10 Insulting Microtransactions Video Games Had To REMOVE

10. Lootboxes - Middle Earth Shadow Of War

Regular microtransactions were bad enough, but when publishers introduced lootboxes - packs of randomized rewards inspired by mobile games - they crossed a line. In fact, they crossed so far over the line that actual governments had to get involved.

In the case of Middle Earth: Shadow Of War, the whole concept seemed especially egregious, for a couple of reasons:

First, Shadow Of War is a SINGLE PLAYER game. The concept of loot boxes had mostly been exploited in multiplayer titles, where the logic made sense. If multiplayer games are running for years, it's understandable why a publisher needs a steady revenue stream, even if it can be a predatory one. In a full-price single player game, it comes across as downright greedy.

Second, the finale of the game was essentially one unbelievably long grind of taking and defending bases for hours. And if you wanted to see the game's true ending, beating it was the only way.

What publisher WB Games essentially did was lock the game's ending behind a sloth's-pace grind that could only be alleviated by spending real life money on loot boxes, which didn't ensure that you would even get anything helpful.

People justifiably revolted and the "feature" was removed.