9 Crippling Problems With The Video Game Industry (And How To Fix Them)

1. Blind Boxes With Terrible Reward Rates

The Problem: Even the mighty Overwatch didn't escape this idea, and it remains the only thing wrong with Blizzard's otherwise exemplary FPS. Indeed, 'blind boxes' have popped up everywhere from Mass Effect 3 to For Honor, and are a carryover from the mobile gaming scene - the idea that some mysterious reward lies in a 'box' of some kind, which you can unlock by paying additional real-world cash, or grinding a certain currency in-game to get it eventually.

Such a practice reliant on the former, has no place in products that are being sold for a premium price. None.

The Solution: At least code around the occasional duplicates that'll show up if/when you open a number of crates at once. When your game's progression is built around opening a mystery box, there's nothing more disheartening or futile than seeing a duplicate item and knowing you've wasted your time.

Alternatively, if the mechanic is proven to work with consumers, filter the money into a better resource than just straight revenue. Rocket League uses its 'reward crates' to pony up the cash for the Rocket League Championship, for example, ensuring that at least it's the player that benefits from putting money into the game, rather than just re-rolling the dice over and over.

That said, all involved could remove this mobile gaming-influenced toss from our fully-priced products, and restore a sense of progression that means paying a premium gets you every aspect of a finished game.

What a novel thought.

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