> though I'm skeptical that we'd see an improvement in quality of content if loot boxes and their like become untenable.

Yeah, I agree. Once you get used to the easy and cheap workflow of creating the loot boxes it's going to be a hard sell to go back to paying premium talent to create engaging an original content that takes longer to produce and has a lower chance of appealing to arbitrary markets.

Of course in the non-video game world there are companies that create sodas and cigarettes and slot machines. And there are companies that create high quality food, cancer battling drugs, and entertainment that stays relevant for centuries.

I think with a little regulation we'll get the same sorts of divisions in the video game industry.