Gacha gaming has become a pretty taboo topic over the past few years; so named due to their similarities to Japanese gachapon machines which dispense random collectible figurines for a small fee, free-to-play mobile titles likeStar Wars: Galaxy of Heroes,Raid: Shadow Legends, andMario Kart Tourhave long been criticized for emphasizing random loot drops that often require the investment of real-world currencies to initiate. Fortunately, a recent announcement from Nintendo confirms thatMario Kart Tourwill soon be removing these widely-maligned features.
When it launched in 2019,Mario Kart Tourallowed players to earn things like drivers, gliders, karts, and tickets by firing them from a green pipe. Essentially a re-branding of themuch-criticized loot box mechanicseen in plenty of similar games, the version inMario Kart Tourwas essential to player progression, as it granted items that offered distinctive in-game benefits. While there was no chance of earning duplicate items and Nintendo was forthcoming about item drop rates, it nonetheless turnedMario Kart Tourinto a pay-to-win experience.
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ThoughMario Kart Toursurpassed 200 million downloadsin 2021, the title earned the ire of many longtime fans who resented the gacha influence on Nintendo’s longstanding karting series. Now, roughly three years since its debut, Nintendo has announced that the pipe system will be replaced by the Spotlight Shop in an upcoming October update. The Spotlight Shop will allow players to use rubies to directly purchase the items they desire, eliminating any random elements. For some, this may take away the thrill of earning rare drops, but, given the push in several countries to curtail or outright ban loot boxes, this change definitely seems appropriate.
Nintendo isn’t the only publisher looking to do away with loot box mechanics; Activision Blizzard, an outfit often credited with kicking the loot box craze into high gear, will beditching loot boxes in the upcomingOverwatch 2. The newOverwatchinstallment will prioritize a battle pass system, something that’s become increasingly prevalent over the past few years.
Mario Kart Tourimplemented something adjacent to this early on; the Gold Pass granted players specific rewards along with access to certain races and modes. However, instead of the more traditional seasonal content battle pass system requiring a one-time buy-in,Mario Kart Tour’s Gold Pass demanded a monthly subscription. On the whole,Mario Kart Tour’s move away from gacha mechanics may be a step in the right direction, but the mobile title still seems to emphasize revenue over racing.
Mario Kart Touris available now for mobile devices.
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