Real-money items in games

[anyee]

When, if ever, do you decide to spend real money on a game besides merely buying the software and access? There are so many examples, from microtransactions in apps to the Diablo III real money auction house, and I'm trying to figure out how everyone else approaches it

Comments

[turnerwolf]

For the F2P games, that you can download for free and play for free that offer items for real money that would help you in game- sure. Acceptable.

But when it comes to games that I have purchased... and then they want me to throw more money away on items that I would need to get boosts and further in the game (I am not talking things like vanity pets or anything), absolutely not.

WoW- I don't have issue with vanity pets and mounts and you don't have to purchase them to get further in game.

Diablo III- oh hell no. I ended up purchasing the game, spent $60 on it. I am not going to shell out more money for items that will help me advance in the game.

AION- now that it is free, I can see purchasing items if it is that important to you and even if it is somewhat necessary to advance at a quicker pace.

It is a slippery slope though- I've watched my cousin's husband go from spending $15 a month for WoW with the occasional pet purchase to spending nearly four times that month on Runes of Magic, a game that is supposedly free to play

[sandstorm]

Rarely. On two sites I play there's a cash shop, one mostly has clothes for our dress-up dolls, the other more or less the same, but for pets (Yeah, Neopets). I maybe spend 10$ a month all together, usually less.

I usually only buy tokens for the board game on Neo - they look nice and give some slight advantages if you play well enough.

[ayashi]

I haven't yet spent real money on the D3 auction house - not sure if I will. Well, I guess I probably will soon, but indirectly. I've made $10 there and I plan to just leave it as my battle.net balance or whatever and maybe use that to buy items with "real money

[im_an_aaangel]

In WoW I've paid for server transfers so I can play with friends or because a server changed drastically from what it once was. In Guild Wars I bought a costume that I loved more than any in-game armor. Basically if it happier while playing and will last a very long time then I'll consider buying it. I'd never buy things for Diablo III purely because it seems like an upgrade could be anywhere.

[anyee]

Oof, I forgot that. I have paid quite a bit for server transfer over the years. It's a shame because I'm not playing regularly anymore.

[ladycyndra]

In Guild Wars, I like to buy the costumes. They are pretty! I hope that continues in GW2.