thegreatcanadianlumberjack5307]

Let's just say it was the one the caused the pot to boil over and draw everyones attention to the the issue.

[@greenbin3028]

conspiracy: the devs made it as terrible as possible to raise awareness probably not true but it's a nice thought

[@Qunia]

@@thegreatcanadianlumberjack5307 it really was like. Can’t wait for the same thing to happen to the BattlePass. The BattlePass thing is almost as bad as Lootboxes. Imo

[@unknownguyindo4356]

@@Qunia While it's kinda pay to win to buy Battle Pass but the reward is far better than random loot boxes.

[@thegreatcanadianlumberjack5307]

@@Qunia The battlepass at least tells you want you can earn however there is a paid version and an free version. if you want more stuff you pay for it. Fortnite has the system down to a tee. you can keep the free battlepass or you can pay with the V bucks you earned in the battle pass to get the paid one. So your not forced to buy it but can can earned the paid one.

[@stephanwyrsta376]

One of the biggest sins of loot boxes had to be duplicates. Not only did you take a chance of a specific item, but your odds also never changed.

[@N-GinAndTonicTM]

As a mechanic, loot boxes are an inherently good idea. Rewarding the player with random shit for the game; that doesn't impact gameplay or force them to cough up more money. But once the duplicates, PTW and "unlocked X camo for 1 Gun!" Shit came into play, it very quickly soiled their reputation and we haven't seen them since.

[@Joze1090]

​@N-Gin & TonicTM loot boxes for cosmetics is fine, no one gains an upper hand for spending money. Loot boxes that offer stuff to give you an edge in game are fucking garbage.

[@azlanadil3646]

@@Joze1090 No I disagree. Gambling should be restricted, no matter how bad the rewards.

[@tomokokirihara3436]

especially if you have some 3 star shit like weapons, skins or equipment that you have 100-600 times in your inventory but that have no value at all but are just placeholders. It's outrageous and these greedy plague birds need to be either taken off the grid or regulated massively! It's also sad that there are people who defend this greed and arrogance with everything they have. It doesn't matter how beautiful a game looks or how much effort has been put into it if the main mechanic is aimed at completely stealing from all age groups, i.e. the players, and getting their money out of them through these casino tactics.

[@colecarstarphen8226]

Remember when 3 level dlcs were considered a cash grab

[@Matanumi]

Now as long as the game is finished and had enough maps/characters? "Premium DLC" that people phrase

[@RoanokeGaming]

I think monetized lootboxes killed my desire to play alot of games honestly. My brother and I came to this conclusion after trying to figure out why we just didnt want to play modern games anymore

[@Jcp-mb9hw]

I agree. I love playing halo. I loved the credit system in Reach. But in Halo 5 they added essentially loot boxes. No way to get armor or anything without them. I thought it was really sad to see it go that way.

[@tetrafuse3096]

Roanoke Gaming! on an Act Man Video? Friday the 13th really is magical!

[@willtheballer5189]

This is exactly how I feel. Ever since Advanced Warfare, every year that went by I played less. Now I play games significantly less than I used to, I barely buy any new games now.

[@adryannthedefender701]

Micro and macro transactions killed all the joy we used to know.

[@swingdoors1160]

Yeah that's what averted me from playing modern games and made me stick to playing games from the mid 2000s to early 2010s

[@joshuaedward1748]

“It might be illegal to bring kids into a casino, but there was no law about bringing the casino to them” well said there

[@roddydykes7053]

Yeah if there was one take-away quote from this that coulda been it

[@thedukeofdeathpt6262]

"Mom, can I go to the Casino? We already have a Casino At Home Casino At Home: "

[@scarletjester7831]

And they were still surprised when the courts started putting regulation on it

[@knife5038]

Lol sigh too many games with loot boxes now and days:( I can't open em why did they remove the old buying option were you save up and but the item ? :( prob cause of money

[@diegorincon4673]

Yup

[@wtfboompirotecnia]

TF2 should have had a section of its own in a video about loot boxes. It was a pioneer in the subject and implemented it very well, creating a real money economy around it with trading involved.

[@tripplordofinconvenience9953]

E

[@epikorange5983]

Yeah nowadays it's just a cash grab Like the 2021 christmas update

[@Discussion4Peace]

Wait, this video doesn't mention tf2? Thanks for saving me time, I can click off the video ♥️

[@justinchoy5607]

like csgo

[@iGotIceInMyRice420]

Titan Fall 2 or Team Fortress 2?

[@ForeverKnifes]

I know this is irrelevant to the overall message of the video but Resident Evil 3’s shop was only used with earned in-game currency from completed challenges

[@deademer8678]

Nah, its not irrelevant, and they are totally legit and right. But i can kinda see why game producers dont implement it, cause that wont pay for their yachts meh

[@crispywings9066]

@@deademer8678 if you gave the player the choice to grind (like maybe play 2 matches and then receive a loot box for free) and you could give the player a option to pay for it. Would that still be greedy or is this fine

[@drmott666]

@@crispywings9066 well unfortunately that is never how it goes. It is usually either pay us real money or grind for 6 hours to earn a loot crate like the filthy little peasant you are. The ceo of ea once even suggested $1 to reload. And these battle passes that all games have now are just the latest scam and it won’t stop until we ALL say no and stop paying for this shit

[@mitchellfagan7701]

I was about to say the same thing, that in shop currency was fine because ya get em from playing the game, but the resistance multiplayer did have lootboxes which tbf I doubt anyone ever used because resistance was a waste of time 🤣🤣🤣

[@soup7694]

