Even A Whale Who Spent $20,000 Over Five Years Hates Loot Boxes

Jason Winter
By Jason Winter, News Editor Posted:
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Atlantica Online 5

Eurogamer has an interview up today with David "Siigari" Pietz, described as a "DJ and audio engineer" and "small-time Twitch streamer." What makes Pietz interesting is that he's a self-professed gaming "whale" who, by his estimate, has spent about $20,000 on various free-to-play games over the past five years. But there are lines even he won't cross.

Pietz figures he spent the most money -- about $5,000 -- on Atlantica Online, but he quit the game and his "moral fibre got involved" when Nexon introduced "gacha" packs to the game. Pietz calls their implementation a "disgusting twist of events," to the point that he charged back his purchase and wound up getting his account banned.

Pietz also played League of Legends for several years, but when Riot Games introduced a form of loot boxes in that game, he checked out. According to Pietz, he didn't mind "an upfront, 'this is the price you pay for this product', like this skin or this whatever" -- i.e., non-randomized loot that you pay for -- but adding loot chests made him feel like "the game, in my opinion, is starting to see its way out."

Elsewhere in the interview, Pietz unequivocally equates loot boxes with gambling -- which may not be exactly true, from a legal standpoint -- and also lumps them in the same category as Magic: The Gathering packs, though he does say that those are at least better because they tell you the odds. That's at least a basic step a lot of people think loot boxes should take, but it'll probably take legislation to force developers' hands on that front.

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About the Author

Jason Winter
Jason Winter, News Editor

Jason Winter is a veteran gaming journalist, he brings a wide range of experience to MMOBomb, including two years with Beckett Media where he served as the editor of the leading gaming magazine Massive Online Gamer. He has also written professionally for several gaming websites.

More Stories by Jason Winter

Discussion (13)

Casio 6 years ago
Crowbat has showed a video of people who gamble in Team fortress 2 and CSGO and other games on the market.

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Travis 6 years ago
You know those vending machines as a kid that would spit out a small sphere with a little prize inside? But the price was completely random? Yeah, shit like that has existed for awhile.... but apparently, we are somehow developing so little self-control that we can't co-exist without spending a fortune on them?

It's a pretty simple concept. If random loot boxes didn't work and increase profit.... devs would stop using them. Gamers who mind them are either in the minority... or need to learn self-control.

a 6 years ago
loot boxes and other sh1t dont have place in mmorpgs

kek 6 years ago
There was a couple in the archeage guild I was in when the game was released, Iron Fist. This couple spent $60k on gear and lootboxes, I remember them saying they never go anywhere so they don't have anything to spend it on.

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Rukia 6 years ago
While I totally agree 20k is a lots of money but that's total in 5 years which on average about 4,000 per year. It's still a lots but it's not even close to whale level. By that I mean I know several people spent thousands per month on mobile game

Another things like many people said, you already spent 5,000 on 1 game and suddenly the publisher release a P2W box, loots,.... and you said it's p2w too much i can't handle it. I could understand if he said something along with the line : I'm bored and I'm too strong so another p2w box not going to change much, I'm quitting the game.

CHINA@NUMBER.2 6 years ago
NO ONE CARES!

Coolspot 6 years ago
Giving Riot Games the benefit of the doubt, at least you may earn loot chest through gameplay alone, doing well in matches, without spending a dime. So Smite, and some others...but still, since the day when developers took the Founder's Pack scheme into their business model, online gaming in general have been going on a downward spiral. Since Atari burst into the scene back in the days, gaming has been business, but at least you could tell companies tried to care for their final product, developers dropped sweat and tears over their IP's to make FUN and JOY the main attractions.....but not anymore. The bussines part has taken over anything else, and if we keep spending ridiculous amount of money for Founder's Pack, Microtransactions, etc., all we're doing is letting them know HEY, WE GOOD HERE, KEEP GOING.

But like Yoho Moho said, this guy spent 20K and quits 'cause morale and shiet....talking bout double standards...well, at least in Magic you could trade repeated cards....now that's something.

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Donald 6 years ago
MMO Player never learn these days.

YOHO MOHO 6 years ago
Sorry but this reeks of bullshit
Spends around 20k but quits games because muh morals F off.

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