Source Entry 2 Op-ed
RAB Question: What tactics do video games use to encourage gambling addiction among players?
Part 1 MLA Citation:
Staff, Ars. “Op-ed: Game Companies Need to Cut the Crap—Loot Boxes Are Obviously Gambling.” Ars Technica, 9 Nov. 2020, arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/05/op-ed-game-companies-need-to-cut-the-crap-loot-boxes-are-obviously-gambling.
Part 2 Summary:
The article discusses the contentious issue of loot boxes in video games, arguing that they should be considered a form of gambling. The staff writer criticizes game companies for implementing loot boxes, which often require players to spend real money for a chance to obtain valuable in-game items. The article points out the similarities between loot boxes and traditional gambling, such as the element of chance and the potential for addiction. The article also highlights the negative impact of loot boxes on players, especially younger audiences who may be more susceptible to their addictive nature. Additionally, the staff writer points out hypocrisy, “if these prizes had no value at all then people would not spend real cash to get a chance of winning them in the first place. If they truly have no economic value at all, the game companies should be giving them away for free, surely.” In simpler terms, the quote means that if virtual prizes in games weren’t valuable to players, they wouldn’t spend real money trying to win them. If these prizes were truly worthless, the game companies should just give them away for free. Overall, the article calls for greater transparency and regulation in the gaming industry regarding loot boxes.
Part 3 Rhetorical Analysis:
The genre is an Opinion Editorial. The audience is gamers who might be interested in this topic. This op-ed provides an Arstechnica staff writer a perspective on loot boxes, and how game companies trap players in a perpetual cycle to keep on feeding money into the machine or loot boxes. Ars Technica is generally considered a reliable source for technology news and analysis. The website has a reputation for providing in-depth and well-researched articles on a wide range of topics related to science, technology, and culture. It has won various awards such as the Webby and Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Awards. This article op-ed was published in May 2018, making it somewhat current.
Part 4 Notable Quotables:
“The essential features of the transaction match those of gambling, the reward pathways and addiction mechanisms are those of gambling, and playing dumb about it, as the industry is currently doing, is a bad look” (Ars Staff Par 3).
“Not every box will yield a valuable prize, and players don’t know how many boxes they’ll need to buy before getting a reward, a style of reinforcement called a “variable-ratio schedule” (Ars Staff Par 11).
“the actual reward is determined the moment the button to open the box is pressed. The animation doesn’t mean anything, and there’s no such thing as a near-miss” (Ars Staff Par 15).
