The Rise and Fall of the Lootbox in the Western Gaming Sphere
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| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | I present a cultural analysis of the lootbox (video game microtransactions) controversy and how it shaped the public perception and state-wide laws in western society from 2017 to the beginning of 2023. I utilize and expand upon my concept of the gaming sphere (Klíma, 2022) to explain the hidden cultural meaning behind the lootbox controversy and why it became a societalized (Alexander, 2018) social problem. Using a collection of online newspaper articles, Twitter and Reddit posts, and YouTube videos, I uncover the mechanisms within the gaming sphere that define the boundaries between the gaming and the civil sphere (Alexander, 2006) as well as delve into the core of the act of playing (Huizinga, 2016) videogames. Analyzing the critical events of the controversy, I conclude that the lootbox controversy was a very impactful social crisis and that the gaming sphere played a significant role in enabling this crisis to take shape and expand beyond the boundaries of the gaming sphere. I also show the exact mechanisms behind the meaning-making processes on how the gaming sphere upholds and protects the sacred values of gaming from the invasion of politics or cheating – going against the spirit of fair play – to reestablish the broken boundaries. |