Whether we like it or not, microtransactions have become a massive part of gaming culture over the years. What started as a way for much free-to-play games to make a profit has not started to slowly infiltrate almost every modern series you can think of. From the coveted loot boxes to buying an item to help your mobile game stay afloat, almost every player has run into a microtransaction at this point.
In some places, buying microtransactions even blurs the lines of what would legally be considered gambling. If you’re like us, though, you probably know that there is a place and time for everything. Below we have written about five good reasons to have microtransactions in a game and five you never should.
10 Bad: XP Boosts
If you’ve ever grinded on an MMO, then you know how much work it takes to level-up your characters. It’s only natural that when a game introduces microtransactions to let players pay to double their XP, it can be infuriating.
This lets newer players literally buy their levels. Even worse, some games now even sell tickets that grant automatic levels, irritating players even more. If you want to keep a game well balanced, then XP Boosts should be given out during set times that are available to all players.
9 Good: New Skins
One of our favorite add-ons is skins, as they are often designed well after the game has been released. Extra skins can be a fun way to customize your character and give money to the game series you love.
Skins do nothing to help you level up faster or have an edge over other characters; they are just for your viewing pleasure. Almost every game features skins now, and many packs are even given away free as events. This is a microtransaction that you can’t really get mad at because it is really just a personal, fashionable choice.
8 Bad: Special Weapons
We aren’t talking about just making your gun turn gold; we are talking about buying weapons that give you an in-game edge. Any weapons that can be bought that give the user an edge over their opponents is just not fair.
While this can be done in some non-multiplayer games, even then, the achievements should probably be disabled as to not cheat the system. We understand that some players may not feel like they have the time to beat a game, but it shouldn’t affect other players.
7 Good: Name Changes
One of the most simple and classic microtransactions we can think of is the ability to change your name. On one hand, it stops mischievous players from constantly changing names to annoy their friends, and on the other, it cuts down on scams or players trying to change their name to mimic famous Youtubers.
Name changes also have a relatively small fee normally, and many games will give the first one for free. Having players pay for a name change is a simple and effective way to allow and control the feature without unleashing the trolls.
6 Bad: Content Locking
Content locking is more of a problem in mobile games and some niche indie titles than it is on console titles. Many games will be advertised as free-to-play only for the user to download it and learn that the levels are impossible to beat unless they pay for gold or gems to continue the level.
In the case of popular visual novels, you will find that you have to buy routes chapter by chapter, which can end up costing hundreds of dollars. Gamers are more than happy to pay a set price for a good game, but trying to milk money out of them using microtransactions is just dirty.
5 Good: Cosmetic Effects
How many times have you been playing an MMO, and a player passed by with some ridiculous heart effect around them? Maybe, you’ve even taken the time to buy a pet in-game that you can make do tricks. Cosmetic effects are often harmless add-ons to the game that allows players to customize their characters even further.
Almost every popular MMORPG out there has pets you can buy, decorations for your house, or special name tags. These cosmetics often help to fund free-to-play MMOs and are completely optional to buy.
4 Bad: Loot Boxes
Loot Boxes have become a huge center of controversy in gaming. In fact, they have even got some governments up and arms over their similarity to gambling. While games like Overwatch let you win loot boxes rather easily, other games make it a nightmare to acquire them or even have special premium boxes that hold all the good items.
Companies have found that by dropping these boxes in multi-player games, they can make tons of money. This is because the contents of each box are completely random, and the odds of a player actually getting the cosmetic they want are extremely low.
3 Good: Extra Storage
Whether players realize it or not, MMORPGs have their storage limits. In order to help fund the game. Most games will give players plenty of storage space in their inventory and then a way to store even more items in a chest or bank.
If you really like collecting, though, then you may want to buy extended storage. Extended storage is nice, but not something a lot of players need to enjoy the game. This is one of those transactions that is available for the players who enjoy the extra room, but in no way will affect gameplay.
2 Bad: Unbalanced Characters
There are some games out there that will let you purchase special characters who are just a bit better than the free ones. These characters will often have slightly higher stats or an attack that infuriates other players. Some virtual card games will even sell cards that can give decks a special edge. By selling unbalanced characters, the company unbalances their whole game, giving an edge to those who are willing to pay them.
This is a bit worse than the other microtransactions on the list as it can ruin a perfectly could MMORPG or MOBA.
1 Good: Ad Removal
We know that ads can be annoying, but in free-to-play games, they are a necessary part of keeping the game going. While games that have an unnatural amount of ads every few minutes may not fall into this category, small indie titles do.
Many of these titles will even offer players the ability to remove ads for a small fee in order to support the title, which is completely understandable. Popular titles that have ads will put them on the bottom of the screen, and while they can still be a bit annoying, most of the time, they won’t bother players.
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