Rocket League update that removes loot boxes has upset many

[Shawn Knight]

A hot potato: Psyonix in its latest update for the popular soccer-with-cars game Rocket League has done away with the title’s loot box-like Crates, replacing them with Blueprints that can build items in exchange for credits. The decision isn't being universally accepted, however, as many are upset with the new pricing structure.

Players will notice that any crates that remained in their inventory have now been converted into Blueprints. Similarly, Keys have been converted into credits based on the following conversion chart:

Total Keys in inventory = Credits per Key

• 1-9 Keys = 100 Credits
• 10-19 Keys = 110 Credits
• 20-49 Keys = 120 Credits
• 50 or more Keys = 130 Credits

All Decryptors have been transformed into Bonus Gifts that are free to open.

Psyonix first revealed plans to remove loot boxes over the summer but they aren’t the first to do so. In 2017, EA dialed back some of the pay-to-win elements in Star Wars: Battlefront II. Monolith a year later eliminated all microtransactions from Middle-earth: Shadow of War.

As GameSpot highlights, not everyone is happy with the changes. The publication points to a thread on Reddit that has garnered nearly 2,000 comments. Most seem outraged over the new pricing structure; should the debate gain additional momentum, Epic (who bought Psyonix earlier this year) may have to address the matter once again.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/83056-rocket-league-update-removes-loot-boxes-has-upset.html

 

[ShagnWagn]

I bought this game a few years back. I played it for a few weeks then shelved it. There were no loot boxes. Now you not only do you have to buy the game, but they added loot box gambling fees? They did the same thing with Overwatch, that I paid for. There was no loot box gambling when I bought it - they added it after I bought the game. I have not played it since. This is really ticking me off that they keep fundamentally changing games after release. I do not want to play either of my purchases because of this. It is my understanding there is no way to go back to the previous version? Games like this are due for a refund.

 

[Skjorn]

Over 1100 hours. Love the gameplay. Hate the new update.

$6 for a banner that nobody ever traded for in the first place. Wheels costing more than the game itself. Silly me for thinking Epic would add something substantial to the game like new maps, new modes (Volleyball, racing etc...its literally endless. ) instead of handing out permabans to high value traders and reworking the economy into the dirt.

 

[yRaz]

Why?

 

[Evernessince]

I bought this game a few years back. I played it for a few weeks then shelved it. There were no loot boxes. Now you not only do you have to buy the game, but they added loot box gambling fees? They did the same thing with Overwatch, that I paid for. There was no loot box gambling when I bought it - they added it after I bought the game. I have not played it since. This is really ticking me off that they keep fundamentally changing games after release. I do not want to play either of my purchases because of this. It is my understanding there is no way to go back to the previous version? Games like this are due for a refund.

Well for starters lootboxes were added to overwatch before the game even left Beta

https://overwatch.fandom.com/wiki/Loot_Box

Look at the change log at the bottom of the page. So in fact a game in beta changing is not at all surprising.

Second, both overwatch and rocket league have cosmetic only lootboxes. There's nothing "fundamentally changing" about them, they are completely optional. Overwatch in particularly is extremely generous. I've played the game for 3 years and haven't spent a cent on lootboxes yet I have 42K+ credits. That's enough to buy 42 legendary skins. Enough said. Not that I'm going to spend those credits, I get enough legendary skins off the free lootboxes I earn in game already.

Third, both overwatch and rocket league provide frequent updates and new content for free, even if you don't purchase lootboxes. You are essentially complaining about completely optional cosmetic lootboxes and free content. I could understand if they locked content behind a paywall but you literally picked two of the worst games as an example.

Why?

Most likely because people who don't play the game complained. They don't realize that companies that make games as a service have to pay people to make those content updates and balance changes. EA poops in the lootbox soup and suddenly everyone thinks all lootboxes are bad.

 

[Uncle Al]

Never bought it and never will .... loot boxes are just another scam for companies that are greedy and have nothing worthwhile to offer ...... NO SALE!

 

[RaXoR]

I bought this game a few years back. I played it for a few weeks then shelved it. There were no loot boxes. Now you not only do you have to buy the game, but they added loot box gambling fees? They did the same thing with Overwatch, that I paid for. There was no loot box gambling when I bought it - they added it after I bought the game. I have not played it since. This is really ticking me off that they keep fundamentally changing games after release. I do not want to play either of my purchases because of this. It is my understanding there is no way to go back to the previous version? Games like this are due for a refund.

