Interview with the video game whale

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In recent weeks Eurogamer has closely followed the debate surrounding video game loot boxes and in-game gambling. We've investigated the legislation around the issue, reported on the government's response to direct questioning and investigated how developers could react to stricter regulation. But what about the people who actually spend money on loot boxes?
'Whales', as they're called, are the big spenders when it comes to online and social games, forking out roughly £25 a month on microtransactions. In free-to-play games, the vast majority of revenue is generated by 'whales' who make up a small percentage of the player base. This is the business model most free-to-play games are based upon.
Eurogamer spoke to David 'Siigari' Pietz, a 34 year-old small-time Twitch streamer from Oregon, USA who, in a 2014 reddit AMA confessed to being a video game whale. We wanted to find out why he chooses to spend so much money in video games, whether he feels exploited by game makers and, of course, whether he considers loot boxes gambling.
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