We all love playing video games. From first-person shooters to real-time strategies, every single game has something alluring to it, so much so that gamers and gaming, in general, is one of the fastest-growing industries; online gaming in particular. However, most game developers, similar to all businesses that want to make money, are always looking for various ways to make you spend more money. For instance, casinos; what are free rooms at casinos, and why are they offered? Casinos know that free room offers are one of the most effective ways to get you in the door, having found that people who receive free room offers will stay longer, gamble more money, and spend more on food. You can try playing free-to-play games, but they only have even more “traps” for unsuspecting users. At the same time, popular pay-to-play games tend to cost incredible amounts of money. And lastly, microtransactions seem to be everywhere. So, what can you do to avoid spending all of your money on video games?
Avoid Buying Cosmetic Upgrades
One of the most popular ways game developers are trying to make a profit nowadays is through microtransactions. The most popular games these days are usually free to play. That means that the devs don’t make any profit from having players. Instead, they have to make them buy in-game currencies. In most such games, these currencies are the “money” you use to buy cosmetic upgrades for your characters. Character “skins,” fancy weapons, and new color schemes can end up costing you a lot of money.
Don’t Push Your Luck
Some games have rewards that revolve solely around luck. Those games will try to encourage you to spend more and more money so that you can have extra chances to win the jackpot. That is especially noticeable in games that feature loot boxes. Mostly, you pay for the opportunity to get rare in-game items.
Unfortunately, the odds during the opening of those boxes are incredibly rare. So, you might end up spending a lot of money. The worst part is that you are not winning anything worthwhile even if you do get the jackpot. In fact, you would be better off visiting an actual online casino. Just looking at casino reviews websites such as casinoreviews.net.nz, you can see that they are, generally speaking, better than brick and mortar gambling institutions.
It is understandable that saying that gambling is less expensive than online games sounds incredible. However, some people spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on video games. And, all they have to show for that money is a colorful sword their characters use in a game they will probably stop playing after a couple of years.
Avoid Pay-to-Win Games
Since a lot of people realize that spending money on cosmetic items is worthless, some games incorporate a different method of thinking – paying to get a competitive edge. Of course, gamers who don’t want to spend money on games dislike that option, but it does give the spenders a feeling of superiority over others. Unfortunately, that feeling can be very addictive.
So, remember, even if spending a lot of money can make you one of the strongest players in a game, it is not really worth it. Of course, if you believe you can show restraint, feel free to play these games. Just bear in mind that they don’t feel fair while you play them. So, if you notice that you are gravitating towards joining the pay-to-win portion of the player base, just leave. It is really not worth it to start spending real money and get nothing in return.
And, before you start thinking: “But, this offer only asks for a couple of dollars” – consider how much you actually gain from that. Sure, if you can get all of the VIP benefits with a bit of cash, go ahead. However, most of these games end up costing you thousands of dollars. After all, there are hundreds of other players that are trying to outspend you.
Earn Money by Playing
Of course, you can always flip the script. Instead of spending money to play games, you can try earning it. Gambling websites like the 32Red UK Casino definitely promise a good payout. However, there are simpler and less luck-reliant ways to earn money online. In fact, a quick Google search will probably give you at least a hundred different ways you can make money if you are looking to play games for real money.
The most popular way for that nowadays seems to be live streaming. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of young adults and teens streaming themselves while they are playing games and making incredible amounts of money by doing so. In fact, some of them are famous worldwide and are literally millionaires. Now, you shouldn’t really expect that level of success, but, you just might cover all of the gaming expenses you have.
The Conclusion
Game developers around the world are constantly looking for ways to make more money. After all, they also need to make a living. Unfortunately, it seems like they are doing their jobs a bit too well. Namely, a lot of people end up throwing incredible amounts of money on what should be nothing more than a pastime. Hopefully, this article will help you avoid the pitfalls of gaming and save a lot of money in the long run.
Comments
Liam Patterson
Great post! Worth sharing the knowledge on a larger perspective. Keep up the good work.