Are "Free" Video Games Really Free?

[@villafontananorte]

I don't spend $1 on anything. Play, get bored, and delete app.

[@359tarun]

Might be true, but gaming companies eventually use even us - free gamers. They collect Metadata and sell our data to others.

[@kevindudson2344]

@@359tarun Not to mention they also use our skills to squeeze the whales.

[@nickmiller1226]

load the app play 5 free games delete app repeat

[@crewrangergaming9582]

@@359tarun don't click on ads or buy anything you see on ads. Lower the value of their data.

[@crewrangergaming9582]

@@Taurus388 What makes you think offline games do not have ads? If by offline you mean I should put my phone offline while playing the game - well, mobile app developer are smart, they always want you to be connected to play even offline games.

[@bencorwin]

I'll say it again, this is one of the most important channels on KZbin.

[@mikeg9b]

Check out The Financial Diet channel too. kzbin.info/door/SPYNpQ2fHv9HJ-q6MIMaPw

[@landonstallings2891]

@@mikeg9b Glad Im not the only male who enjoys The Financial Diet!

[@DemureSpectabilis]

@@mikeg9b Yes-I watch both channels, too! I grew up learning a fair amount of financial literacy, but these channels have taught me so much more. They are wonderful creations.

[@mikeg9b]

@@DemureSpectabilis The Financial Diet is the best channel I know of to cultivate a healthy but frugal attitude toward money. My favorite channel on investing, again to cultivate the right attitude, is Ben Felix (but unfortunately, it assumes a pretty advanced level of prerequisite knowledge).

[@richardwieder885]

Hands down I agree.

[@shadbakht]

You guys are an awesome host pair

[@TwoCentsPBS]

Thanks!! : )

[@youngczar1660]

@@TwoCentsPBS Such a nice couple :)

[@brunoaraujo7016]

"But at least you could run out of quarters, and have time to rethink your life goals on the way to the change machine" I love this channel and there are solid reasons why.

[@fatehyabali]

Using Android since 2012 never spent a dollar on any application 😆

[@Abu_Shawarib]

I bought a bunch of games on steam but never spent a dime on mobile stuff

[@davidvasqz4934]

There are useful app that are really worth to pay.

[@1_n_only_Sudeen]

Hey guys. Truly you both doing great job on every single video release. I really admire you both for the efforts tat is put in to share such thoughts which are realistic in life, and that awareness our money tat flushed from our pockets. Fantastic 👍 I use to spent money in college for clash of clans but now no much time for games. I spend quality time in researching more information which I am not aware about something to do with all countries news..

[@ayingchanda]

Hahahaha clash on clans lol ahahahagaha

[@AndyofCT]

I'm of two minds. There are plenty of "Free to Play" games that I've enjoyed for hours, so I've dropped $2-$5 on some cosmetic item or whatever. I know that I'll probably move onto a new game in a few months and I'm not really one to get "addicted" to loot boxes. That said, I understand not everyone has impulse control or understands the financial ramifications of their actions. And the most I've spent on a single game is Destiny 2 Deluxe with all the expansions at about $200...Which based on the 389 hours I've clocked is about the cheapest form of entertainment available.

[@Dan3333333335]

AndyofCT Jeez. I didn’t know it was possible to play Destiny that long

[@deathnote8233]

@@Dan3333333335 thats still low number lol

[@ruffethereal1904]

Thank you, this is such a serious, damaging trend, young gamers especially.

[@TwoCentsPBS]

We totally agree. Thank you!

[@Digiflower5]

a game being pretatory is not good for anyone they usually target adults going through a hard time in life.

[@jeanp.5929]

I've been a call of Duty fan since 2008. Like the video said, the games used to be pay once and you're done (Although, DLC's were a thing back then). Now a days, they expect you to pay just to be able to enjoy the game. "Pay-to-win" I used to think wasn't something to really pay attention to but these days, it's "Pay-to-enjoy" the game. I feel like the video game industry as a whole has taken a step backwards in its development.

[@oddixgames6704]

As a video game developer for 2 past decades myself, I'm very happy to see this very good quality video. Often the under-the -hood monetization mechanics and evolution of games' business models are misrepresented by non-professionals. You've done it right. Kudos to you!

[@RangerRuby]

This video was super interesting! Video games that claim to be free are super annoying because you know... You will spend money. Thanks for this video! It was nice to know the science and economics behind video games that are "free".