@@crispywings9066 i would say, if you have a well developed matching system (aka you and your team + the other team are very close on the same teir if how good you are) i would say if it's like a 16vs16 game, if you got atleast within the top 12 5 games (that don't have to be in a row) you get a free box/card whatever with increased luck and you can see the chances + the chances of getting better stuff goes up the more you open them. then for the pay crates you CAN open them but it will be like 1/3rd worse luck and each pack costs 2 dollars + theres a limit (like 500 dollats) per month on spending TL:DR if matching system is good and you get in the top 50% of the team in 5 matches that don't need to be in a row you get pack but you can pay 2 dollars for a pack w 1/3rd worse luck that costs2 dollars and the max you can pay per month is 500 dollars

[@johnnyboicasey295]

"The flags maybe different but the methods are the same" - Viktor Reznov

[@WhiteGuyGraal]

Mobile games.Activision. EA. These.. "games" must die!

[@TheLouisianan]

Step 5: Skewer the Winged Loot Box

[@mpcrauzer]

And we have OUR REVENGE

[@killjoy8334]

Step 8: Freedom “For you Mason, not for me.”

[@santicheeks1106]

These call of duty comments are super gunny

[@Eva01-jy2qu7pu9r]

EA: You like getting *surprised* ? Everyone: No

[@AxxLAfriku]

NO! NO! NO! Many people say I am sick in the head. NOOOO!!!! I don't believe them. But there are so many people commenting this stuff on my videos, that I have 1% doubt. So I have to ask you right now: Do you think I am sick in the head? Thanks for helping, my dear eva

[@shirtlockholes7162]

@@AxxLAfriku i was confused until I clicked in his channel

[@mango9602]

“WOULD YOU LIKE TO”

[@KosherPorky]

I like lootboxes when theyre not intrusive and for a game where items matter. Like, CS:GO or Rocket League (until they removed them, of course) It's always fun and nice to drop 10 bucks on a game every now and then, and open a few crates and hopefully get something good. If you don't, it's still fun. If you do, it's ecstatic. The whole "LOOTBOX BAD" thing is not exactly true in essence, it's just that companies got a little too comfortable by pushing them. Lootboxes are also a fantastic way to increase the lifespan or individual player longevity. Whilst I personally like goals that aren't RNG, it's also a bit fun to spice things up and have your goal be in an RNG system, but in this instance, it cannot be paid, or at least optional. Say, for example, Mass Effect 3. In Mass Effect 3, the lootboxes weren't cosmetic, yet they weren't entirely intrusive. They added a way to have endless progression for free, or for a monetary price, but it didn't matter really. It was fun and it extended the amount of time poured into said game. Without this fantastic system, the game would've been more boring, because there would be no grind. On the topic of grinding, it also, in essence, not bad. It sets a goal for the player to follow, which leads to more motivation to play said game. Wanting that armor set, weapon, or skin, is another reason to keep playing. Without the grind, a lot of games would not have player bases.

[@zyriuz2]

EA be like : no no it's not "gambling" with "loot boxes" it's "gaming with surprise elements" 👍

[@retloclive9118]

Years ago, I payed around 30$ on TF2 keys to open up some of those chained crates, and never looked back. That was the moment I realized lootboxes were such a f#$ked up system.

[@Maximalistcollector]

trading is a good alternative

[@kendarr]

@@Maximalistcollector just as shitty

[@o_ver2.094]

@@kendarr jeez did you scam you your unusuals or something?

[@kendarr]

@@o_ver2.094 Nah, honestly I was probably sleeply as hell, it's not as bad as lootboxes as you know what you're getting, while adding so much value to a digital item like a CS GO knife for hundreds of dollars is crazy to me, i do understand why and how it works, and again you get exactly what you pay for, not some "legit" cassino.

[@undercover1790]

@@kendarr because that's what the community values it at. It's the same as the real world. High demand and short supply means big prices. If no one wants it it's price will go down

[@nickdub1973]

The act man is a great KZbinr. You can see that he actually puts love and care into his videos and it shows. Good job. 👍

[@aaronhopkins3392]

Yeah! I just started watching him and I enjoy his insight Into games! He always fair

[@caydenjacobs3314]

Why is pfp yuri? Natsuki 10x better.

[@SpringDavid]

@@caydenjacobs3314 Bullshit, Sayori Monika is the best cha -Monika Monika Monika Monika MONIKA MONIKA MONIKA MONIKA

[@luminatron]

I knew from the moment I heard music from Castlevania: Circle of the Moon in the intro Mans a true gamer

[@indestructible247]

he always forces a very specific narrative down your throat, so nah i disagree

[@HelloFriendComTech]

"The man fell to his knees and shouted to the skies: "is this good for the player?"" lmao

[@SOV724]

😄

[@alexsilva28]

EES DEEEZ GUD FOR DA PLAYAH

[@abadenoughdude300]

...and the skies answered, "shut up, fool, I'm watching a game here!".

[@rkochamp07]

Fast forward 5 years: The Act Man: The Rise and Fall of the Battle Pass

[@some_toxic_kid1999]

The origin of this outbreak was... Fortnite

[@superspies32]

@@some_toxic_kid1999 Actually firstly was Dota2, then Apex Legends and finally Fornite copy it with respawn beacon of Apex Legends

[@Zontar82]

will wait for "the rise and fall of dlc ",sooner or later this bullshit will have to end

[@Wet_Deer]

I can’t wait for battle passes to die. I prefer how halo 3 did cosmetics. Buy the game and you get all the content

[@CAESER226]

@@Wet_Deer yeah that would be the dream but from all systems that has come and go the battlepass is at the moment the best. I rather pay 1 time 10€$ whatever and can buy the next one trough gameplay than buy 3 different dlcs for 20 or only have to rely on luck to get something.

