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Comment by crtasm

1 day ago

How much of the video did you watch? I'm not aware of other game companies that enable 3rd party integrations into their item systems. This isn't just "lootboxes bad" - it's Valve profiting from actual gambling happening on external sites.

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crtasm

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trinsic2  20 hours ago

If you want to see how bad this really is, take a look at AAA games like call of duty where they dynamically alter in game loot mechanics to get people to purchase in game items.

Value is chump change in this department. They allow the practice of purchasing loot boxes and items but don't analyze and manipulate behaviors. Valve is the least bad actor in this department.

I watched half the video and found it pretty biased compared to whats happening in the industry right now.

I feel this argument of Valve deliberately profiting off of gambling not really the whole story. I certainly dont think that Valve designed there systems to encourage gambling. More like they wanted a way to bring in money to develop other areas of their platform so they can make it better, which they did. And in many cases are putting players first. Players developed bad behaviors around purchasing in-game and trading items and have chosen to indulge in the behavior. 3rd parties have rose up around a unhealthy need that IMHO is not Valves doing. And most importantly, since I was around when these systems went into place, allowing me to see what was happening, this kind of player behavior developed over time. I don't think Valve deliberately encouraged it.

The entire gaming industry is burning down before our eyes because of AAA greed and you guys are choosing to focus on the one company thats fighting against it. Im not getting it.

  • pityJuke  18 hours ago

    > call of duty where they dynamically alter in game loot mechanics to get people to purchase in game items.

    [Citation needed]

    > I certainly dont think that Valve designed there systems to encourage gambling

    Cases are literally slot machines.

    > [section about third-party websites] I don't think Valve deliberately encouraged it.

    OK, but they continue to allow it (through poor enforcement of their own ToS), and it continues to generate them obscene amounts of money?

    > you guys are choosing to focus on the one company thats fighting against it.

    Yes, we should let the billion dollar company get away with shovelling gambling to children.

    Also, frankly speaking, other AAAs are less predatory with gambling. Fortnite, CoD, and VALORANT to pick some examples, are all just simple purchases from a store. Yes, they have issues with FOMO, and bullying for not buying skins [0], but oh my god, it isn't allowing children to literally do sports gambling (and I should know, I've actively gambled on esports while underage via CS, and I know people that have lost $600+ while underage on CS gambling).

    [0]: https://www.polygon.com/2019/5/7/18534431/fortnite-rare-defa...