Rocket League has had crates since pretty much not long after it released if not right off the bat. What they did here is that they got rid of the crates, which were cosmetic only lootboxes, and added a new blueprint system which tells you exactly what you will get if you decide to redeem it. The problem arises with the cost to unlock items. There is a secondary market that is community driven. Items have set values and now with the new update, they've set the cost of certain items well below the market cost and others well above their market cost. For example: the most sought after color an item can be painted is Titanium White, and there is a set of wheels called zombas. Titanium white zombas fetch ~$99 in the secondary market. Now with this update, if you get the blueprint, you only have to pay ~$15-$17 instead. Thing is that this specific item can be featured in the newly added shop and anyone could get it for that low cost (think of fortnites shop, basically the exact same system). On the other hand, if you get say a pair of wheels called infiniums that aren't painted any color or even certified, they will cost you $14 to redeem the blueprint or buy them from the shop. The secondary market cost for these is like ~$3-$4. That's why people are complaining. They are messing with the secondary market by setting their own unrealistic prices. Most items do not cost but a fraction than what it costs to redeem the blueprints.

 

[Ravalo]

Why?

Some people have 200-300$ skins that they could trade, just like in tf2

 

[Ravalo]

Never bought it and never will .... loot boxes are just another scam for companies that are greedy and have nothing worthwhile to offer ...... NO SALE!

I got a usp-s neo noir (around 20$) after opening around 5 csgo cases, so they’re not that much of a scam

 

[ShagnWagn]

Well for starters lootboxes were added to overwatch before the game even left Beta

https://overwatch.fandom.com/wiki/Loot_Box

Look at the change log at the bottom of the page. So in fact a game in beta changing is not at all surprising.

Second, both overwatch and rocket league have cosmetic only lootboxes. There's nothing "fundamentally changing" about them, they are completely optional. Overwatch in particularly is extremely generous. I've played the game for 3 years and haven't spent a cent on lootboxes yet I have 42K+ credits. That's enough to buy 42 legendary skins. Enough said. Not that I'm going to spend those credits, I get enough legendary skins off the free lootboxes I earn in game already.

Third, both overwatch and rocket league provide frequent updates and new content for free, even if you don't purchase lootboxes. You are essentially complaining about completely optional cosmetic lootboxes and free content. I could understand if they locked content behind a paywall but you literally picked two of the worst games as an example.




Most likely because people who don't play the game complained. They don't realize that companies that make games as a service have to pay people to make those content updates and balance changes. EA poops in the lootbox soup and suddenly everyone thinks all lootboxes are bad.

I don't even want to see lootboxes, or even buy a game that does. It's like buying a house and then it's relocated by a casino into their building.

Updates, which are bug fixes, should be free. I'm not complaining about new content. I'm complaining about content that should have been there with the original purchase. Imagine - there used to be a time that when you bought a game you got everything, cheat codes were free, and they didn't shove ads/loot box gambling in your face! Thankfully some devs still do - the ones who design a game to be fun rather than a cash machine.

 

[gusticles41]

I'm at ~600hrs, hands down my most played game ever. I have no problem ignoring skins/wheels/cars/etc. I think I putzed with how my car looked once 2 years ago and that was it...I have no idea which items are rare, and I just don't care. I see a little RocketPass bar go up and sometimes I get items, but they just pile up in my inventory.

That said, I hop on, play the game, and have fun. I get the annoyance with this new system, but it has zero impact on my enjoyment of the game.

Epic will "correct" the pricing structure, but it's all planned. They know once the prices are dropped to a reasonable level players will be all, "Yay we won, they listened! Now we can buy things."

 

[Lew Zealand]

I'm at ~600hrs, hands down my most played game ever. I have no problem ignoring skins/wheels/cars/etc. I think I putzed with how my car looked once 2 years ago and that was it...I have no idea which items are rare, and I just don't care. I see a little RocketPass bar go up and sometimes I get items, but they just pile up in my inventory.