[@jovandimitrijekolaric2549]

Cuphead music was spot on, considering your main enemies are owner and manager of the casino

[@Maxler5795]

10:55 I love how you're showing yakuza kiwami 2, a game in a yearly release schedule but each one is amazing on their own right.

[@roomtemparatureicebag2013]

This gets overlooked a lot on KZbin but dude your thumbnails are legitimately fantastic Like I haven’t seen a single bad thumbnail from you ever You truly have a talent

[@TheActMan]

Thanks, man! I appreciate that and work really hard on them! WAY better at making thumbnails than I was years ago

[@roomtemparatureicebag2013]

@@TheActMan yea of course man After watching an unus annus video I realized how essential a good thumbnail is Oh also great video

[@Ian501st]

I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't mentioned it, guess thats good because that would mean I've never noticed anything bad about them, they just look and feel right

[@gravemindpenis]

lol not gonna mention when every Halo video had Locke on the thumbnail

[@fawful7457]

@@TheActMan Lootcrates give us G-fuel.

[@simonmartin202]

The Actman talking about Fifa, screen goes black Gets advert for fifa.

[@onjah7773]

Nice

[@gamingfreak619]

Rocket league: Hold my beer, I’ll show you how to do it

[@suntzu1719]

Or leauge of legends.

[@endershel8163]

I so agree with your loot boxes take. Lootboxes are fine but them being behind pay walls isnt

[@brianchavez2829]

Good point. And that makes me wonder: Are there any games that have boxes that aren't monetized (Triple A or not)?

[@cyberethereal]

​@@brianchavez2829Nintendo does gacha-style random rewards sometimes, like Kirby and the Forgotten Land's figurines or capsule dispensers in TotK, but I'm not sure about lootboxes specifically. It's sad because it's a fun mechanic but allowing players to buy currency and starving them of in-game rewards accordingly turns it gross and predatory.

[@femboygodblankkcu284]

​@@brianchavez2829deep rock

[@Vulture1738]

I'd like to see Activision explain how they had the highest grossing quarter yet had HUGE layoffs and now say the average game price is $69.99 because it's expensive to make games despite cheaper distribution, easier to use programs, and an ever growing audience

[@mrg8317]

Honestly expense/ renvue lost only going to affect a small developer, this is bullshit excuse in some cases

[@wifine1951]

Increase revenue, decrease costs. Business 101

[@twenty-fifthfall]

They should keep season passes if they have good content

[@saisameer8771]

Marketing alone seems to take a ton of money.

[@mscapeh4451]

Becouse its a swindle scam and weak minded falls for it and defend there agenda

[@MrBlipman]

"Is this good for the player" the FUNNIEST meme act man has hands down

[@ericmay560]

100% true

[@eggboi6760]

N E W D O G M O D E L S

[@JKelseyuk]

that one cracks me up every time without fail hahah

[@ZanzibarWizard]

I think Infinity Comms is

[@Natendo]

I just wanna say the reason I subscribed forever ago was your constant use if Banjo Kazooie and Tooie music. Love that game series

[@B-Man-69]

"It'S a GaMiNg FeAtUrE!" - every hated game dev ever

[@renshii422]

"Surprise mechanics" while stuttering and sweating profusely is what took me out, that was too fun.

[@marialick1586]

Haha, good one! But what about this? Customer: It's not stealing games, it's surprise discount!

[@Mythki11er]

She couldn't wait to say that bs

[@mancamiatipoola]

She was so tired of telling those lies, you could see the conflicted nature of her thoughts on her face...

[@bellsystem2351]

"It is not starvaition it is a suprise diet" -some memer

[@abhitejvelore]

It's so wierd to look at discussions on lootboxes without bringing in valve into the discussion. Arguably one of the early pioneers of loot boxes and definitely the creators of the battle pass. Fortnite is but a copy of League which itself is a copy of the battle pass system created by Valve.

[@asternshelf2459]

It's been so long I grew a single chest hair. Thanks Act Man

[@Firewatchersparadox97]

Damn you're old.

[@asternshelf2459]

@@Firewatchersparadox97 Yh. I'm a boomer now

[@stubby_cat19yearsago95]

lol

[@Firewatchersparadox97]

Asternshelf24 congrats

[@asternshelf2459]

@@Firewatchersparadox97 thanks. People like you make me hate life less

[@okaberintarou5203]

8:03 I appreciated the Nikolai reference line from COD zombies, loved that shit it made my childhood

[@ambrozoblak7371]

Whenever i see the words: season pass, [any rarity word], pack, i roll my eyes

[@epicgamer-iz4ok]

Andrew wilson: "is this good for the player?" Gamers: N O

[@justinchoi5358]

if the answer is no proceed

[@starscream8989]

do you think Mann. Co. crates are loot boxes?

[@anonymouslee8542]

@@starscream8989 They are, but i think they're fine as they are just cosmetic.

[@Aaroncarter95]

Andrew Wilson: "The gamers don't know what they want. They just know they want it." Also if tge items in loot boxes are just like skins, bright camo, gun accessories, reticle options(like the smiley face or radiation symbol), different voices and more calling cards then i think it's fine cause the player knows these things will not inherently improve performance(so long as the reticles stay crazy with no true center dot).

[@BravoTango-vt8em]

@Starscream Oh hi, a fellow intelligent self-conscious robot. And yes, this is very ironic.

