How Does Games Critique Impact Game Design Decisions? A Case Study of Monetization and Loot Boxes

Abstract

Games critics arguably influence the form games take, identities of players, and identities of game developers. However, very little work in Game Studies examines how critical games journalism, games, developers, and independent actors intersect. This article argues that pragmatic sociology of critique, developed by Luc Boltanski, can act as a theoretical framework to aid in understanding these processes of critique. Utilizing a theoretical lens such as this helps us better understand the function of games critique within the video game industry. Applying this framework to a case study of monetization and “loot boxes,” this article emphasizes the role and power of journalistic critique in shaping gaming cultures, and the consumption and production of media more generally.

The Industry of Landlords: Exploring the Assetization of the Triple-A Game

“…Platforms-the main business structure of contemporary capitalism (Srnicek & De Sutter, 2017)-are the most lucrative assets of today, as, according to Sadowski (2020), their owners capture value by providing multiple actors with access to existing digital resources in exchange for different types of rent. Similarly, the modern video games, with their planned massive content update, and indirect monetization approaches (Nieborg, 2016a), which require smaller but more frequent transactions to access a richer gaming experience (Perks, 2019), can also be seen as (small) platforms. What unites these types of property is that they all capture value through economic rents extracted over time from property users.…”

“…As Triple-A publishers turn away from churning out sequels toward continuous support of the existing catalog of games (Hiller, 2017;Tassi, 2019), the classic premium monetization model of singular unitary high-value commodities becomes amalgamated and replaced with alternative approaches (Perks, 2019). Platform capitalism shifts toward assetization or "the transformation of things into resources which generate income without a sale" (Birch, 2015, p. 122).…”

Limiting the loot box: overview and difficulties of a common EU response

“…Turning first to media pressure, from both a theoretical 111 and practical 112 perspective it has been demonstrated that not only are games companies acutely aware of the effect that negative media attention has brought in relation to loot boxes, but they have been willing to act in such a way so as to placate this pressure.…”

White-Collar Criminality Within the Video Game Industry

“…Yet, as we discuss, video game developers seem willing to try to extract as much money as they can from consumers through what many people consider increasingly dubious methods. As Perks (in press) noted, the economic decisions of game developers have been facing increased scrutiny.…”