Fun, But At What Price?

Buying Games Has Changed

Gone are the days of waiting for the weekend to buy a physical game from a store, playing it until it's finished and hoping that the next one comes out soon. In these modern times of connected, high-speed internet gaming, developers are working at breaking speeds to turn around games with the new increasing pressure to get the most out of players – both through engagement and their wallets. 

With the cost of game production growing every year, investors are turning to developers to come up with new solutions to these money-driven trends. Sometimes this benefits players, (especially if the content is great) but it can also be a much less appealing corporate cash grab. This is where the idea of the live service model comes into play.

The Components of a Live Service Game

The live service model is basically thinking of a game as a continuous service. As mentioned before, in the past, games (both single and multiplayer) would end. Maybe this was when you had beat all the challenges, or sometimes you simply didn’t make it to the end of the gameplay, for example, in the multiplayer component of Halo 1, 2, and 3 on PC. 

These days, game developers are under pressure to create games with the intent to deliver ongoing content. The Destiny franchise (made by Bungie, the developers of the original Halo trilogy) does this. Destiny 2 was released in 2017, and just this year, the last expansion was announced; this means that the game has been receiving DLC for 7 years. But what is DLC, and what are the other factors of a live service game?

DLCs, Live Events, Collaborations, and In-Game Currencies

DLC stands for downloadable content and it comes in many different forms. It can include costumes for your characters, special abilities, or even entirely new levels and storylines. In our time, the first notable DLC was a horse skin for the game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. These days, however, DLC can often be a big selling point for both publishers and players. They even sell games with different tiers from the base version, which may include season passes that give you access to content in the future – a pre-sale, if you will.

Some games have in-game economies or currencies, which are just forms of money used within the game to purchase content. Roblox has Robux, and Fortnite has V-Bucks. These currencies are often used to buy these character skins, clothes, emoticons, or even weapons. As if that wasn’t enough, some games have special collaboration content; for example, Final Fantasy XIV once released gear in collaboration with All Saints, and Roblox created a virtual online IKEA – complete with meatballs. 

How to Manage Game Purchases for Young Players

But what does this mean for you as a guardian? Well, it depends. 

Access to DLC usually requires young players to ask for money. The traditional way is via a credit card in the online store of the game, but a safer and more controlled method can be through gift cards – a great gift for today’s players. This approach allows them to load currency with a single-use code rather than having access to your payment information and being able to spend without your permission. 

While controlling spending is one challenge; keeping an eye on what they may be buying is another. Their outfits and gestures, depending on the game, are also something you should look into. For example, Fortnite has more adult-themed wear. While they have put some restrictions in place, they are not foolproof. 

Our advice? Even if online gaming isn’t your thing, by showing kids a level of awareness and interest you can know more about what’s in the online world your kids enjoy – and the costs that come with it. Oh, and be careful giving out your bank details.