Speaking with Kotaku, Overwatch developers Michael Heiberg and Jeremy Craig detailed the design process behind the shooter’s Halloween loot boxes and the necessity of making them appear desirable to users. In fact, the team was allegedly ready to go forward with an evil jack-o-lantern design that was loaded with goodies and could be cracked open like a fruit piñata, but the developers realized that a villainous gourd lacked overall appeal. As a result, the pumpkin was tossed in favor of a traditional and cutesy Halloween bucket.
What’s interesting to see is that the design behind the boxes is meant to draw players in. The spectacle itself is the reward, and the contents of the digital crate don’t matter nearly as much as the anticipation that accompanies its opening. Heiberg continued, detailing the minute elements that build upon this premise:
Understandably, this process went through a lot of testing during development, and the team even initially hinted at the rarity of the contents within the loot boxes through lights that were omitted by the reward. This was later taken away, though, as it removed some of the suspense surrounding an unopened box.
As gamers await the next event following Overwatch’s most recent “Year of the Rooster” initiative, not to mention the imminent arrival of newcomer Orisa, there are sure to be plenty of additional loot boxes put up for grabs. While opening them, however, perhaps now users will have a little more knowledge behind why they enjoy grinding for aesthetic loot so much.
Overwatch is currently available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Source: Kotaku
