Is Buying In-Game Gold Such a Bad Thing?

We see this sort of thing all the time, from the gold bars in Red Dead 2 online to gold in WOW, gemstones in Lost Ark, and credits in Assassin’s Creed. We all know that paid loot boxes are bad things and that many micro-transactions are money-grubbing, but should we remove in-game gold and credit purchases completely?

Necessary Clarification

When this article talks about micro-transactions, it means things like buying credits, gems, gold, and so forth. It doesn't mean buying DLC or extensions, nor does it mean buying content packs. If you are playing a game and you want to buy a fancy new DLC gun, one that doesn't give you an advantage during PvP, then that is all good and fine. It is also “Not” what this article is about.

For The Most Part Yes – In-Game Gold is a Bad Thing

The phrase, “The kid that spoils it for everybody” is brought immediately to mind when conversations about micro-transactions are brought up. You have games like Assassins Odyssey and Middle-Earth: Shadow of War where the game was padded and the level was inhibited to force people to pay to avoid a tedious grind. Then there are games like Crash Bandicoot Racing where they promised not to add micro-transactions, all the way up until the glowing reviews had all been published, at which point the game with clogged with micro-transactions and the game became unplayable. Crash Bandicoot Micro-Transaction Addition Video

Occasionally It’s Not a Bad Thing

If game companies are playing fair, then is it possible for paid micro-transactions to be a good thing? In short, they are good things when you can grind just as much as you can buy. The examples in the introduction are pretty good, but let’s delve into a few examples of seemingly good micro-transactions in games.

• Red Dead Redemption 2 Online lets you buy gold bars so that you can customize everything from your horse to your camp. Yet, the gold bars can also be earned, and there is nothing in the game that is real-money exclusive.

• Fallout Shelter allows you to buy bottles, pets, lunchboxes, and Mr Handy’s if you wish. You can buy Nuka Cola bottles and they do a wide range of things. However, they are easy to get throughout the entire game, albeit a little easier to acquire early on, and there is nothing you can buy that you can’t grind for and earn.

• Final Fantasy XIV has a currency called Gil. It can’t be bought legitimately in-game, but you can buy it from other players. The developers state it is against the rules, but Gil is so readily available in the game that they don't ban people for it. If you are playing catch up with your already advanced friends, then paying for Gil can be very helpful (even if it is against the rules).

• Lost Ark allows you to buy gold. It does have a grind wall at level fifty, but you can still play without ever needing to buy gold, and you get one hell of a free game up until level fifty, so throwing a little real money at the game to avoid a bit of late-game grind is permissible.

Aren’t Good Examples Also Robbing You of Gameplay?

Here is where the question splits into two. The first is where micro-transactions are used as a way of avoiding a game’s artificially lengthened gameplay loop by helping you avoid the grind (see the Middle Earth and Assassin’s Odyssey examples from earlier). By artificially lengthening gameplay, it forces people to pay real money to see any sort of progress in a timely manner. These are obviously not consumer-friendly.

The second is with games like Red Dead, Wow, Fallout Shelter, where one could argue that micro-transactions are robbing you of gameplay. After all, you earn credits/gold, etc via the natural gameplay loop, so if you buy them, aren’t you just paying to miss some of the game?

In essence, you don't lose anything when you buy these types of microtransactions. It is not like mobile games where you pay for gems and then you can skip or cheat your way past difficult levels. In the very best cases, it is a matter of convenience. For example, you are going to bed and you are just a few gold coins away from upgrading your weapon, so you pay a little in order to do it now rather than when you get home from work/school/college.

Conclusion – Don’t Buy From Companies That Hate You

As mentioned earlier where the companies that spoil it for everybody, free-to-play games and PVP games are notorious for anti-consumer practices. Be it addictive paid mechanics or simply making things pay-to-win, there are plenty of games out there that are eager to rip you off. The key is to vote with your wallet. Don’t buy from these people. Don’t buy from the companies that hate you.

The gaming community has weathered a lot over the years, from being blamed for every drive-by shooting, to being blamed for all the sexism in the world. We have been blighted by security-flawed games, paid season passes that offer nothing, and loot boxes engineered to get you hooked on gambling. Yet, the gaming community as a whole doesn't deserve any of this, not the slanderous blaming and not the shady business practices.

Gamers are simply people looking to indulge in a little escapism, no different to people reading books or watching movies. We took a stand against gambling mechanics in loot boxes, and the only way we will win out against predatory microtransactions is to vote with our wallets and stop buying from companies that hate us. When people spend money on good games with fair business practices, we all win in the end.