That said, I hop on, play the game, and have fun. I get the annoyance with this new system, but it has zero impact on my enjoyment of the game.

Epic will "correct" the pricing structure, but it's all planned. They know once the prices are dropped to a reasonable level players will be all, "Yay we won, they listened! Now we can buy things."

This is exactly my RL experience, except I have 2 other games I've blown even more time playing ?. I occasionally get some free cosmetic stuff from RL events but I pretty much load the game up and play a few matches a day. I mean, the stuff's cosmetic. If it doesn't make me play better then it has zero value to me.

 

[Haunted952]

Never bought it and never will .... loot boxes are just another scam for companies that are greedy and have nothing worthwhile to offer ...... NO SALE!

Loot boxes are not a scam at all. If you open a loot box you should know fully well that your chances of getting a rare/goos item are slim because it's "rare" that's the point. That's how l secondary prices and trade values and everything else are made. By doing this system of you find the blueprint and then make it for maybe 30 dollers tops messes everything up. Now the titanium white octane which was worth something like 132 or so dollers is now maybe 30 or 40.so people who have grinded to trade up and/or spen the money to get those expensive skins and had 300 or 400 dollers worth of items in their inventory are left with a mere fraction of that.

 

[Evernessince]

I don't even want to see lootboxes, or even buy a game that does. It's like buying a house and then it's relocated by a casino into their building.

Updates, which are bug fixes, should be free. I'm not complaining about new content. I'm complaining about content that should have been there with the original purchase. Imagine - there used to be a time that when you bought a game you got everything, cheat codes were free, and they didn't shove ads/loot box gambling in your face! Thankfully some devs still do - the ones who design a game to be fun rather than a cash machine.

Oh, I get ya. Yeah overwatch certainly should have launched with more content. The fact that they are releasing "Overwatch 2" is also annoying. It feels like they have been neglecting the base game all to sell people another $40 - $60 product when in reality they should have been adding that content over time to the base game. After all, the only reason I see for micro-transactions is to support a game constantly in development. If they are going to take the micro-transaction money and charge for the content, well that's just ridiculous.

 

[ShagnWagn]

Oh, I get ya. Yeah overwatch certainly should have launched with more content. The fact that they are releasing "Overwatch 2" is also annoying. It feels like they have been neglecting the base game all to sell people another $40 - $60 product when in reality they should have been adding that content over time to the base game. After all, the only reason I see for micro-transactions is to support a game constantly in development. If they are going to take the micro-transaction money and charge for the content, well that's just ridiculous.

Yep. It's called double-dipping. I am surprised people actually do this. Mostly the younger generation does not even know how slimy this is. That and I don't understand their infatuation of dressing up their virtual dolls (especially paying extra for it). /shrug

 

[Lew Zealand]

…and I don't understand their infatuation of dressing up their virtual dolls (especially paying extra for it). /shrug

Isn't that close to 100% of how Epic makes money in Fortnite? You pay in once to start a "Season" but you easily accrue Vbucks over the season to pay for the next season so your permanent buy-in is all of $10. And the Season itself is all about acquiring cosmetics anyway.

So the rest of the $billions FN generates is all cosmetic, "dressing up virtual dolls". F'n insane.

 

[Rdmetz]

Rocket League has had crates since pretty much not long after it released if not right off the bat. What they did here is that they got rid of the crates, which were cosmetic only lootboxes, and added a new blueprint system which tells you exactly what you will get if you decide to redeem it. The problem arises with the cost to unlock items. There is a secondary market that is community driven. Items have set values and now with the new update, they've set the cost of certain items well below the market cost and others well above their market cost. For example: the most sought after color an item can be painted is Titanium White, and there is a set of wheels called zombas. Titanium white zombas fetch ~$99 in the secondary market. Now with this update, if you get the blueprint, you only have to pay ~$15-$17 instead. Thing is that this specific item can be featured in the newly added shop and anyone could get it for that low cost (think of fortnites shop, basically the exact same system). On the other hand, if you get say a pair of wheels called infiniums that aren't painted any color or even certified, they will cost you $14 to redeem the blueprint or buy them from the shop. The secondary market cost for these is like ~$3-$4. That's why people are complaining. They are messing with the secondary market by setting their own unrealistic prices. Most items do not cost but a fraction than what it costs to redeem the blueprints.

