Pay to win games are everywhere! There are lots of pay to win games that can be played on mobile, console, and computer. However, most gamers ask if pay to win games is bad. So, are pay to win games bad? Let’s find out!
Are pay-to-win games bad? Yes and no! There are some pay to win games that are bad, while there are some that are good. Some pay to win games are developed badly, where gamers generally don’t like playing it. However, even though some pay to win games are developed properly, there are just some gamers that hate the pay to win model.
Let’s dive deeper into this article so that you can fully understand why some gamers hate pay to win games. First, let me discuss to you what are pay to win games. Let’s go!
What Are Pay To Win Games?
A “pay to win” game is always a game, usually a free-to-play game, where players can use real money to get an advantage in the game that they wouldn’t have otherwise.
This makes it clear that there is a big difference between people who play for free and people who pay for the game. It makes it hard for people who play for free to enjoy the game, because no matter how good they get, they can’t compete with huge competitive advantages.
Also, these games are known for making players pay a lot of money. This is because the more you pay, the better you do against both free and paid players.
It also makes players who pay feel good about themselves by giving them constant wins because they paid their way to a better position from a strategic point of view.
What does it mean to “pay to win”? When a player “pays to win,” it means that they have put a lot of money into a game to give themselves a huge competitive edge. For example, they may have spent a lot of money to improve their in-game stats so that they are less likely to lose to free-to-play players.
This format also makes players who have already put a lot of money into the game more likely to stick with it. They have more to lose if they stop playing the game than a player who wasn’t spending any money.
This lets game publishers hook the players who are willing to pay, and the free players usually leave the game faster than they would in a play-to-win game (explained below).
Pay to win is sometimes called “P2W,” which is also an acronym for the other term in this article, “play to win.” People often use the terms play to win (PTW) and play to lose (PTL) interchangeably.
What does it mean to P2W? P2W stands for “pay to win.” It is also sometimes used to mean “play to win.”
So, if you hear an acronym in a conversation, you should know that you need more information about what is being said. Players almost always mean “pay to win” when they say “P2W” or “PTW.” This is because “pay to win” is a more common term and complaint than “play to win.”
How To Tell If The Game Is Pay To Win?
To figure out if a game is “pay to win,” check to see if players can buy equipment or skills that give them a competitive edge that they can’t get by playing the game for free.
If a game has that kind of trade, it’s probably a “pay to win” game. Some pay-to-win games would sometimes give a small amount of their paid-for in-game currency to free-to-play players so they could see what it was like and what they could get with it.
Don’t let that throw you off and make you think that you have to play to win. The publisher is just using these tactics to get you to keep playing and, ideally, start spending money. Even with these small rules, that game is not a play to win.
In the meantime, other games will give out their paid currency much more often, which can be used to buy equipment or skills that are stronger than those in other games. It’s not clear whether these games are “pay to win” or “play to win.” As a general rule, if the best gear is behind a paywall, the game is probably one where you have to pay to win.
Still, if they give away enough paid currency for free, they can almost get away with being a “play to win” game.
Why Are Some Games Pay To Win?
Some games are “pay to win” because the publishers want players to get emotionally invested in the game by making it free to play for a while. Then, they want to get you to pay for more success so they can make more money per player overall.
This model tends to work because the people who have a lot at stake tend to want to go all out. The Pareto principle works well for these kinds of games because 80% of a pay-to-win game’s income comes from the 20% of players who spend a lot of money.
Most play-to-win games aren’t free to play, so these types of players don’t help the game.
The one exception to this rule is a fairly new model where microtransactions are used to buy cosmetics or unlock more game play in a free-to-play game where the goal is to win.
As free-to-play games, League of Legends and Fortnite are well-known for the money they make from microtransactions.
Are Pay To Win Games Bad?
Not always! Not all pay to win games are bad. In fact, there are some pay to win games out there that are loved by many people. Yes! Some pay to win games seems bad to play while some are out there making lots of money in the market.
However, for some gamers, all pay to win games are bad for them! This is not because they don’t enjoy the game or the game was developed badly. It’s just that these gamers don’t like the pay to win model.
Does Pay To Win Games Hurt The Gaming Industry?
The pay-to-win model is what gaming companies are using right now to make the most money. Companies like EA only want to make as much money as possible from their players. This is done because of greed.
It puts making money ahead of making people happy, and the industry lets it happen. Even though Battlefront II made some players very angry, EA made more money than ever that year. GameSpot says that EA made $5.15 billion in sales (up 6.2%), and they made $1.04 billion in profit (up 7.9%).
With EA’s financial success, pay-to-win models in games can now be used by other companies without hurting their bottom lines. Gamers might expect more companies to use this model in their games in the future, since the only “punishment” is more money. The fact that EA put microtransactions in Anthem is proof of this.
Even though it’s not as extreme as Battlefront II, players can buy in-game currency with real money that they can use to buy armor packs, emotes, and other content in Anthem. Even though this content is only for looks and is not technically “pay-to-win,” you can earn another type of in-game currency by playing the game. Those who are willing to pay real-world money can still use these features before those who don’t pay.
The pay-to-win model isn’t good unless gamers want to keep putting money into games they’ve already bought. Companies will keep making video games that they think will make them the most money.
For now, that means making more games where you have to pay to win. Even the people who make games for casinos are thinking about adding games based on skill. These slot machines look like video games so that Millennials will be more interested in them.
Why Do Western Gamers Hate Pay-to-Win Games?
Pay-to-win mechanics tend to be looked down upon by gamers in places like the United States. Pre-paid games are a big part of the reason for this. In the West, the gaming industry tends to buy things in a standard way. You buy a game that already has all the things you need to move through it. You don’t have to spend more money to level up faster or beat opponents more easily.
But some developers and publishers of games have tried to use pay-to-win business models. Star Wars Battlefront II, a first-person and third-person shooter set in the Star Wars universe, was released by EA in 2017. Unfortunately, the microtransactions in the game’s beta were criticized for being too pushy.
But Battlefront II cost money, which is different from the popular games in China that are free to play. Players were encouraged to spend money on things in the game that would change how they played, on top of what they paid for the game itself. Loot boxes were filled with items that gave gamers an advantage over other players.
Players could get the same upgrades without paying if they completed in-game achievements, but this took longer. Those who were willing to pay more could get better gear faster. During the beta version of the game, players found that unlocking heroes without paying could take “dozens of hours.”
Then, in this Reddit post, a player said that even after spending $80 on microtransactions, he still couldn’t unlock Darth Vader. EA explained their decision by saying, “The goal is to give players a sense of pride and accomplishment when they unlock new heroes.” Since then, 667,825 people have voted against the comment.
People were saying that the beta version of Battlefront II used a “pay-to-win” system, so EA finally said that they would “turn off all in-game purchases” before the full game came out.
Final Verdict
To conclude, not all pay to win games are bad. There are some pay to win games that are very entertaining and addicting to play! However, not all gamers will appreciate pay to win games even though a certain pay to win game is developed properly. This is because some gamers hate the pay to win model!