[@Watch-0w1]

Ranger Ruby too bad now the one that cost money doing the same thing

[@shinetheomegasundragon]

Actually you can get whatever you want out of a game a free to play game without spending any money. it's all about patients most people don't want to be patient so they'll spend money to get what they wanted this is how the free-to-play system get you, people think need to spend money on this exclusive, items ,character's, time, or skins.

[@Watch-0w1]

@@shinetheomegasundragon people justified it because they didn't spend any money is k to put 60$ on cosmetic

[@jgtv6269]

Best free game I have come across is Cashflow by Robert Kiyosaki

[@daniele9209]

I liked them better when they talked actually about how economy works

[@TararidhKep]

I once spent 3$ on my dad's phone using his credit card, i regretted it so much, since then i have never spent a dime on games

[@Hogojub]

Ive spend 150€ on Clash Royale and I regret every cent of it...

[@sensiblewheels]

Hehe. I spent a little bit but quickly understood it's just a waste. So I just okay 10 gem challenges lol

[@thebookylnlord5070]

Kenny Seriously? I haven’t spent a single dime and I have 4600 trophies and all the legendaries.

[@Hogojub]

@@thebookylnlord5070 well good for you, I dont even play the game anymore

[@CharlieDB96]

Through multiple copies purchased and micro transactions, I've accrued many hundreds of dollars spent on GTA V. I say, if you enjoyed the game at the time, you may have gotten your money's worth. A few millions are lost to the sands of time anyhow. Nothing is permanent, so enjoy what you can, while you can

[@wndmier90]

@@thebookylnlord5070 yep you can achieve that, but you have to be a good player and also be a lot of time playing. The actual thing you spent in the game was time, maybe a lot of time

[@tigerheaddude]

Just to add to your wonderful video, Belgium actually went ahead and banned paying for loot boxes because it sees them as a form of gambling for kids (which they kind of are)

[@wolfboy20]

Lolz remember when EA tried to ignore the law and was facing a lawsuit and fines after the fact? They had to comply Remember when 2k tried to beg ppl to contact their Belgium legislators to oppose the ban? Getting laughed at in the process? Good times

[@yaboijuan4052]

I remember spending $40 on Clash of Clans. I said this needs to stop and deleted the app right there.

[@P3rf3ctvo1d]

I spent 20 eur yesterday on a free to play game called World of Tanks and I deleted the game instantly afterwards, as I understood the exploitation of my own psychology got to me and that my desire to spend on something worthless grew.

[@ApollyonZKX]

A much needed video in this day and age. I'm glad to see this topic brought up here.

[@thadoc5186]

If you need to learn this stuff from a video then you have bigger problems.

[@ApollyonZKX]

@@thadoc5186 I know about this, you sad excuse of a person. I'm saying this is good for many who aren't aware of such things. From now on you should stay in your lane to avoid saying such stupid remarks.

[@valueStocks]

*I feel like free to play videos really take advantage of those who can not control themselves.*

[@FelixOgunmokun0204]

I agree! I bought a PS4 console and only then realized that to play online I needed to pay a subscription fee. Felt like I was left with no option, so I did, then I find myself buying more games because they kept coming at a cheaper price due to the plus membership. I just realized one day that I rarely play these games and some are somewhat too similar. Ultimately I sold the console itself to get away. I still will like to play games with friends but I can't just have one that I have to keep investing in to stay abreast

[@Wolverine8091]

I agree, these games are formulated to play with people's brains, it's like a legal extortion

[@avarice4556]

I agree

[@avarice4556]

@@FelixOgunmokun0204 play f2p games I played Fortnite without ever having spend mone for a long time. And it isn't the console it's you bro, I chose not to pay for plus after awhile. Like, this video literally exist to showcase our own human lack of self control. I paid for something with money once in Fortnite and never did it again. I enjoyed that item for the time period I used it and I just went along. There definitely were others who I knew who bought things like they were on crack but aye you have to control yourself, if it ain't this addiction it'll be something else

[@walkintothefuture]

I once spent $450 on Star Citizen... 6 years later and the game isn't out yet. TOTAL RIP-OFF

[@TwoCentsPBS]

Yikes! That's crazy!