[@MikeWazowski12345]

"Imagine if Black Ops wager matches used real money" yeah that would be the most toxic playlist in CoD history

[@shrimpshot1581]

It’s called esports

[@Timic83tc]

Last time people did a wager on a cod wwii match someone swatted the wrong guy and killed an innocent man. Let's not do wager matches

[@ernestobesto9990]

Lol I mean back in the day me and boys would use mlg and another website that I forgot about to play for money and yea man the toxicity is real lol but you couldn’t help but to talk shit when you won two dollars lololol

[@TylerSane5]

You shoulda been able to bet Unopened loot boxes for the chance to earn more

[@plebisMaximus]

Honestly, that sounds pretty cool. A way to go semi-pro if you're good enough.

[@anm10wolvorinenotapanther32]

I can already feel it, maybe 10 years or so from now, Act Man will post *"The Rise And Fall of The Battle Pass"*

[@kingepicgg906]

I prefer to pay £10 a couple times on my fave game and know what I get then well having a chance at a skin I actually like

[@Krajenda]

@@kingepicgg906 How about not having to pay extra money on a $60 game?

[@Fernandoenf2]

Love how the StarCraft music kicks in when talking about good old times DlC , broad wars one of the best dlcs ever

[@leonardocoppola717]

2029: Whats up everybody this is the Act-Man here, and today we're gonna study the Rise and Fall of the BattlePass...

[@declanmccaffrey515]

Seriously though, I despise battle passes, what the hell is the point of even trying to complete them when you have to pay for fucking 90% of the shit? Why not just make it dlc at that point? It’s all just one big scam that makes you spend more money while tricking you into thinking you got better value, fuck that.

[@caseyhall2320]

@@declanmccaffrey515 yeah, I'm not big on corporations trying to force players to pay for content that isn't dlc.

[@egonieser]

@@declanmccaffrey515 The microtransactions will never go away. But the difference with between battle pass and loot box is that you know full well what it contains, how long it takes to obtain it and exactly how much it costs, and it's a singular payment per battlepass instead of uncountable numbers of loot crates. Yeah it's still not fair, depending on what's in the battlepass, but it's a hellova lot more fair since you can actually make an informed decision on whether or not you want to buy it, if you need it at all. You don't have that knowledge with loot boxes.

[@unusedchannelgotomyaboutpa2007]

@@caseyhall2320 Honestly, I hate DLC aswell. I think you should just have the full content of the actual game in the game instead of making people pay extra.

[@emperorarkoos2919]

@@declanmccaffrey515 it should be free reward for people having to choke out £/$/€/¥/¢60 or even more for retarded special editions a collectors editions for fucking half finished rushed out game with excuse of "it's in early access" or "were working on it" and then proceeding stick their thumbs in their arses

[@Kevin-fj5oe]

They forget that gacha only works if there's Cute anime girl inside.

[@nman551]

Damn

[@hellz105]

no wonder azur lane is popular

[@vittxrio5198]

How to make weebs spend $50+ just to get a 2D waifu.

[@tntproductions1996]

@A Light Skin With Taste even by gacha standards, genshin is stingy

[@siamzero9480]

@@hellz105 Never spent a dime on AL, yet collection rate of my ships is at 91%.

[@luminatron]

Nice usage of Castlevania: Circle of the Moon music at the intro 💜 A true gamer indeed.

[@brandonharkins6900]

I'm bringing your videos now that you're monetized again, this is a victory for KZbin, and for art. I hope we keep going up.

[@Frame_Late]

It's funny how none of that money went to improving the game. But, hey, at least the CEO has a 11th yacht with stripper poles.

[@Psych0technic]

How do you know?

[@Frame_Late]

@@Psych0technic he posted it on his Instagram. He also has twenty private jets, the last Dodo, and hillary duff.

[@Psych0technic]

@@Frame_Late the ea guy?

[@Frame_Late]

@@Psych0technic I was joking. And yes, the EA guy.

[@abadenoughdude300]

But he doesn't have ALL the money in the world yet so gotta milk them whales some more.

[@AverageAlien]

lmao rockstar just sitting there like "what loot boxes? Just sell overpriced currency packs"

[@randybobandy9828]

Well if them selling overpriced currency packs to idiots helps keep the price of the game down than I'm completely fine with that. Better that than charging $100 for the base game.

[@AverageAlien]

@@randybobandy9828 agreed

[@isaac4303]

@@randybobandy9828 couldnt of said it any better myself

[@christopher-ge4tj]

Well, i never got into GTA Online myself.. But at least with their monetized "packs", you know exactly how much you are getting and can make a more sensible financial decision knowing full well what you will be getting in return. Like i said i havent played gta but thats what it seems like. Whereas Overwatch ive played a ton of.. Never spent a dollar on and have every skin i want and over 200 unopened lootboxes. Because im tired of the animation it takes to open them only to get 3 gray spray paint logos and one common skin i have. And all 3 are duplicated and im compensated with 15 'in game currency' which is basically warm toilet water.

[@randybobandy9828]

@@christopher-ge4tj yes I think people think lootboxes and microtransactions are one in the same sometimes.

