The Advantages and Disadvantages of In-Game Rewards

When was the last time you played a game all the way through without being offered a microtransaction or in-game reward? These days, most titles will use these tactics to keep you hooked and often to part with your hard-earned money. Yet adding these rewards to games has both pros and cons. Below, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of in-game rewards.

The Advantages of In-Game Rewards

One of the biggest advantages is that in-game rewards offer a physical response. When achieved, they release dopamine in the brain, a central pathway to making the brain feel good. This forces us to repeat the behavior, all the while making us feel good about what we have done.

A lot of this hit comes from a sense of mastery. Humans, in particular gamers, like to feel they have mastered or won something. This can lead to them collecting rewards, badges, and trophies. The iGaming industry has used casino rewards and bonuses in a similar vein, not just to attract players to their operators, but to buoy the whole industry. With a range of rewards on offer and free spins and bonuses within games, they keep people playing and trying new titles.

As many games are played online with friends or teams, they can also foster a sense of community. If a team or group of friends achieve a reward, they have a sense of community and belonging. This can be extremely positive for those who feel alienated in other areas of their life.

When games have some elements of a monetary transaction involved, they also have benefits for the company or developers that made them. They provide a regular income stream, which in some cases, can let them create free-to-play games. They also allow players to customize their

characters in games.

The Disadvantages of In-Game Rewards

While the release of dopamine is an advantage, it is also a downside to in-game rewards. This dopamine hit can be addictive. It can force people to repeat the same patterns and behaviors, which is not always good. Needing this hit can be to the detriment of social behavior and physical health.

Another disadvantage is that the in-game reward plays on a very modern phenomenon known as the fear of missing out. This is where people have to be somewhere or do something that others are doing for social status, lest they miss out. If people don't have these in-game rewards, it can cause them to feel inferior. This can lead to players chasing rewards at the expense of other elements in their lives.

When microtransactions are involved, it can provide an unfair advantage. Players may have an advantage in a game simply by buying and upgrading, instead of doing this by playing the game and developing skills. Some customers can also feel resentful towards developers after paying for a game, only to find most of it is locked behind microtransactions which they must pay for again.

Like anything, there are positives and negatives to having in-game rewards. It is a balance that developers need to carefully consider. However, as more games become free to play, we can only expect more of these to fund studios.