How In-Game Currency Works
The use of currency has been present in video games even before it went mainstream. In fact, it was used even in role-playing games with the use of the simple pen and paper. We’re talking, of course, about Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). Currency in Dungeons & Dragons is often used to trade or purchase items that can then help story characters with their progression. Whether it’s by stopping by a town full of merchants or facing off against robbers intent on pilfering gold from whomever they encounter, in-game currency has been on a continuous journey that has evolved it to what it currently is.
As far as current-gen video games go, in-game currencies are often used to purchase items from various categories. These can include weapons, equipment, accessories, trinkets, and many more. This especially goes for online MMORPGs that have an in-game economy. Creating a balanced in-game economy is not easy. To create equilibrium in an economy that everyone can thrive in, game developers must build a cost system, define what the investment and non-investment resources are, much more. It’s definitely not a one-day job, that’s for sure. This requires careful thinking and a lot of revision. However, not all companies practice this enough, and as a result, end up having an in-game economy that’s difficult to fix. Players take advantage of this by creating deficits and surpluses in the game and even cause inflation. It’s unfortunate, but most of the time, game developers offer only band-aid solutions that are otherwise not future-proof.
How Game Currency Has Popularized Gaming
Believe it or not, in-game currency is one of the reasons gaming has grown further in popularity. The addictive feeling of hoarding as much currency as one possibly could is a rush that players love. By having tons of currency, gamers can purchase almost anything that they want in the game. That feeling of power is what people often look for, especially in online free-to-play games. Currency is one of the things that determines one’s playthrough. If players don’t have that much currency, then they often get the short end of the stick and struggle to even purchase armor for themselves. But in the case of players that have sacks of in-game currency with their character, they’ll have a much easier time defeating opponents and progressing through quests simply because they can purchase what they need to breeze through the game.
The Types of Game Currency for Sale
Buyers can find sellers that offer different types of game currencies for sale, depending on which game platform they are selling at. Sellers mainly peddle two types of in-game currencies: paying and non-paying currencies.
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Paying Game Currency for Sale
Paying currency is also known as premium currency. This type of currency is locked behind a paywall most of the time. Games have different rates for paying currencies. For example, in one game you’ll receive a certain amount of paying/premium currency for $9.99, but this can also differ if it’s another type of game. Paying currency can be used to purchase items that are often exclusive (such as in mobile games), letting players acquire stronger characters. This is the case for gacha style games that require players to reroll in order to get S-tier characters/heroes in their time. Premium currency is also used to shorten the period required for a player’s upgrade to finish. Games that fit into this category are commonly mobile games with microtransactions such as city builders. In these games, gamers constantly update buildings, or characters and whatnot to improve their cities. However, some of these upgrades can easily take hours and even days of just waiting for it to finish. This is where the paying currency shines. By using it, players can finish their upgrades in no time at all.
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Why Buyers Buy Game Gold/Non-Paying Currency
In certain circumstances, non-paying currencies are much more in-demand compared to paying currencies. This is because of how important it is to the survival of every individual player. For example, in World of Warcraft, gold is the only currency that’s available for purchase. As such, this gold, which is a non-paying currency, can be used for many things. Non-paying currency can be acquired by both the buyers and sellers, but can fairly take a long time to accumulate. This is why buyers buy non-paying currency.