Between Genshin Impact and EA. Loot box and gacha game compared - editorial

August 13, 2020, California: Kevin Ramirez is suing Electronic Arts. The FIFA 20 Ultimate Team mode is in the sights, guilty of having randomly dropped player packs. On October 19, however, the cause wanted by Canadians Mark Sutherland and Shawn Moore, players of Madden NFL and other NHL games, became a real class action. The subject of the trials are the mechanics of loot box, accused of violating the laws on gambling. Two events that, at such a short distance, can only bring our attention back to the predatory systems that have plagued the industry for a decade now, and that proliferate in the shadow areas of national legislatures.

All the more reason that, as we all know, Genshin Impact is the undisputed phenomenon of the moment: an action rpg, open world, with an anime style and a cheerful and lively cast of heroes. According to Daniel Amhad, analyst at Niko Partner, in just two weeks, the free-to-play of MiHoYo has earned 100 million dollars. To do this, Genshin uses a gacha mechanic, with chests and crystals that contain random characters and weapons. Among the engagement strategies, the creation of a fictitious urgency to obtain some heroes before the expiry of temporary events.

Gacha and loot box are not entirely synonymous, but they represent the same way of relating to player, seen as a cow to be squeezed and not, more ideally, as a user of a work. Some definitions, before going further into the discussion. A loot box is a container of random, digital objects that the player reveals upon opening. Depending on the reference game, the loot consists of characters, power-ups, weapons, in-game currencies, cards. These boxes, chests, chests, or packs of cards, can be obtained in many ways, but it is always the real money that allows you to maximize the results and aim for the most unique, strong, coveted rewards.