GPU 'loot boxes' found on Amazon Japan, mostly selling older GPUs

[Daniel Sims]

WTF?! In possibly another sign of how bad the PC graphics card market is right now, a sort of loot box system for them has emerged on Amazon Japan. While it does offer a chance to get your hands on an RTX 30 series or Radeon 6000 card, it’s much more likely you’ll end up with a GTX 900 series or something even older.

The seller IGRNG has a product page on Amazon Japan offering a GPU “surprise blind box” for just $100. The box includes a randomly selected Nvidia and AMD graphics card of varying models from the last several years. The description calls it “an adventure about courage and good luck.” As of right now, it’s out of stock with no information on when more supply might come.

From Nvidia’s Ampere series, the page mentions the RTX 3090, RTX 3080 Ti, RTX 3070 Ti, and RTX 3060 Ti. Referring to AMD’s RDNA2 series, the seller lists the RX 6900 XT, RX 6800, RX 6700 XT, and RX 6600 XT. The listing also mentions that a surprise box could contain used cards, but any Ampere and RDNA2 cards are brand new.

What’s concerning are the actual odds. Buyers have just a two percent chance to win an Ampere or RDNA2 card. There is a four percent chance to win an RTX 20 or RX 5000 card, an eight percent chance to win a GTX 10 series or RX 500, and a 16 percent chance to win a GTX 900 series or RX 300. The other 70 percent are “other” cards, including older GPUs. Currently, the page only has two reviews, one from someone who hadn’t even bought the box.

With prices as they are, $100 might still be a good bet, even for one of the older cards. Cards like the seven-year-old GTX 980 still go for several hundred dollars. If nothing else, a customer could profit from winning and then flipping an older card.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/93072-gpu-loot-boxes-found-amazon-japan-mostly-selling.html

 

[JKnight]

I should start selling NFTs of graphics card pictures.

 

[jonny888]

I should start selling NFTs of graphics card pictures.

This made me laugh a lot. Thank you sir (or madam)

 

[Neatfeatguy]

People are stupid. They pay out the a$s for loot boxes in games. I can see how this would entice people to try their luck.

If they sell 100 boxes at $100 = $10,000
Out of the 100 boxes:
2 are RTX 30xx or RX 6xxx
4 are RTX 20xx or RX 5xxx
8 are GTX 10xx or RX 5xx
16 are GTX 9xx or RX 3xx
70 are ???


To me it seems shady as F. Hopefully someone does get lucky.

 

[Watzupken]

The majority of the people participating will end up with those unwanted cards, I.e. GT 710, RX 550, etc... I've seen quite a number of listings for such graphic cards on Amazon. Good way to clear immovable stocks, but also a dirty way to do it by tapping on people's desperation.

 

[BadThad]

Oh dear lord what have we come to?

 

[captaincranky]

Oh dear lord what have we come to?

Well, like drug addiction, gaming addiction takes its toll. It's seems to me, that neither ca be shaken without, "intervention". Perhaps, (given the current GPU shortage), someone should start a national, "Gamer's Anonymous". (Hey, we have one for drugs and booze, how is this any different)?

With that thought, here's the late, great John Prine, doing his famous anti-war song, "Sam Stone"

OK, so when you get to the chorus, Mr. Prine sings: "There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes".

You VGA deprived and desperately addicted gamers should, sing, "There's a hole in daddy's case where all the money goes".

All together now:

 

[kiwigraeme]

Surprise surprise , my cousin won the best card
surprise surprise , my niece won the second best card .

a misadventure about foolishness and there is no luck

Assuming top cards even exist

 

[captaincranky]

Surprise surprise , my cousin won the best card
surprise surprise , my niece won the second best card .

a misadventure about foolishness and there is no luck

"A fool and his money are soon parted company". Unfortunately, we have entered a time where there is a preponderance of fools, and an overabundance of people who want their money.

This story reminds me of a huge amount of commercials on TV for online casinos.
Funny thing is, nobody ever loses in the ads, but yet there is a fine print disclaimer at the bottom of the screen saying, "gambling problem call, 1-800-522-4700".

 

[ScottSoapbox]

People bad at math waste money on loot boxes in games every day - why not real life?

 

[bviktor]

People are stupid. They pay out the a$s for loot boxes in games. I can see how this would entice people to try their luck.

If they sell 100 boxes at $100 = $10,000
Out of the 100 boxes:
2 are RTX 30xx or RX 6xxx
4 are RTX 20xx or RX 5xxx
8 are GTX 10xx or RX 5xx
16 are GTX 9xx or RX 3xx
70 are ???


To me it seems shady as F. Hopefully someone does get lucky.

You just figured out why loot boxes suck, congratulations!

 

[Nobina]

This is how Nvidia will sell their GPUs in the future.

 

[Shadowboxer]

This where we are with graphics cards right now. The demand for them is so high people are willing to pay over the odds for a chance of owning one.