Microtransactions & the 19-Year-Old Who Spent $13,000 - MMORPG.com News

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Microtransactions & the 19-Year-Old Who Spent $13,000 - MMORPG.com News

Kotaku has a fascinating and corroborated interview with a 19-year-old gamer named "Kensgold" who has spent over $13,000 on microtransaction purchases over the last several years. His open letter to EA was posted on the Star Wars: Battlefront II Reddit: "My choices are my own, and so is my addiction. I just wish someone had told me of the dangers before I started."

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ishist

Is it just me or does Slatoff 's comment make very little sense.

Sector13

This whole article is facepalm worthy. "No one told me the stupid thing I was doing was stupid so that's why I kept doing it." cause telling smokers smoking is bad makes them all stop. Which they don't for those who don't know that.

hyllyh

canadian devil! (south park 18 ep 6)

Gdemami

Trolling...

Kyleran

Gdemami said:

Trolling...

Anything ypu don't agree with?

istiander

Sad to say but if you need to purchase items buffs or whatever to be compete at a higher level its getting into the pay to win area and that can be addictive if you are not good at losing

DAS1337

Yeah, the whole story sounds like BS.

hfztt

Looking at DLC I see two variations, content DLC and consumables DLC. (I use DLC bradly here, I could as well call it microtransactions.)

While content DLC can employ some shady strategies (overpricing, hidden costs, etc.), they are IMHO not inherently bad. Used correctly they can actually be of benefit to both publisher and consumer.

Consumable DLC on the other hand is for the most part, IMHO, always at least in a gray area. (Keys for) Lock boxes, Gold ammo etc. are all taking advantage of weakneses in the human psyche, and should be avoided, by publishers and players alike.

Kyleran

Lets try to keep things in perspective.

On the surface it sounds shocking , but if evenly distributed across 6 years (probably was higher the past few as more disposable income was available) its roughly $180 per month.

Steep perhaps but I'll bet some folks here have spent that sort of caah, if not on gaming some other entertainment activity.

As I have paid for multiple accounts over the years it was not unusual to have $75 to $100 a month in active subs, plus the cost of initial box purchases, expansions and buying and maintaining 3 gaming capable PCs so all could play.

Heck, even now my media subs for cable TV, Netflix, XM radio (car and internet), and Slacker radio run me roughly $215 per month, not including On Demand fees and going out to the movies which adds easily $75 to $100 per month.

So yes, $13K is a lot for gaming MTs but my guess is some reading this would say I spend a foolish amount of money on monthly media.

But hey, much of that is to keep my wife entertained and happy so I can game in peace, money well spent in my book.

Alas I can't get her into gaming, probably be cheaper.

Albatroes

>>> There weren’t really any repercussions to enforce like, ‘Yo, idiot, stop.’” <<< You ever read something and feel like you're getting dumber?

Gdemami

Kyleran said:
some reading this would say I spend a foolish amount of money on monthly media.

...I know a guy in Hawaii that will gladly help you out.

Tsiya

Kyleran is right. That's less than 2 dinner and movie dates a month. Perspective.

Xingbairong

Sounds like a BS story to me as well...
Honestly the only way to solve the "issue" is to have an IQ test before a purchase, so that people who can't think for themselves can't finish the transaction.

Slapshot1188

Kyleran said:

Lets try to keep things in perspective.



On the surface it sounds shocking , but if evenly distributed across 6 years (probably was higher the past few as more disposable income was available) its roughly $180 per month.



Steep perhaps but I'll bet some folks here have spent that sort of caah, if not on gaming some other entertainment activity.



As I have paid for multiple accounts over the years it was not unusual to have $75 to $100 a month in active subs, plus the cost of initial box purchases, expansions and buying and maintaining 3 gaming capable PCs so all could play.



Heck, even now my media subs for cable TV, Netflix, XM radio (car and internet), and Slacker radio run me roughly $215 per month, not including On Demand fees and going out to the movies which adds easily $75 to $100 per month.