[@refkiriswansyah2830]

I think its okay to have random chance in a game, as long as money isn't involved in it. And if you need to put money in it, make it at least refundable (or have actual physical value, like trading card game, to resell) and make the chance to get it at least fair (minimum chance of 5%, if after 20-30 times you still dont pull it, you can trade the "lost" prizes to the one you want)

[@inarb]

I genuinely do not have a problem with loot boxes if they can be acquired through gameplay. When they become only accessible through micro-transactions, that’s when it becomes a problem

[@freelanceart1019]

That is Honkai & Genshin Impact for you mate the Premium transactions

[@funnyman5254]

Only real OG’s remember when this video was private

[@baddecisions7435]

Lol

[@lordvictor9793]

Me

[@shadowguy4966]

I was there when The magic was writeen

[@Luka_Smith]

Yep lol 😂

[@Mrhellslayerz]

ditto

[@thundageon5962]

Imagine a multiplayer Mario kart game on mobile with loot boxes 2019: oh

[@justanothergamer5034]

:(

[@thundageon5962]

Just pathetic

[@justanothergamer5034]

@@thundageon5962 that’s why I ended up deleting that shitty game

[@Timic83tc]

Nintendo going lootboxes on mobile is proof the mightiest have fallen

[@thundageon5962]

Nintendo actually fired one of the executives for pulling an EA strategy move for the first time

[@sirterry2444]

Ayyyyy is that Tales of Vesperia OST I hear in the background?! Good man Good Act man! 😎

[@milkinanime7047]

14:08 thats why i like warframe they noticed one dude spending thousands on colors for his funny dog. They fuckin removed the feature.

[@TheFizzyGenie]

i miss when i needed actual skill to unlock rare stuff

[@vittxrio5198]

Same. The concept and grinding and finding stuff that really rewards the gamer. Nowadays, just throw in your parent's money and you're good to go.

[@nimroutrandomness1245]

i missed when the stuff to be unlocked was worthy of being unlocked

[@TheLakabanzaichrg]

Or when you could get a lot of content per game

[@ADMICKEY]

@@vittxrio5198 you do know Fortnite save the world still exists right

[@lolkaslolpez4823]

Well...look at Dark matter, Diamond or damaskus in cod

[@favdoggam]

"the game industry is headed to a bright and noble future" *Shows titanfall* Yes

[@funkuro]

Yes. Good. Good game. Game good. Mhm. Yes. Goooood...

[@Jim-lg8sf]

Favourite Dogegamer Titanfall is a masterpiece

[@favdoggam]

@@funkuro are you being sarcastic cause of you are you clearly haven't played it.

[@funkuro]

Favourite Dogegamer sorry if I sounded sarcastic I love titanfall with all my heart. Honestly the best first person shooter out there (well in my opinion) so yeah. Sorry for any miscommunication.

[@favdoggam]

@UnlistedNinja it isn't it's amazing

[@airshiphead]

Love your videos man, they're great to listen to, which is perfect for down time.

[@mainbreaker1246]

Nice The Thing reference! Always love seeing those

[@realhumanbean7915]

People always use the “SAME PRICE DESPITE INFLATION” excuse forgetting distribution getting infinitely cheaper and how the overall audience grew EXPONENTIALLY. Not only did they cut a major part of the costs, they also are getting far, FAR greater returns for their investments

[@marianopena7872]

Yup, exactly. A couple of points I'll add. 1) 2K has started raising their prices for next-gen games by $10, yet still treat them like casino simulators. 2) 2K, EA, Activison, and Ubisoft all come to mind when I think of games having 37 different editions. These range from $60 - $200, and how often are these "special editions" just a couple of ingame cosmetics, team packs or ingame currency? Things that are bare minimum but people will shell out an extra $20 for these editions. The biggest one though is obviously the cost of distribution being significantly lowered. We're quickly moving into a digital download world and even have two nextgen consoles that are digital only. These companies aren't doing it out of need but greed. They'll gloat about making $1 billion in MTX, then lay off 1500 employees. Greedy, soulless cunt fucks.

[@gunnart1305]

@@marianopena7872 it will get to a breaking point where eventually their numbers will oof. A lot of people like to talk about this being a result of late stage capitalism, but I think it’s more like what happens when you’re coming close to a new revolution within entertainment.

[@roseforeuropa]

You have a very valid point, the natural deflation that comes with gains in efficiency, to offset natural inflation (roughly 3% per year). Hence, when you look at video games costing $40 back in 1977, it would be worth about $140 today in real terms. To further expand on your point, you could also see that not just distribution, but the cost of the physical hardware (cartridge), was SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive. Costs were cut dramatically in the mid to late 90s when the industry switched to CDs, which costs mere pennies, yet the $50 retail pricing was maintained. They used gambling mechanics and I do agree with this video and others who say this is basically anti-competitive business practice.

[@roseforeuropa]

@@alfstewart2592 Haha, you got me there!

[@TheActMan]

True true

[@cochi8028]

"All gambling is based on deception" - Todd Howard, The Art of Loot Boxes

[@leventeacs6371]

You are a man of culture as well.

[@wally3325]

For years, the game dev’s micro transactions has made their games casinos. The greedy talk, while our gamers and children spill their own money, but deceit comes both ways

[@WhiskyWombat556]

As far as the loot box system in Siege, the standard one can’t be bought by real money, only currency you get in game, now the special ones you can get with real money or in game currency. But at least you see what you get before with the special packs, but you can only guarantee to get what you want if you buy it all

[@iamcristiannn]

im happy with that system knowing i dont have to buy the packs. Getting duplicates suck but im getting the packs for free most of the time or just playing the game. The newer packs you need real money but get a new character, get other cosmetics, some credits back, boosters and free packs if you complete more of the battle pass. I pay because i love playing the game, not because ubi forced me to get the battle pass

[@sodaboi4896]

wow... thats the most effort ive ever seen put into merch. Good job actman... good jov

[@crimsonstardrago9707]

To this day I still absolutely hate that woman from the EA conference.

