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The Perfect Ten: The truth about lockboxes
Call them lockboxes, lootboxes, super packs, gift packs, treasure boxes, mystic chests, or Chupacabra's lunchpails, but these virtual boxes of mystery, fame, and fortune are all the rage in MMOs these days. Few studios have resisted the siren's call of such easy money, much to the dismay of many-a-gamer. The idea is that a game will dish out to players free locked treasure boxes that require purchased keys to open. The allure of the box's mystery prize is often too strong to resist, especially when there's the possibility of a huge reward inside. The result too often is strong buyer's remorse and studio glee. There's been a lot of conversation around lockboxes here on Massively, so I wanted to dedicate this week's Perfect Ten to dissecting the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth of these items for you.
The Daily Grind: Are cash-shop lotteries a black mark on MMOs?
Western players gripe about random number generators, especially when it comes to cash shops. Many of us rebel against paying for lockboxes in Star Trek Online, TCG cards in the now-defunct Star Wars Galaxies, and super-packs in City of Heroes because we want to buy a thing, not a chance at a thing. Apparently, the idea annoys at least one government too. Earlier this week, rumors began swirling that the Japanese government might crack down on social games that employ "konpu gacha" -- essentially a crafting mechanic that requires a succession of lottery-esque random rolls. To gather the random and rare items you need to craft the gizmo you really want, you wind up spending tons of real cash on a bunch of stuff you don't. Sound familiar? I'm not a fan of legislative meddling in how fools and their money are parted, but I'm still wondering what you all think. Are these kinds of cash-shop tricks fair play, or do you think the genre would be better off without them? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: That's really super, Super Pack
So, the Super Pack is out. Not a whole lot has changed in City of Heroes as a result. The skies have not been raining fire any more than they already do on a regular basis (superheroes, you know the deal). People still log in and play and enjoy themselves. And my enormous ranting diatribe still sits in the archives for anyone who missed it the first time or just wants to take a second look for posterity. My feelings haven't changed. But while launching into a full-on rant was certainly cathartic and managed to hit a lot of good points, there were a lot of good points brought up in the comments that I simply hadn't touched on. So it's time to address some of the those ideas and complaints, both the good and the bad. (Although under the circumstances, it's pretty much all bad in varying flavors.)
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Assume I'm making a pun about the Super Pack
It doesn't seem that long ago that I was looking back on my past year of writing this column, mentioning how negative I had gotten overall and sort of quietly wishing that I could spend the next year being more positive. I don't really want to write a column on City of Heroes once again that winds up being full of complaints. But if Paragon Studios is going to do something to induce rage, I'm not really given many options. Case in point: the Super Pack. I don't need to tell a lot of you why this is a bad idea. I shouldn't even really need to say this is a bad idea. This is one of those ideas that shouldn't have ever made it past the conceptual stage. The moment it was suggested in a board meeting, everyone else in the room should have rushed for the person who suggested it, driving him or her into a closet for safety. That this did not happen speaks volumes.
City of Heroes introduces the super pack, players respond with rage
It's the latest craze sweeping the free-to-play marketplace -- the grab bag! Pay money, open it up, and roll the dice to see what you get. City of Heroes is getting in on the action with the Super Pack, a random grab bag containing a chance at pieces from a new costume set, special Enhancements, and various other gewgaws for players to purchase. Or more accurately, for players to hopefully purchase, seeing as how the grab bag is totally random and may contain nothing of use. Do you want to pay money in a store for a chance at getting valuable rewards for your in-game character? Judging from previous community responses, we'd guess the answer is "no." However, the reaction from the City of Heroes community has been... well, still "no." While some players are reporting that the drop rates aren't too bad on a whole, there's a definite discontent about this grab bag among the players. Even if it does contain neat new pieces, the addition has a ways to go to win over the hearts of the players.
