I saw my cousin and his kids at the store while I was out shopping. They had recently gotten an Xbox Series S for Christmas, so I simply asked what everyone had been playing.
The kids were quick to spout off about Minecraft, their favorite game to play. My cousin then mentions he had to get them “Minecraft Coins”, an in-game form of currency so the kids could purchase these mine-blocks that don’t break after so many strikes.
I then said, “Minecraft Coins? Well, it seems Minecraft is much different than when it came out.”
My cousin then rolled his eyes and nodded in agreement.
It occurred to me that games like Minecraft, Fortnite, and other popular mainstream games, have become so massive that they’re focusing less on being a fun video game for children and more on being exploitative cash grabs for parents. It’s become a trend for pretty much every game that makes millions upon millions of revenue.
One company has success with something, and then they all gotta jump right on the milking train.
I see this trend and can’t help but think of how negative it is for kids to want skins, lootboxes, Minecraft Tokens, or Roblox cards, when all they should need is a fun game from start to finish.
Maybe I’m just getting old, but I feel that a video game shouldn’t be anything more than a piece of narrative-driven art from the Press Start Screen to the End Credits. That’s all we’ve ever needed from the NES to the GameCube era.
People like to claim that old games are better, and I’ll argue it’s because we weren’t milked dry from the time the game is announced.
Nowadays you can basically expect a $70 game to come out unfinished, and they do this on purpose because they have microtransactions and DLC already lined up to squeeze you dry of all your money; all while blaming you and making you feel guilty because “they were rushed” to put the game out, or “you need to buy at launch if you want to see sequels”. These shady practices are what keeps the consumers trapped, and it’s hurting the industry big time.
I will typically always wait for sales, because I feel in my heart and soul that I deserve a complete game for a reasonable price. That’s just me, though. I’m built different.
After Square Enix, amongst other corporations, announced they’re implementing the NFT/crypto practices into their games, it only makes me worry more.
How long until our future generations of 8-year-old gamers begin worrying about their digital assets and crypto wallets? How long until they’re focused more on making money from a game rather than just playing and enjoying it?
I sound old. I sound like I’m getting older. Maybe I’m a boomer and behind the times. Maybe I shouldn’t be worrying about things so nonsensical. Maybe I should just focus on my backlog and keep down. But I can’t help but to feel sorry for future generations (and their parents).
After my younger brothers gave up video games because they couldn’t get their Twitch channels off the ground, and my little cousins worrying about “Minecraft Coins”, I can only see the direction of my favorite industry heading to another potential crash.
When it comes to video games as a whole, I see them as a pure entertainment medium.
Sure, I have social media and a blog where I create “content” in the form of discussions and writing, but you won’t see me slaving away my free time gaming hours trying to exploit my hobby for cash. I’m not interested in writing reviews or streaming, I play the game solely for fun, because that’s what they’re meant for.
Video games will never be a job or a chore, no matter how many shady businesses try to trap us or our children into it, or how many exploitative tactics are shoved into a $70 box.
How long will we allow this to continue?
DLC? Microtransactions? Forced online connections? Exploitation? Gambling? NFT? Lootboxes? Skins? Currency? Streaming?
Ain’t got shit to do with me.
Play to contribute? No, thanks. I play for fun.
