Pay to Win
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Pay to win.
Right it is time to dive in to the cesspit that is pay to win. I will make no pretence here. I don’t care for pay to win so lets just get on with it.
Pay to Win
Pay to win put simply is when you gain advantages with in a game buy paying for things such as weapons, up grades, armour, skills or other such things.
This can work in 1 of 2 ways.
Either you are buying items that you can’t get any other way then paying or you buy items you can get to cut down on how long it takes to get the item.
Obviously these can have different effects on the game depending on what the items you are buying are and what type of game it is.
For example a teleporter in an adventure game might not have as big an effect on other players as high powered weapons in a PVP game.
But both would give you an advantage over players who couldn’t or didn’t want to pay for them.
The Positives
Money for a developer: A developer especially offering his game for free might gain a lot of money from the transactions associated with pay to win. Depending on how much these rare items or upgrades cost and how many of these weapons or up grades there are can really add up.
Lazy players: If you like a game but don’t like the game play, pay to win can be a way for you to skip having to play the game for long periods of time to have the best stuff.
Pore game design. If a game has by design been made poorly pay to win items can make it worth playing. A game that takes a long time to get some where can be made easier by a teleporter. Or a game that has a very long and arduous process to make something can be made better by the ability to buy that item.
The Negatives
Some players may not wish to play in these type of environments. Some may not be able to afford the paid items this could detract from the game for them.
It can also lead to a grate imbalance between those who do pay and those who don’t detracting from new players from ever trying the game.
Damage to a developers reputation can also happen through this type of action. While some may still play a greedy developer might find people who would have been more then willing to pay for future titles he or she releases might be very hesitant to get them after a pay to win experience in other games.
So where to we stand?
So is pay to win good or bad. Honestly some people will say its just a way for developers to make money. Others will say it takes away from the game play.
In all honesty both sides have a good point and while pay to win can certainly be a form of micro-transaction. Micro-transactions can be far worse if used effectively from a money making stand point. [more on that next week.]
From my perspective some types of pay to win are toxic like a PVP game in which the best weapons can be bought. But other things like a teleporter in an adventure game makes little difference. If you aren’t willing to explore the game that is up to you and it is only you that loses out here.
Conclusion
What are your thoughts let me know in the comments below.
Stay tuned next week for micro transactions and loot boxes.