[disgruntled101]

Lootboxes were the beginning of the end for the gaming industry. All the visionaries have moved on from triple A games and now its just by the numbers cookie cutter formula games with different underhanded tactics to extract as much money as possible from victims.

[yawnxyz]

I'd argue this was only the end of the AAA industry, as they all shifted towards monetization, but has catalyzed the growth of indie games — which are more expressive and artistic than ever before.

Games like Outer Wilds removed any notion for what a game could look and feel and play like, for me

[andybak]

Either you have a very narrow definition of triple A or you're somewhat overstating the problem.

I'm not saying the problem isn't bad but "all AAA games are cookie cutter money extractors" seems somewhat of an exaggeration.

[tarboreus]

The most convincing way to refute is a counterexample.

[andybak]

Maybe.

But I suspect it would probably descend into goal-post moving or quibbling about definitions.

It's doesn't feel worth the amount of legalistic laying down of rules that it would require to be a fruitful debate.