So yes, $13K is a lot for gaming MTs but my guess is some reading this would say I spend a foolish amount of money on monthly media.



But hey, much of that is to keep my wife entertained and happy so I can game in peace, money well spent in my book.



Alas I can't get her into gaming, probably be cheaper.

Sure but to put it in real perspective you have to realize this was done while he was aged 13-19.

Dunno about you but when I was 13 I didn’t have $180/mo to spend on anything. I’m sure that the spend is curved and as he aged he spent more money, but a lot was spent as a minor.

Elsabolts

" See What Happens when Mommy and Daddy own a Basement "

Shodanas

Kyleran said:

Lets try to keep things in perspective.



On the surface it sounds shocking , but if evenly distributed across 6 years (probably was higher the past few as more disposable income was available) its roughly $180 per month.



Steep perhaps but I'll bet some folks here have spent that sort of caah, if not on gaming some other entertainment activity.



As I have paid for multiple accounts over the years it was not unusual to have $75 to $100 a month in active subs, plus the cost of initial box purchases, expansions and buying and maintaining 3 gaming capable PCs so all could play.



Heck, even now my media subs for cable TV, Netflix, XM radio (car and internet), and Slacker radio run me roughly $215 per month, not including On Demand fees and going out to the movies which adds easily $75 to $100 per month.



So yes, $13K is a lot for gaming MTs but my guess is some reading this would say I spend a foolish amount of money on monthly media.



But hey, much of that is to keep my wife entertained and happy so I can game in peace, money well spent in my book.



Alas I can't get her into gaming, probably be cheaper.

I presume that you missed the point where the article talks about him being 19 years of age which means that 6 years back he was 13.

And i'll go on a limb here and say that you are much older than 19. With everything that implies in terms of occupational and financial status.

Unless you started paying for all the expenses you listed when you where still a teenager.

Elsabolts

Shodanas said:

Kyleran said:

Lets try to keep things in perspective.



On the surface it sounds shocking , but if evenly distributed across 6 years (probably was higher the past few as more disposable income was available) its roughly $180 per month.



Steep perhaps but I'll bet some folks here have spent that sort of caah, if not on gaming some other entertainment activity.



As I have paid for multiple accounts over the years it was not unusual to have $75 to $100 a month in active subs, plus the cost of initial box purchases, expansions and buying and maintaining 3 gaming capable PCs so all could play.



Heck, even now my media subs for cable TV, Netflix, XM radio (car and internet), and Slacker radio run me roughly $215 per month, not including On Demand fees and going out to the movies which adds easily $75 to $100 per month.



So yes, $13K is a lot for gaming MTs but my guess is some reading this would say I spend a foolish amount of money on monthly media.



But hey, much of that is to keep my wife entertained and happy so I can game in peace, money well spent in my book.



Alas I can't get her into gaming, probably be cheaper.

I presume that you missed the point where the article talks about him being 19 years of age which means that 6 years back he was 13.

And i'll go on a limb here and say that you are much older than 19. With everything that implies in terms of occupational and financial status.

Unless you started paying for the expenses you list when you where still a teenager.

Kyleran, He's calling you an Old Fart.

Iselin

It's funny how it's the same people who believe having loot boxes in your games is a first amendment right calling this guy a troll and a dim-wit.

Narius seems to be the only honest guy around here because he freely admits that he wants lots of MTX in games so that he can be subsidized and play them for free. The rest of you need to get your story straight lol.

RexKushman

Kyleran said:

Lets try to keep things in perspective.

On the surface it sounds shocking , but if evenly distributed across 6 years (probably was higher the past few as more disposable income was available) its roughly $180 per month.

Steep perhaps but I'll bet some folks here have spent that sort of caah, if not on gaming some other entertainment activity.

As I have paid for multiple accounts over the years it was not unusual to have $75 to $100 a month in active subs, plus the cost of initial box purchases, expansions and buying and maintaining 3 gaming capable PCs so all could play.