[@somethingelse9228]

Star citizen had been heavily criticized

[@Digiflower5]

Extra Credits also did a few great videos on the topic such as most whales not being kids but people going through a hard time, people not wanting to lose their top dog status or people with a dopamine craving. That being said video games themselves are not a true chemical addiction but a compulsion that a small but real percentage of the population struggles with. If anyone reading this is struggling with video game addiction i recommend watching extra credits video on and dont be hard on yourself life always welcomes you back with open arms. :)

[@TwoCentsPBS]

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. We agree -- if you are feeling "addicted", don't be hard on yourself!

[@jackyzhu9761]

But a lot (not most but a large minority) of whales are calves, or kids. On the free-to-play game, the developers do not know you are a kid.

[@Damaged262]

@@jackyzhu9761 All they would have to do is have a dedicated observer to the chats, it's easy to spot. I once had an obvious preteen trying to convince me she was in her 20's since many of these games makes having a spouse almost indispensable. I wasn't about to have someone under 12 be a spouse and declared numerous times in a public chat announcement I wanted nothing to do with children. I finally had to drop the game as some games are much worse than others when trying to protect children, much less adults. Seriously, when complaints were made by myself and others, we were told to make screen shots, how about they monitor their own games? Now that I know how many millions of dollars/euros/pesos are gathered up each day, it certainly seems like they could afford the staff to do it.

[@WaddleDeeKnows]

Damaged262 bruh what were you playing like club penguin where would you have a close relationship with any kid in a video game

[@kombuchas4684]

@@jackyzhu9761 Usually parents figure out and put an end to the spending. Whales refer to the people who spend $100,000+ on these games and developers can rely on to squeeze more money from

[@joelman1989]

And I thought I couldn’t love this channel more. This is the first time I’ve seen a financial advice channel tackle the very real threat that is microtransactions.

[@RoroCoco1672]

That’s why some of us play offline story games Even if it’s just an open world game with just an awesome story, you actually enjoy it and when it’s done, it’s done...not addict etc

[@ryzrz3616]

From the UK here. I have always had an interesting relationship with paying for game and cosmetics in general. When I was younger, I was semi pro in Dota 2 and all the money I would earn would go straight into funding my inventory on games like CSGO or TF2. Most recently I've spent £500 on Apex Legends to get a limited cosmetic. Guess you can't escape sunk cost fallacy even if you know that it's happening to you and that you should get out! As you mentioned, I've always mitigated my losses on any games that I have spent money on by later selling the account or the items, most of the times for a profit. But overall, the direction that game are taking is a turn for the worse. Predatory moves like microtransactions and lootboxes just give the industry a bad name.

[@Meonium]

This is why recently I only bought indie games with upfront single purchase.

[@markusnl]

Imho these cosmetics are the worst. I've been playing games for a long time, and of course it's been cool to be able to customise a multiplayer character. To make it look cool, and to sort of create a connection with it if you know what I mean. A feeling that it's yours, something unique. But now look at it from the perspective of the other players. Do _they_ care what _you_ look like? The thing is, at least in my case, I could hardly care less! I've been playing CoD:BO4 lately. The players on my team are right there on the screen just before the match starts. So sure, I get a chance to "judge" them a little bit. But during the actual game, everything is moving so fast and I am so focused on just playing the game, that my brain doesn't even pay any attention to what any of the others are wearing. I just look for the red lights on my enemies (I don't even have to identify the uniform or the name tag anymore) and try to shoot at them when I see them. In Apex it's even "worse", in the sense that the environment is so huge that oftentimes you don't even get close enough to your enemies to really get a good look at them in the first place. So then you really only get to actually see anyone's cosmetics either when they're on your team and you take some time to look at each other (which would be silly), or when they're the winner of the (last or current) match and are featured on the screen. Long story short: why even bother with the cosmetics? Of course it's not all so black and white. Sure I've purchased DLC and even cosmetics myself. But then it was because I particularly liked a game and I wanted to support the developer, and I considered what I got in return as a sort of "thank you" from them. And we'd be talking about a couple of quid, no more. And there are a lot of parallels with real life. People definitely tend to judge each other by what they're wearing and what things they own. And many feel that they have to get that Boss shirt or Prada handbag so that others think more highly of them. And my brain probably will, initially. But I try to let my conscious mind kick in (never judge a book by its cover...), and it will often tell me that at the end of the day, that person maybe could have done something better with their money. Edit: on top of that, any item in a video game is just so temporary, so ethereal. A nice watch or a good leather jacket is something you can enjoy in real life for decades. Anything digital is just... digital.

