Glossary Entry: Microtransaction
Quick Definition
"Microtransaction" is the fancy word for in-game purchases, which are often only a few cents each. These are purchases where you buy in-game items and optional features (such as a costume for your character to wear) using real money. Sometimes these can be worth it, but sometimes it's just a money sink and therefore a bad investment.
These are normally found in MMOs, but some companies are experimenting with having these in regular games.
Recently, I've been seeing studies that are finding young children can't distinguish between advertisements and actual content. The younger the child, the more likely they won't be able to tell the difference. This may explain why so many stories have been coming up in the news about children spending hundreds or thousands of dollars playing games with in game purchases: they're just too young and inexperienced to tell if something is an actual purchase or just part of normal gameplay.
These are normally found in MMOs, but some companies are experimenting with having these in regular games.
Recently, I've been seeing studies that are finding young children can't distinguish between advertisements and actual content. The younger the child, the more likely they won't be able to tell the difference. This may explain why so many stories have been coming up in the news about children spending hundreds or thousands of dollars playing games with in game purchases: they're just too young and inexperienced to tell if something is an actual purchase or just part of normal gameplay.
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