As loot boxes na indústria dos videojogos: capitalismo digital, riscos psicossociais e respostas socioeducativas 288 161
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51896/easc.v4i1.1240Palavras-chave:
Videojogos, Indústria cultural, Educação digital, Loot boxes, Gambling, Capitalismo digital, MicrotransaçõesResumo
Nas últimas décadas, a indústria do videojogo tem passado por uma transformação estrutural ligada à expansão do capitalismo digital e à consolidação de modelos de monetização contínua. Entre eles, as loot boxes tornaram-se um dos mecanismos mais difundidos, gerando um intenso debate ético, social e jurídico devido à sua semelhança estrutural com os jogos de azar e aos seus possíveis efeitos no comportamento das pessoas jogadoras. O presente artigo propõe uma análise psicossocial deste fenómeno através de uma revisão documental da literatura científica recente. Nele, examina-se tanto a sua evolução histórica como a sua inserção na economia política do lazer digital, as evidências empíricas sobre riscos psicossociais e as respostas regulatórias emergentes. Além disso, apresenta-se uma crítica à lógica do lucro ilimitado que favorece a sua normalização sem regulação efetiva, propondo uma alternativa centrada na literacia digital, na transparência informativa e na educação para um uso responsável. Os resultados mostram como as loot boxes constituem um dispositivo paradigmático de extração de valor em ambientes digitais e de reprodução de lógicas capitalistas, com implicações relevantes para a proteção dos consumidores, em especial dos menores. Como conclusão, destaca-se o papel que ases políticas públicas devem desempenhar, combinando regulação e estratégias socioeducativas para abordar este fenómeno de forma abrangente, evitando estigmas e enquadramentos negativizantes.
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