Video games have been changing and getting better every decade. Games like “Pong” and “Space Invaders” originally dominated the gaming industry, but now games like “Call of Duty” and “Destiny” lead most gamers. While the graphics and stories have gotten better as time goes on, the problem that arises is the greed of the gaming industry. The standard sixty dollars for a game that we are used to is slowly drifting away. For most new releases, there is a sixty-dollar choice, an eighty-dollar choice, and a hundred-dollar choice. The game developers claim that it makes sense to pay an extra twenty or forty dollars for better editions or loot.
This leads to the greed part.
Microtransactions are becoming more and more noticeable in every game we buy. Whether it’s “Overwatch”, “Call of Duty”, or “Destiny”, all of these new games allow you to buy extra in-game loot that can give your character extra accessories or cool looks. While they claim that it’s all in good fun, it is totally a way to steal extra money from gamers.
Game developers know and understand that microtransactions are a great way to make extra money. They also know that most of their player base is under the age of twenty-one, which means most of their fan base doesn’t have to pay bills and has extra money to burn on in-game transactions. While microtransactions aren’t needed in most games, game developers find a way to make you feel like you need them.
Take “Rainbow Six Siege” for example. While you don’t need to buy the in-game characters that come out every year, they practically force you to buy them because you would have to play the game for hundreds of hours to collect enough in-game credits. These characters make you better and are a huge advantage in the game, so putting up a paywall is unfair because we have already paid the full price of the game.
Let’s look at “Overwatch” next. This game doesn’t force you to buy loot boxes for new skins or emotes, but if you want that one skin for that one event, get ready to lose all the money in your wallet. They don’t give you enough opportunities for loot boxes by just playing, so most people spend extra money on the side to get what they want. Don’t even get me started about the "Overwatch League" skins that they just included in the game. If you wanted to buy every skin from the twelve teams included, you would need to spend $1,372.80. How unbelievable is that? It is $5 per skin with hundreds of skins.
The paywall in video games is starting to ruin the industry. I miss the days where I would spend my initial sixty dollars on a new game, and get all the content it offers. None of that paying extra for more in-game stuff! Game developers just want more money in their pockets and will continue to abuse microtransactions until the community says something back. Making in-game skins are almost free, so charging us for them is ridiculous.