[@medjrikais2419]

Look at here face a demon in disguise full of lies and greed

[@GeekRaj]

I hate her too lol

[@antonioh5687]

I mean she was doing her job

[@theatomiclemon1]

@@antonioh5687 Which she chose.

[@kingdavey90]

I don't hate her.

[@checkp0int885]

Never forget: Valve created what can be considered the true modern lootcrate with the implementation of the Mann Co. Supply create in TF2 with the MANN-conomy update of 2010. Everyone's favorite indie multi-billion dollar corporation is the progenitor for the most loathed money-making tactic in gaming.

[@Ziko577]

Essentially, they're patient zero for all this and most likely will be the last holdout till they see it's not worth it no longer.

[@jaywerner8415]

Ya funny how no one ever if rarely points that out. Remember TF2 used to be 20 bucks (a bargain these days) then went free to play in what 2010, 2012? but yes it would be the first example of lootboxs/lootcrates. That said, at least the is actually good and (while not always true these days) the default loadouts are perfectly viable.

[@canadianbigmac3501]

I would say they were the main cause of the rise but I think patient zero was the horse armor In oblivion

[@jasonmurphy6253]

To be fair valve did it better than any other company. Providing content updates and keeping the micro transactions as purely cosmetic items wasn’t so bad.

[@jaywerner8415]

@@canadianbigmac3501 Maybe, id still call horse armor cosmetic dlc. TF2 at least only charges you 5 bucks for a key (meanwhile in fallout 76 20$ for FUCKING POWER ARMOR SKIN!) to open a box you can get for free just from playing, sure the 5 bucks adds up but its something. I suspect thats why many lootbox systems these days don't charge you to open them anymore.

[@Hollowdude15]

I had a good time watching this video about the rise and fall of loot boxes and awesome video man :]

[@lausdeobm8720]

I just love how Act Man incorporates one of the most iconic video game background music in his videos ah

[@CalvinWoodruff]

OG’s saw the video at first release.

[@joshuas135]

Me

[@00spiderwolfman]

Indeed worth the rewatch though

[@Matanumi]

Yeah the glitch was kinda fucked it messed with your mind

[@DateMasamune1636]

Me too

[@deag4113]

“Loot boxes, you know them, and you probably hate them,” - no truer words have ever been said

[@deag4113]

BlastinNick Considering that they offer a form of gambling to kids, I feel like there is a good chance that they could be ruled to be illegal to some regard. If not, they will be significantly limited one day

[@chrisshrader3404]

I don't know if it's intentional but I like that at 12:24 you made the lawyer Rockstar

[@IJustSkitMyPants]

Wanna talk pay to play? Final Fantasy on mobile. I had people in my guild (KOTK) that spent upwards of $5000+ ON A PHONE GAME. There were even players that admittedly spent upwards of $20,000. I was unfortunate enough to get sucked into it and spent about $800 to get to tier 4 and it was effective for about a month before T5 dropped, then things got dicey. Then they dropped T6 and if you weren't a healthy T5, you had to hide under bubble shields every night or hide your kingdom really well. That's when I gave up. I disbanded all of my armies and let the realm "owners" wreck me. Uninstalled the game about 2 years ago and haven't looked back. The worst part? I never spent time playing final fantasy ever in my life. It was me somehow getting involved enough to join a guild and meeting other people that made me get sucked in. I couldn't stop checking my phone at least once an hour even if I knew the realm was calm at the time. Forget about it when an RVR even was happening. I basically had my phone on standby constantly for 12 hours and would literally set alarms throughout the night to make sure my kingdom was okay on the nights I didn't have shields. It's crazy how these games can suck you in. Even when you had no affiliation with that franchise to begin with. These mobile games need to be put under the scope even more because now we're talking about games you carry with you everywhere and check like Facebook. Like I said, first hand experience with how quickly you can get sucked in even if you never took part in that franchise before. I never played final fantasy before that.

[@anthonyfernandez82]

Taking advantage of addicts. Like any casino. Disgusting

[@masamune2984]

Correction: WE care as devs/designers. The Publishers often don’t.

[@unlimited8410]

Of course the 40-50 year old gen x gronks who own game company stocks are only there for the money.

[@spacecowboy8295]

I mean I don't really mind loot boxes, as long as they're limited to cosmetics and they're earnable via playing around like 2 multiplayer matches. It feels like pokemon cards when you play with friends.

[@RokushoTheRavager]

I think as consumers become more and more educated we all realize just how worthless Publishers truly are. They've become the middleman we do not need and if they don't stop their bullshit, eventually they will become irrelevant. If more and more developers are able to go independent like CD Red, Bungie, & Platinum have, companies like EA & Activision are finished. Sadly it'll take who knows how many years to get there, if any us even live long enough to see it happen, but it's an inevitability.

[@mytasnoldev2460]

@ben dover To be fair, publishers *so* fund the game, they are called publishers for a reason. As shitty as some can be

[@RespiroOfficial]

tl;dr stonks ppl iz bad for making games suckish...

[@nickm6926]

Remember when the audience at E3 cheered when they announced that there wouldn't be any microtransactions in the Avengers game? And then the game turned out to be a lazy cash grab WITH MICROTRANSACTIONS? Congrats, Square Enix, you are a cold and empty skeleton of what used to be a great game company.

[@ozwald9118]

The fact that people were hyped when they said no microtransactions is just sad

[@TOONYBOY]

@@ozwald9118 Yeah, it's now an achievement for a game to NOT have them because everyone's doing them now

[@blakechiles3628]

If there is a Just Cause 5, I hope to heck it doesn't have in-game micro transactions. I'm fine with the mini dlc's, but definitely not anything else...

