2y ago

US kids want games subscriptions and virtual currency more than games this Christmas

www.gamesindustry.biz

Games @lemmy.world

Goronmon @lemmy.world

2y ago

US kids want games subscriptions and virtual currency more than games this Christmas

www.gamesindustry.biz /us-kids-want-games-subscriptions-and-virtual-currency-more-than-games-this-christmas

29 comments

Ok, but keep in mind: Kids are also fucking stupid and sometimes want things that are harmful to them.
Besides, they want the games or the things you can buy in the game. They don't actually give two shits about the subscription or currencies. They just need those to get the thing they do want. If they could get them for free, they would; same as any other person.
- Yup. I have kids, and while they do well in school, they make really stupid practical decisions.
  I have a few simple rules when it comes to video games:
  no gambling - esp no loot boxes
  no microtransactions - Fortnite, Roblox, Minecraft Bedrock edition, etc are off limits
  no competitive multiplayer - I make an exception for a chess game, but competitive FPS is right out (my kids are <10, I'll loosen this once they can handle losing family board games)
  no M games, but they can watch me play certain M games (will loosen this up in a few years)
  I wish more parents pushed back on this nonsense.
  
  They don't? I tell my kids flatout if it costs money NO. Mine don't really play anything without me but Sky: Children of Light, though. The steam deck w/ dock does not work as well for them as I had hoped.
  
  can they not play the microtransaction games at all
This entire business model should cease to exist.
Games make you value arbitrary nonsense. That is what makes them games. Directly monetizing that is wildly unethical.
If it is possible for someone to spend a thousand dollars on a single video game, and not even have all possible things in that game, that's a fucking scam.
- The game industry is acting like children gambling is a novel concept. What hurts one of us hurts us all.
  
  Children aren't what make this a problem.
/kidsarefuckingstupid
I'm not feeling too good about that one.
I mean... OK? There's nothing wrong with just wanting stuff in a game you've played for a while and plan on sticking with. Even as an adult with adult money, I still occasionally buy things like skins in games. Because ultimately I'm not always looking for a new game to play. I like the ones I already play. Nothing wrong with throwing $20 at a game I've played for years and would easily play for just as long going forward.
- I agree at a high level, but F2P games are incredibly predatory, and paid games with microtransactions aren't much better.
  I have no problem buying things like unit packs or whatever in strategy games, but that's because it only impacts my experience. In an MP context, you get into peer pressure if you don't have a cool skin or whatever, and I'm not okay with that. It's even worse if skins are randomized.
  I think paying for additional content (e.g. DLC) is absolutely fine, I'm opposed to buying cosmetics for MP games.
  
  In an MP context, you get into peer pressure if you don't have a cool skin or whatever
  Perhaps it's just my own experience, but I find next no no pressure whatsoever to buy skins, and never really have. Yeah, there's the occasional skin with bs particles or a broken animation and they end up being cheat skins basically, but they usually get patched fast these days.
Yeah sure they do.
lies

29 comments