So what? I dont think it's up to the you know... Developers (or creators if you will) To cater to a secondary market in which they receive no kickback from. Why shouldn't they be able to sell you exactly what they want for what they think said thing is worth?

I think the real problem with a system like this is trading and I for one do not play any game where a micro transaction system is in place along with a way to make money off that system.

Creating false value is never something I want to deal with and if an items price is out whack it should only be because the developer set it up this way (and that way they can also make the necessary changes to fix).

Destiny 2 may have its own issues with micro transactions but at least I know I'll never be in the situation where I might have to upwards of a $100 bucks for a skin.

 

[Rdmetz]

Loot boxes are not a scam at all. If you open a loot box you should know fully well that your chances of getting a rare/goos item are slim because it's "rare" that's the point. That's how l secondary prices and trade values and everything else are made. By doing this system of you find the blueprint and then make it for maybe 30 dollers tops messes everything up. Now the titanium white octane which was worth something like 132 or so dollers is now maybe 30 or 40.so people who have grinded to trade up and/or spen the money to get those expensive skins and had 300 or 400 dollers worth of items in their inventory are left with a mere fraction of that.

This right here is why I think this type of system should never have trading.

No one should be feeling a need to ever pay that much for any I'm game skin in a game and the only people making or losing money on it should be the game developers.

I'm glad they've hurt this market (hopefully people will now realize how ignorant it is to pay so much for in game items) but I would only be completely satisfied if they just removed the trading system all together.

 

[RaXoR]

So what? I dont think it's up to the you know... Developers (or creators if you will) To cater to a secondary market in which they receive no kickback from. Why shouldn't they be able to sell you exactly what they want for what they think said thing is worth?

I think the real problem with a system like this is trading and I for one do not play any game where a micro transaction system is in place along with a way to make money off that system.

Creating false value is never something I want to deal with and if an items price is out whack it should only be because the developer set it up this way (and that way they can also make the necessary changes to fix).

Destiny 2 may have its own issues with micro transactions but at least I know I'll never be in the situation where I might have to upwards of a $100 bucks for a skin.

Except this game has had a community driven market ever since the crates first made an appearance. It is a driving factor to the popularity of the game and the developers know this. They outright banned the use of real money to trade but you could use keys (now credits) to trade. This actually netted them a good amount of money because the most sought after items had a very low chance of dropping (which they still do with this system except for the item shop) therefore people were encouraged to spend more on keys but the advantages were that 1) if you got the item say on the 5th or even 20th key, you got 5 or 20 other items along the way, not just 1 for the whole $5 to $20 you spent along the way, 2) you were guaranteed that the item had a good ROI value and 3) since you had to use keys to trade, that means you had to purchase them thus psyonix never lost out on the money whatsoever. Not only did you have to use keys to obtain the item, someone else had to purchase keys in order to get that item from you. The difference being that items had actual reasonable prices based on supply and demand and not what someone on a board thought it should cost.

 

[Rdmetz]

Except this game has had a community driven market ever since the crates first made an appearance. It is a driving factor to the popularity of the game and the developers know this. They outright banned the use of real money to trade but you could use keys (now credits) to trade. This actually netted them a good amount of money because the most sought after items had a very low chance of dropping (which they still do with this system except for the item shop) therefore people were encouraged to spend more on keys but the advantages were that 1) if you got the item say on the 5th or even 20th key, you got 5 or 20 other items along the way, not just 1 for the whole $5 to $20 you spent along the way, 2) you were guaranteed that the item had a good ROI value and 3) since you had to use keys to trade, that means you had to purchase them thus psyonix never lost out on the money whatsoever. Not only did you have to use keys to obtain the item, someone else had to purchase keys in order to get that item from you. The difference being that items had actual reasonable prices based on supply and demand and not what someone on a board thought it should cost.

Your idea of a "good" system still relies on RNG aka loot boxes and everyone (except of course the people trying to make money off that system) don't want them in their games anymore.

I'm sorry that the devs have done the right thing and by doing so hurt not only themselves but those wishing to rack up money along with them but this is what is best overall for the gaming community and once all the people thinking they were "rich" with all the stuff they wasted their money on trying to get move past that bad decision we will all be better off.