Has Gaming Lost Its Joy? The Rise of Monetisation Models

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If you’re an older gamer, you’ll remember when everything you achieved in an online game was earned through hours of play. Take FIFA, for example: earlier versions required time and effort to build your Ultimate Team. Now, you can quickly assemble a top-tier squad with real-world money.

This shift raises an important question: why has gaming become so expensive, and why are pay-to-win models becoming the norm?

How Gaming Became a Business

Gaming companies are capitalising on the market’s profitability, with a small segment of players, known as “whales,” spending huge amounts on in-game purchases. These purchases often provide a competitive advantage, bypassing the need for hours of gameplay.

In multiplayer online games, players can pay for upgrades or powerful items, giving paying players a clear edge over those who don’t spend money. For single-player games, downloadable content (DLC) expands beyond the main game, squeezing more money from consumers.

What was once an affordable hobby is now an expensive luxury, and this trend is likely to continue as game production costs rise.

Winning or Paying to Win?

The culture of gaming has shifted. Winning is now the primary focus, often at the expense of enjoyment. Pay-to-win models cater to this mindset by offering shortcuts to success. Players can pay to progress faster, skipping the time and effort required to build skills or experience.

This growing preference for instant gratification is linked to shrinking attention spans in a fast-paced digital world. As players take shortcuts, others are pressured to follow suit in order to stay competitive, creating a cycle of spending to keep up.

Pay-to-win systems exploit psychological triggers like the fear of missing out (FOMO) and the desire for quick rewards, encouraging players to spend money to stay on top.

The Impact

While the growing costs of gaming can feel like a burden, there’s a silver lining: more revenue allows developers to create stunning, high-budget games. Titles like Red Dead Redemption 2, Ghost of Tsushima, and God of War showcase the artistic potential unlocked by these larger budgets.

However, this increased investment often comes with a cost for consumers. Microtransactions and expensive DLCs can create barriers for players who can’t afford to spend additional money, making the experience feel exclusive and less accessible.

Exploitation or Innovation?

Despite the innovation that higher budgets bring, the monetization strategies used in modern games raise ethical concerns. Pay-to-win systems exploit players’ psychological vulnerabilities, especially younger audiences. The pressure to spend money to stay competitive can feel manipulative, and in some cases, the monetization strategies resemble gambling.

Moreover, prioritising profits over player satisfaction can diminish the gaming experience, shifting the focus from skill-based play to financial investment. Developers must be mindful of the balance between making money and ensuring fair play.

The Bottom Line

As gaming becomes more expensive, the quality of the experiences improves, but the question remains: is it worth the cost? For some, the stunning visuals and immersive worlds justify the price, but others may find the growing reliance on pay-to-win mechanics off-putting.

Ultimately, the challenge is for the industry to strike a balance between innovation and fairness, ensuring that gaming remains an enjoyable, skill-based experience rather than one driven purely by profit.