10 Perfect Video Games With One Glaring Flaw

7. Overwatch - Distasteful In-Game Economy

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Blizzard

'Cosmetic only' is not a valid defence for adopting the loot box monetisation model.

Ethically, obtaining items not affecting gameplay from randomized loot pools is infinitely more acceptable than, say, hiding unlocks and progression systems behind them as EA attempted with Star Wars Battlefront II, but at the end of the day, gambling is gambling.

With Belgium (and likely more to follow) having banned the sale of loot boxes in video games, Blizzard and its peers have been left with no option other than to remove the relevant monetisation systems from Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm, which begs the question: why not replace the system entirely?

Thus far, all of Overwatch's post-launch content, be it maps, modes or characters, have been free for all owners of the base game - selling cosmetics is how Blizzard recoups its development costs - but why not, instead of continuing to court controversy for the pinnacle of team-based shooters, just sell skins, sprays and voice lines directly?

It's the right and pro-consumer thing to do and would result in nothing but positive publicity for Blizzard, were it to go ahead with the change before anyone else.

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Joe is a freelance games journalist who, while not spending every waking minute selling himself to websites around the world, spends his free time writing. Most of it makes no sense, but when it does, he treats each article as if it were his Magnum Opus - with varying results.