Characteristics of Gamers who Purchase Loot Box: a Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Purpose of Review Research has indicated that loot boxes are risky gaming components that could exacerbate Internet gaming disorder due to a link between loot box purchasing and gambling. We conducted a systematic review to identify the characteristics of people who purchase loot boxes with real money, focusing on the relationships (a) between loot boxes and gaming, (b) between loot boxes and gambling, and (c) between loot boxes and other variables. Recent Findings Of the 201 studies examined for eligibility, we reviewed 20 studies that met the predefined criteria, which were extracted by searching electronic databases (PsycINFO, PubMed, Ovid, EBSCO, and Web of Science) and the reference lists of included studies, and that were published up to March 27, 2021. Overall, this review identified positive relationships among Internet gaming disorder-related symptoms, disordered gambling symptoms, and engagement with, or investment in, loot boxes. In addition to gaming and gambling, the relationships among some variables, such as mood, gender, physiological state, motivation, and loot box engagement, were examined. Summary The present review clarified relationships between loot box engagement, gaming, gambling, and other variables, such as mood, gender, physiological state, and motivation, and partially identified the characteristics of people who purchase loot boxes using real money. Specifically, those who spend more money in-game on loot boxes exhibit Internet gaming-related and/ or disordered gambling symptoms and behaviors. Finally, we discussed future directions for clinical psychological studies on loot boxes.

The role of microtransactions in Internet Gaming Disorder and Gambling Disorder: A preregistered systematic review

“…Some microtransactions are available in video games that do not require real money, however, microtransactions utilising real currency have become a dominant business model within the video game industry ( Tomić, 2017 ). Loot boxes, when opened, provide in-game rewards on a chance basis, and are purchased with the hope of collecting a rare or valuable reward that is worth more than the cost of the loot box ( Yokomitsu, Irie, Shinkawa, & Tanaka, 2021 ). In some games, loot boxes require ‘keys’ to open them, and, in some cases, gamers are able to earn both keys and loot boxes without using real money ( Yokomitsu et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Loot boxes, when opened, provide in-game rewards on a chance basis, and are purchased with the hope of collecting a rare or valuable reward that is worth more than the cost of the loot box ( Yokomitsu, Irie, Shinkawa, & Tanaka, 2021 ). In some games, loot boxes require ‘keys’ to open them, and, in some cases, gamers are able to earn both keys and loot boxes without using real money ( Yokomitsu et al, 2021 ). However, they are often purchased using real-world currency.…”

“…At the time this project was initiated, no systematic review study had been conducted to investigate the relationship between IGD and gambling disorder in the context of microtransactions. However, at the time of writing of this study there were at least three review studies that have been published as of September 2021 (see Garea et al, 2021 , Spicer et al, 2021 , Yokomitsu et al, 2021 ). Despite this, the present review is still warranted as it builds and expands upon the previously published reviews in the field since these previous reviews have focused on a specific type of microtransaction, such as loot boxes ( Garea et al, 2021 , Spicer et al, 2021 , Yokomitsu et al, 2021 ).…”

“…However, at the time of writing of this study there were at least three review studies that have been published as of September 2021 (see Garea et al, 2021 , Spicer et al, 2021 , Yokomitsu et al, 2021 ). Despite this, the present review is still warranted as it builds and expands upon the previously published reviews in the field since these previous reviews have focused on a specific type of microtransaction, such as loot boxes ( Garea et al, 2021 , Spicer et al, 2021 , Yokomitsu et al, 2021 ). Moreover, the present review included a slightly different set of studies compared to the previously published reviews, thus, generating new insights into the problem under investigation.…”

Development and Validation of the RAFFLE: A Measure of Reasons and Facilitators for Loot Box Engagement

“…Systematic review evidence has established that people experiencing problematic gambling and/or video gaming show significantly greater engagement with loot boxes than people scoring below threshold for problematic gaming/and or gambling [5][6][7][8]. Furthermore, loot box purchasers tend to be from those demographic groups that are more at risk of addictive behaviours and associated harm [9].…”