Microtransactions are on the rise in gaming. More and more games have the option to buy in game characters, clothing, weapons, skins, you name it. Things you usually can get by just playing the game or even worse...hidden behind a paywall. But is this a good development or something that might hurt the gaming industry in the long run?
Things used to be so simple. You buy a game, you play the game and you earn rewards. But now game developers have made life more easy for the casual gamer and added the option to purchase rewards either through in game currency or cold hard cash. So instead of grinding for loot for hours you can now get said items by using your credit card or your paypal account and buy the sweet stuff right off the bat.
The reasoning behind this seems rather innocent. Not everyone is a hardcore gamer and willing to spend hours behind a keyboard or controller and play hour upon hour to earn some nice in game goodies. With gaming becoming more mainstream it only seems fair that game developers cater more to the casual gaming crowd.
This approach works with mobile games and now console games and PC games are getting more and more in game purchase opportunities.
But there is a catch...game developers are not implementing these features out of the goodness of their hearts and it is not as user friendly as it might seem. The most popular version implemented is the loot box or mystery package. This is a reward that you can buy but where you don't know what you are going to get.
Let's say for example you are desperately trying to get that kick-ass outfit for your character but haven't been able to even after putting 100+ hours into the game. You will probably be frustrated and because you really like this game and really want that outfit you will do anything to get it. Well this is where the loot box comes in. You can buy a package (contents unknown) which gives you a chance to "earn" said outfit. However there are no guarantees that you will get it. ....Hey, you might say to yourself.... it's only 1 dollar. So you roll the dice (literally) and go for it, and again and again and again until you get what you want.
This is exactly what the game developer is counting on.
You see there is a reason why you weren't able to get the object you desired after putting so much time into the game, they wanted you to buy those loot boxes and that reason behind it is plain and simple.
They wanted your cash.
Loot boxes and other variations are nothing more than a method to get more money out of gamers. Even worse when you think about it, it really is a new form of gambling. It's just like putting money into a slot machine. You pay money and pull on the handle and hope that you get the reward that you want. If this doesn't work you try again until you are lucky enough to receive the item you want.
The game developers use a couple of strategies against us. First off they use something that is very valuable to us...Time. It is not like we can acquire the goodies by skill but more often it takes time and time is precious to us. So they offer us a shortcut to acquire those items.
The second thing they use against us is greed. Don't be fooled, gaming companies know exactly which items, outfits, weapons, skins or whatever else is popular. And low and behold, it just so happens to be that those most sought after items are also the rarest and hardest to get or high priced items.
And it seems to be working. Gaming companies are raking it in. EA earned 1.68 billion (with a B) with microtransactions alone (source). Ubisoft actually makes more money with microtransactions then with digital sales (source).
How is this possible you might say? Well, the short answer is that gamers (and as a gamer I hate to admit it) are kinda stupid. We all rage when a game developer announces that microtransactions are going to be implemented in our favorite game but when all is said and done we all rush to throw our money at the screen.
The best example is when Destiny announced they were going to introduce microtransactions into the game. The whole Destiny community rose up, ranted, raved, threatened to leave the game if ever such a foul thing would ever ensue.
But the day after the update that introduced the new vendor where you could buy the microtransaction goodies everyone and their momma was showing off their freshly bought stuff. Bungie made and is still making mad money through their microtransactions and most likely will never stop doing so.
These developments are not good for gaming, it takes away the effort and feeling of accomplishment that make gaming fun. Instead games are more becoming a digital shop where you can purchase fun items and do some activities. Gaming developers are making serious cash so if nothing changes they will just keep doing it. The only thing that can stop the growing number of the microtransaction implementations is when we gamers as a whole stop purchasing things like gold packages and loot boxes.
Game developers want to make money, I get that but it is not right when they are getting us to pay for stuff in the game which we already paid for.
I never have made an in game purchase and out of principle never will. Have you ever bought something in game and why? Let me know in the comment section.
