Reggie Fils-aime has responded to questions regarding Nintendo’s digital revenue policy by saying loot boxes are unfairly maligned.

The Nintendo of America president spoke to Bloomberg about the game manufacturer’s worst stock rout in nearly three years. Analysts were underwhelmed by Nintendo’s showing at E3, with shares dropping 16 percent this month alone.

The financial outlet questioned Fils-aime on a number of topics, from video streaming to third-party support. The subject of loot boxes came when asked on Nintendo’s potential for digital revenue.

"One of many mechanics we can use"

“Loot boxes, broadly speaking, have gotten a bit of a bad rap,” said Fils-aime. “The game mechanic of buying something that you’re not sure what’s inside is as old as baseball cards.

“What we believe at Nintendo is that a gameplay mechanic that offers the consumer something to buy that they’re not sure what’s inside can be interesting, as long as that’s not the only way you can get those items.

“That’s where some developers have made some mistakes. For us, it's one of many mechanics we can use to drive ongoing engagement in the game.”

The response comes after an E3 that saw some publishers largely abandon the concept of loot boxes.

EA announced that Battlefield V would not contain consumable crates, presumably after the backlash to Battlefront 2. However, the financial market is far less concerned by our industry’s loot box ‘controversies’.