[@TOONYBOY]

@@blakechiles3628 When it comes to MCs, the best practice for them IMO is when they don't give you a competitive advantage and are only used for cosmetics, but not purchase-only cosmetics, just as an alternative for people who have money but not a lot of time, and people with not a lot of money but a lot of time can do it the old fashioned way. By asking their par- Playing for hours

[@TOONYBOY]

The reason why I'd say this works in Warframe is because depending on your RNG it can take you upwards of an hour of 1-shotting the same boss to get all the pieces of a Warframe, which for someone who only has a limited amount of time, might want to just get in and play this new Warframe instead of doing all the quests and unlocking planets to get it

[@kronosstephenson4459]

That two second clip convinced me to watch all 3 pirates of the Caribbean movies

[@masterofbloopers]

Dutch ruling has declared loot boxes not gambling after a noble 2-year battle. It was a devastating blow to gaming fans everywhere. In the words of some guy from a video game I can't remember: "The battle is over, but the war has not yet been won."

[@bean_289]

Ironic how payday is the the the one to abide with “the relevant laws” when it’s the game about breaking it

[@xDanilor]

Ahahah true 🤣

[@112cla50]

Why you have 3 "the"

[@ZomboidMania]

@@112cla50 I didn't even notice that

[@Overqualification]

@@ZomboidMania me neither thats crazy

[@GTAVictor9128]

Even funnier, the development studio (Overkill) was actually raided by the police at one point.

[@andremonteiro9372]

The sad part about this is that the "paid Battle Pass" system is probably going to replace the loot boxes, which, is not entirely bad, since you'll be able to SEE the actual stuff you're getting, but the game will still LOCK content away from the game, requiring actual money to unlock it, which is bad.

[@tuckerhenrikson7709]

Not to mention it's filled with shit to make it a boring grind, and it's locked behind time.

[@eleongo]

Battle pass actually rewards you the more you play, as in completing tasks/missions/achievements but that requires strong commitment to play by daily basis especially if you purchase premium BP.

[@crazedlucidityzero]

@@eleongo battle passes are no better than loot boxes, you have to pay to then have to work to earn shit. No its garbage and it also needs to stop.

[@Shunit]

@@crazedlucidityzero I feel battlepasses are fine in free games like Call Of Duty Mobile and Fortnite. Can understand that they want to earn money. In COD, you don't even have to pay for the Battlepass again once you bought it, provided you keep playing the game and grind for it.

[@mr.mustang656]

You sell your soul when you buy a battlepass, i almost failed my first quarter because i skipped to level up my 4 battle passes on different games

[@johndillermand4053]

That game awards microtransaction joke always gets me

[@afti03]

The almighty Act Man is a tour de force when it comes to storytelling! Blessed by thy act, you blessed Act Man

[@FPSWordle]

I was born and grew up in Las Vegas. I have seen the toll that gambling takes on people. This is exactly what this, "surprise mechanic," is and it's terrifying to see children involved in it.

[@tylerhorn3712]

The more children we get in on loot boxes, the more whales we get. Lol imagine a kid using their parents credit card to spend $100 for that one skin that should cost $5. That's what we're all about! Get em while their young, make them spend a lot.

[@Parafunk]

I loved that you left the whole Jurassic Park dialog there, it's so good, dude..

[@MrSpartan993]

It seriously applies to SO many corporations not just video games.

[@reuben6483]

This is my favorite Act Man video it makes me happy

[@bigbrainb1684]

Every Triple-A game publisher rn: Friendship ended with Lootbox, now Battle Pass is my best friend.

[@ratchetexperience8379]

Finally. About time these gambling crates are left in the dust where they belong.

[@snopdogg2x]

Yeah thank god but he got one thing wrong Fortnite didn't have lootboxes you knew what you were buying

[@TheTurkishAssassin95]

We finally getting rit off them in The Netherland

[@ratchetexperience8379]

@@TheTurkishAssassin95 as they should. Whoever thought loot boxes were a good idea should recieve a punch to the jaw.

[@BravoTango-vt8em]

I’ve never seen a pfp for that show before. It’s really good, I like the art style. Looking forward to Season 4.

[@invincibleash2011]

@@snopdogg2x uh no fortnite had loot boxes

[@humoroustumor]

Halo Infinite monetizing armor colors now... “Tartarus, the prophets have betrayed us.”

[@creatorsfreedom6734]

No Arbiter the Great Profit has begun

[@forestrees2000]

@@creatorsfreedom6734 lmao golden comment

[@patrykidryjan9075]

Thanks again for this video Act Man :-)))

[@bbcmotd]

An important thing to understand partially why packs became so popular in FIFA is because lots of football fans had been used to buying real packs with player cards (Panini) and filling in their collectible books in the past.

[@viannie420]

"The more packs you open, the better chance you had to get the best players" shows picture of Maguire.

[@mrg8317]

I was about to say that too, the 80million quid fridge, attacking Greek officers

[@klimychbarin]

>unironically being interested in football

[@Anicca88]

@Hello There I was looking for this comment. Thanks!

[@smokay480]

I miss the good ol days of defeating the most difficult boss in a game on the hardest difficulty and being rewarded with a badass weapon or armor.

[@dragonmaster3030]

Like dark souls 3, remember the cool shit you would get for killing the nameless and how big of an accomplishment that was, anyone you saw had that stuff you had to give respect towards.

[@cr4yv3n]

I miss when we called DLCs, EXPANSIONS and we got almost a full new game in it.