[@Igor23506]

This is an amazing video, I'm so happy I'm a subscriber

[@TwoCentsPBS]

We're happy you're here! : )

[@Igor23506]

@@TwoCentsPBS and it's nice to know you notice your subscribers commenting :)

[@ifureadthis_urgay]

Many pay to win. Some are actually free to have fun.

[@Pipiopy]

0.19% could be many, heck! It could even go as high as 1.00%.

[@bellmattwebb]

Addicted to video games is getting to be a theme for my KZbin algorithm lately. Maybe someone is trying to tell me something. Well, back to Civ VI.

[@shraddha3420]

Great public service you guys! Giving such valuable information in just a few minutes and entertaining us too! Thanks again!

[@ZacharyLaid]

Fortnite was “free” yet grossed the most amount of money in video game history. edit: didn't gross the most but still up there

[@epicgamer8938]

But it is free skins don t help you and you don t need to buy them

[@Ej7600]

Where are you getting that information? Minecraft, as the second best selling game of all time, has over 150 million accounts sold at 30 dollars each, not to mention Tetris, which has sold 170 million games.

[@Denny_Dust]

False, Grand Theft Auto 5 is still on top.

[@-lll-ll-llll-AVE]

Pretty sure GTA V is still the highest grossing game dude

[@ZacharyLaid]

@@-lll-ll-llll-AVE wow I didn't know that, I'm glad it is though that is one of my favorite games of all time.

[@jonathanherrera9956]

What I usually do is play the game over and over until I reach the point where it becomes frustrating because I need to wait for energy, or a certain ítem, etc. At that moment I know is the start of the micro transaction system and therefore I grind a little before looking for a hacked version online which I play non stop until I get bored since having all micro transaccions for free makes you realize how unfair the game is for those who are willing to play for free. And then I unistall the game, this usually takes one or two days. When I don't find a hacked version I simply go fight some of the big whales who have been playing the same amount of time as me, but buying stuff, in order to feel insiste myself that unfairness. The point is to feel how unfair the game is in order to unistall it right away.

[@defenderfortheEld]

I've never thought of finding a hacked version of a game but I might do that because I want to see what the endgame looks like. But I'm very similar. I play till the wait becomes long and then just uninstall the game.

[@reiniertl]

It would be better to find something better to do than playing video games. A nice hobby or a handful of them would be more rewarding!

[@jonathanherrera9956]

@@reiniertl my actual hobby is trading, and one day it will be my full time job. But from time to time I see a game that looks interesting, like Looney Tunes Mayhem, and that's when I do that. On the other hand, most of the games I play tend to be on PC where you can avoid some of those traps or find hacked versions easier.

[@richardwieder885]

This show absolutely needs more subscribers. An informative show like this shouldn't sit with the numbers it has now.

[@abestream5]

Vitally important video, good job!

[@TwoCentsPBS]

Thanks so much!

[@bigweiner4217]

This is why I quit playing clash of clans. 5 for 500 gems isn't much for multiple upgrades but before you know it you'll be dropping 20 for one upgrade

[@francoisrd]

I've never spent money on a game. I actually disable in game purchases on every game so that I don't actually buy something through a micro transaction accidentally

[@TwoCentsPBS]

Super smart move!

[@2awesome292]

Some games pop up something to buy every time you log in or even change screens, it's super annoying and no way to disable it...

[@costin_ilie]

I never spent money on video games mostly because I couldn't till I got a job a year ago and after that I was tempted because I was losing against "premium players " but I ended up deleting the game

[@vincentle6003]

Hey, you guys did amazing work on this video like you do with all videos. I really really appreciate this video even more than the others. I'm a gamer and game designer so it's sometimes difficult to convince and teach some people about microtransactions. I really appreciate that someone with your influence has decided to TALK about gaming and microtransactions instead of oversimplifying, or even worse demonizing it. Sorry for the long comment but thanks you from the bottom of my 8bit heart. Keep up the great work!

[@TwoCentsPBS]

Don't be sorry! Thank you so much for sharing all this with us! : )

[@TumblinWeeds]

Any Chinese people here who blowed their money into 王者荣耀？😂😂😂 I’ve gotten to around 6000 yuan so far, who needs college if you can collect all the limited time (not really) skins?