Heck, even now my media subs for cable TV, Netflix, XM radio (car and internet), and Slacker radio run me roughly $215 per month, not including On Demand fees and going out to the movies which adds easily $75 to $100 per month.

So yes, $13K is a lot for gaming MTs but my guess is some reading this would say I spend a foolish amount of money on monthly media.

But hey, much of that is to keep my wife entertained and happy so I can game in peace, money well spent in my book.

Alas I can't get her into gaming, probably be cheaper.

He also states that box prices are included in that total. So when everything is factored in  it really doesn't seem to me like this was some crazy spending habit, if it's even a true story.

MaxBacon

This story is nothing compared to the guy who spent 1 million in mobile games.

Only when this stuff starts mainstream on PC/Console games is that people even care to talk about it

Sovrath

Kyleran said:

Lets try to keep things in perspective.



On the surface it sounds shocking , but if evenly distributed across 6 years (probably was higher the past few as more disposable income was available) its roughly $180 per month.

True and that's really nothing.

Oh sure, I kind of want to slap him (my parents had me earn my money and anything I wanted I paid for - knew what I was doing to get what I wanted). But I've known people with issues who "needed" to be competitive, needed to be accepted and spent thousands MOBAS.

But yeah $180 per month is nothing in the scheme of things.

beebop500

Oh look, another irresponsible person who has an "addiction." This smacks of the same idea as people who sleep around and them claim they have a sex "addiction." You have to make choices about what you do; there isn't some evil entity that "forces" you to swipe your credit card or drop your pants. As DMKano said above, regardless of what your so-called "addiction" is, in the end, it is the person who is the problem, and ultimately responsible for their own behavior. Our society loves to let people make excuses for themselves though, I suppose accountability is no longer cool.

Talonsin

I'm with Kano, people drop stupid amounts of money on all kinds of crap.  One of my neighbors who has an old car that is constantly breaking down just bought himself a new iPhone-X for $1000.  But on the bright side, he can play with his phone as I am giving him a ride because one of his bald tires popped.

A fool and his money are soon parted...

Viper482

You people seriously do not believe this is an issue? Are you going to deny gaming addiction exists too? It has been studied and proven to exist, do you really not believe a compulsive spending addiction cannot come along with it? Why do you think micro-transactions are everywhere now? Because these companies saw how much money mobile gaming was making off people addictive to spending on p2w. These companies have always used psychology to find new ways of addicting gamers, now it has turned to how can we get them addicted to micro-transactions. This issue will get much worse before it gets better, stop denying it.

Sovrath

Shodanas said:

Kyleran said:

Lets try to keep things in perspective.





On the surface it sounds shocking , but if evenly distributed across 6 years (probably was higher the past few as more disposable income was available) its roughly $180 per month.





Steep perhaps but I'll bet some folks here have spent that sort of caah, if not on gaming some other entertainment activity.





As I have paid for multiple accounts over the years it was not unusual to have $75 to $100 a month in active subs, plus the cost of initial box purchases, expansions and buying and maintaining 3 gaming capable PCs so all could play.





Heck, even now my media subs for cable TV, Netflix, XM radio (car and internet), and Slacker radio run me roughly $215 per month, not including On Demand fees and going out to the movies which adds easily $75 to $100 per month.





So yes, $13K is a lot for gaming MTs but my guess is some reading this would say I spend a foolish amount of money on monthly media.





But hey, much of that is to keep my wife entertained and happy so I can game in peace, money well spent in my book.





Alas I can't get her into gaming, probably be cheaper.

I presume that you missed the point where the article talks about him being 19 years of age which means that 6 years back he was 13.



And i'll go on a limb here and say that you are much older than 19. With everything that implies in terms of occupational and financial status.

Unless you started paying for all the expenses you listed when you where still a teenager.

While I get he started at 13 I could have easily paid more than that at 14 where I had a job and nothing to spend my money on. Now, if he was using his mother's credit card that's a different thing. Though where were they to give him the talk?

But yeah, 14 years old, 180 per month? Wouldn't even break a sweat.