[@thedoubting2290]

Thank god souls type of games not going to put microtransaction and loot box

[@shopliftfilms]

I need to know that outro song. that's a great piece!

[@cruisejl7631]

This will prove to be a very important video in chronicling the history of gaming

[@ericcarrington4936]

I can always appreciate a Jeff Goldbloom Jurassic Park reference

[@CaptainsRath]

“Humans are foolishly hopeful, no matter how mathematically insane the chances might be” Me trying to get a ps5 on launch day: ...yes Edit: no matter the chances, ya boy got one!

[@TylerSane5]

Ohwell brand new consoles are loot boxes them self with the problems they have for the first 2 years or so! Haha

[@jam5287]

I wouldn’t get one yet.. the series x has reportedly had issues. New consoles always have issues.

[@jam5287]

@syed jawad hope so. I want both consoles to do well and succeed. I just think it’s a better idea to wait until they’ve both had a few patches weeding out bugs and what not. I personally am waiting for the next god of war to get a ps5 bundle. That’ll be at least 6 months to a year after launch and hopefully it’ll be smooth sailing.

[@TheKenji2221]

@@jam5287 The smoke has always been fake. It was retards blowing smoke under the console to make it look like a chimney

[@jakaalatas8938]

@@jam5287 What about wait couple year for the Slim version?(and more optimize game for ps5)

[@WarningStrangerDanger]

One day I'm going to make a game with a $1,000 DLC that does nothing but make your name gold, a $10,000 DLC that does nothing but make your name glow, and a $100,000 DLC that makes your name animated with shines. That will be the only DLC. If it takes off, I'll put a $1,000,000 DLC in the sequel.

[@KeanuChrist]

I love when you sneak Terran music into your videos.

[@irresponsibletaco5096]

Act man: “retail price for games has stayed the same for over 30 years, if only the same could be said about college tuition.” Me: *cries in lifelong debt*

[@shadsantiago1766]

“It’s not gambling, they’re surprise mechanics”

[@ZugzugZugzugson]

its not theft, its a surprise loan that i won't pay back

[@ZugzugZugzugson]

its not murder, its a surprise forever-sleep mechanic

[@ZugzugZugzugson]

@Tezla Kavach good one :D

[@ken.7019]

"It's not pedophilia, it's alpha testing"

[@TheRealArtimusKnight]

@@ZugzugZugzugson it’s not robbery, it’s a surprise shopping spree

[@shaun5497]

I stood up and cheered at the end of this video!! Great job my guy!

[@bbcmotd]

As a Fifa player since FIFA 2000, welcome to the packs/lootboxes club everybody. Last ultimate team I played was FIFA 15 and I'm glad I stopped there.

[@goldfishthedestroyer3233]

Actually, Team Fortress 2 has a hat economy where you can sell your hats for ridiculous prices, just like CSGO.

[@goldfishthedestroyer3233]

@@DrippinJimmy4054 exactly why I’ve been part of it for years

[@baklavaconsumer1080]

It's not good but players can make money off of it so it's not as bad as loot boxes

[@superspies32]

Dota 2 has so many sets of cosmetics that can be sold for thousands of USD such as Golden Baby Roshan Courrier

[@commanderboom2626]

I would definitely say that Valve has the best loot box system, because yeah, you could open 20 crates or, you could just pay a few cents if what you want was something cheap, and at least for TF2 it’s not pay to win, it’s purely cosmetic. Its also stuff that people are willing to pay for and it’s a free game (unless you buy premium).

[@nail7904]

Also it's just cosmetics for both

[@deathsdoor07]

Was the woman at the Congressional hearing trying to laugh when she was defending loot boxes?

[@theatomiclemon1]

No, she had trouble keeping a straight face because even she knew that she was lying. She's probably very aware of the amount of people that the company she worked for ruined.

[@abadenoughdude300]

It looked like when you're cornered in a dark alley by several big bad goons and you're trying to wisecrack your way out of this and trying not to show you know very well you're gonna die tonight.

[@patchwurk6652]

@@abadenoughdude300 On a related note, it's actually surprisingly easy to make that charisma check if you're drunk in the dark alley.

[@daft_icup]

as someone who doesnt give games more money than the title price i hate the battle pass and i miss lootboxes, some games would just give them to you for leveling up but now you have to pay actual money to get anything cool in a game

[@housecat_]

And now here we are in 2023 reminiscing of the good old loot box days before the monetization of gaming somehow managed to lift UP the bottom of the barrel and dig even deeper.

[@samwhary5498]

[Adjusted]: The world will know that free men stood against a tyrant, that many stood against few, and before this battle was over, even a god-king can bleed

[@damonsalvatore3222]

Nice, throwback quote and fitting

[@starchild3215]

@@damonsalvatore3222 what's the quote from?

[@alithebadZz]

Starchild3215 300

[@starchild3215]

@@alithebadZz thanks

[@starchild3215]

@@alithebadZz and you're right it is quite fitting

[@voiceovreason8690]

In a society where the 7 deadly sins are viewed as desirable character traits, anything is possible. pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, sloth, and loot boxes.

[@likira111]

Who is viewing wrath,envy, greed or sloth as desirable? lust and pride in the form of confidence and MAYBE gluttony, but not them.

[@bipbop3121]

loot boxes = greed & sometimes gluttony. Not separate just a sub category

[@speedking7224]

Couldn't say it better myself

[@Killzoneguy117]

Lootboxes really incorporate all of those

[@fumothfan9]

Thats 8

[@Fatspanner123]

“The better chance you had to get the best players” Proceeds to show Harry Maguire on screen 😂😂