[@skydragon3857]

lol since i cant read that i want to play this game now

[@ilikememes1402]

"R.I.P Sjin" 4:03 "The World Will Remember You" (just spreading the word)

[@twelvesevven4678]

I can attest to the unpredictable reward thing. In every game I've played, I've hoarded loot boxes, or chests with only semi predictable rewards. This chest will contain X, Y or Z, but which will it be? I used to hoard these and quit the game before opening them. The thought of having a big opening in the end was just fun. I guess that's why games with enemies that drop random loot are so fun to grind in.

[@atribecalledquez4576]

Facts! This channel should be mandatory for life.

[@jorgerangel2390]

As a developer I hate that all games now follow this scheme.

[@SirGiggles]

You guys make the BEST videos. I'm a big fan of everything you've made so far and I LOVE this video. Thank you for making such great content. Though, I'd like to bring up a SLIGHT criticism. You said that for games like fortnite or League of Legends "once of the cost of design is offset, it's pure profit". I know what you mean, traditional manufacturing costs are GONE but they're replaced by things like server maintenance and upkeep, the need for EXTENSIVE customer service/ player moderation, security costs to prevent cheating and hacking, and a staff to keep the game updated and interesting. I think you'd be right in saying the profit margins are going to be greater for a digital item overall, afterall selling a "new costume" that is a simple recolor of a character in Overwatch will probably cost a WHOLE lot less to produce than a recolor of a physical product, but you HAVE to factor in all the costs that come with online game production. However, this is a SLIGHT criticism. The rest of your video is SOLID and incredibly well-made. Please keep making content. This has become one of my favorite KZbin channels.

[@SupaThePink]

This is such an important video. Huge game publishers nowadays use some pretty insidious tactics (like lootbox gambling) to entice people (especially children) into dropping huge amounts of money on a game. I'm not inherently opposed to the concept of free-to-play models, but people need to be educated on how these games try to coax them out of hundreds of dollars.

[@iwantmyfriescrispynotburnt3981]

Now did anybody see that adventure communist game before this video?

[@willdriver7542]

Ooh, please, link to it.

[@thisisnotok2100]

Congrats! You have murdered 6000000 successfully! Upgrade Gulag? [Yes][No]

[@PedroHCF37]

I think I'm addicted to buying games in general. Sometimes even surfing through friends' wishlists, or complete strangers' libraries... The worst part? My PC is shit.

[@erebostd]

I don't play games with micro transactions integrated, at least if it's "in your face". In fact I miss out quite many AAA-Games, but I get to play many great indy-titles :-)

[@Meonium]

Indies are good.

[@exantiuse497]

I really dislike the attitude in the opening segment, the "what if I was just addicted" mindset. You spent ~200 dollars a year for a hobby you enjoyed, how is that addiction? If I enjoyed reading books, and I bought 2 books a month for $20 a piece, nobody in their right mind would say I had a spending problem. Or if I loved going to sports games, like football, ice hockey etc, and I spent a thousand dollar a season to see all the games of my favorite team, you'd say "oh, you must be a big fan". But Heaven forbid someone spends 200 a year on video games! It just shows how video games are still considered an "inferior" hobby As for the microtransaction games, I agree, they are trash. The gameplay is bare-bones if even that and the only point is to extract money from the player One thing I'd like to correct is how much people can spend on these "free" to play games. 6000, 7000 dollars is pocket change compared to what the actual whales pay. It's dozens of thousands, it's insane. I realise this video is old but there were incidents of people spending dozens of thousands in one video game even back then

[@karlpeters681]

I spent about $2,000 on clash of clans

[@wowulam7411]

Is that a new game? never heard of it.

[@karlpeters681]

I think it's like 5 years old

[@asenatus1]

Yea karl I've spent around 3-4 k on in game transactions. Luckily for me it doesnt impact me too much but it hurts to think about it after the fact.

[@bic.550]

Guys. EA sucks money from people. The Sims 4 is a loophole and the base game is boring... it totals $700+ to get everything.

[@ssahuyt]

u guys are awesome... u just blow our minds with this new view

[@TwoCentsPBS]

Aww, thanks so much Sourav!

[@Mcleody9]

Nice to see a non-gaming channel covering this - especially loot boxes, soo damaging to the community at large and theres a reason they're being banned

[@rea8585]

The video game industry is most likely ruled by Lord Voldemort himself

[@bugstarwarriorcats8933]

Quick Fix - Thought Provoking Videos lol i was reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of fire 10 mins ago

[@SupLuiKir]

jesus fucking christ, are you only able to make harry potter references all day? Is that the only fiction you know or care about?

[@IsaacBear1990]

I think the most I’ve spend on micro transactions was about $20 or so. Interestingly, EA did not change the battlefront 2 systems due to customer response. EA licensed the star wars characters from Disney. The CEO of Disney required the change “or else” because, more than anything, Disney cares about the level of regard the public holds for its intellectual property.

[@realbobbyaxel]

His wife makes my day whenever I see her. What a beauty wow! and with Brains too! Philip is damn lucky man!

[@bizichyld]

I play Fishdom and caught up to the final level months ago without ever spending a cent. Most of my team pays the $5 to participate “fully” in every event every couple months or so and I can’t understand why.

[@sadekinhaider2487]

I am so glad i don't play these silly games.

[@ThatBrubakerFellow]

Do you smoke? Maybe you make impulse buys every time you fill up. Do you need to have at least one caffeinated drink a day? Everyone has habits that aren't necessarily healthy. Like watching KZbin for hours straight.

[@mikeg9b]

@@ThatBrubakerFellow I don't play games either, but I do spend way too much time watching KZbin videos and being on the internet in general. I guess that's my addiction ... and an opportunity to introspect and optimize my use of time. But at least it's free.

[@sohail7796]

Didn't talk about pay to win vs pay for skins smh

[@Xieda]

They weren't really discussing whether different microtransactions are better or worse than each other or even just microtransactions. Just about a free game not being so free. Being a competitive player and being a pretty player are both goals that a subset of players work towards and want to drop dollars to progress.

[@wlritchi]

As an occasional gamer and a software developer, I think it's important to point out that games aren't completely free for the company after release either. Most games these days continue to get patches and upgrades, which is something that simply didn't exist in the old model of gaming - if there was a flaw with the game, players just had to live with it. It costs money to pay someone to maintain the game, and that has to come from somewhere. It's also worth pointing out that multiplayer online games need servers, which the company has to pay to keep running. Again, that's a recurring cost that has to be paid somehow. The problem with microtransactions is that they mess with the distribution of who pays for the game. A subscription model is much more equitable - and less exploitative - because every player contributes to the upkeep cost. Instead, microtransactions have the whale problem.

[@omgnogod666]

There are some flashing frames in this video. One is at 3:35 but you have to really slow it down. It's just an image of someone hunching over in his seat with headphones and starting at a computer on a desk.

[@omgnogod666]

Actually it's the image at 0:00 lol

[@ianpineda]

I am 17 years old right now, and I have to say that at this age you are conscious enough about money to understand what's happening when you buy loot boxes and stuff like that. Parents shouldn't just hand out their credit card information to teenagers that they know are not responsible enough to not spend hundreds of dollars worth of microtransactions. And that's my two cents :P

[@anthonymarquez6493]

I never spend money on free to play video games if I want to buy something I download the Google play rewards app and only use the money I earn from the surveys

[@salano2]

THIS IS FREAKING AWESOME!!!! BEST TOPIC YET!! So true about everything.... remember the 80s and 90s when games were $30 and you're done? Those days are long gone. I am a committed free player - I have not paid for any game or any in-game purchases for 10+ years :)

[@StephJ0seph]

It's even weirder when the in-game players tease you for not spending money on a game *cough* Fortnite *cough*

[@MACNTOSFAM]

guys, gotta be honest... last year i spent well over $1000 on a game called madden mobile. this year i toned it down to about $200-$400. but after my last in-game purchase months ago i decided to stop! and guess who made me rethink it! you guys and your 2 cents! thanks to you, i have decided to be more proactive and hands on with my investments! i started a stock brokerage account, i’ve become more frugal & budget-minded, and i plan on talking with a cfp this year to project a good retirement timeline! funny how things just went from being unproductive to a path of productivity! thanks guys! and yes i follow you on instagram! congrats on the emmy was it? sorry.

[@TwoCentsPBS]

Way to go!! It's all about intentionality. And yes indeed it was an Emmy. ; )

[@bizichyld]

Link my credit card to my phone? I won’t even keep it in same pocket.

[@bobsam9912]

I spent 15$ on mgs v to buy fobs that I never used :/

[@variancytphul]

Big fan of this show and others from PBS Digital Studios! I played WoW when I was yonger, through several expansions. That is easily the most I ever spent on a video game. Id rather not know the exact amount but I know it was too much.

[@roguedogx]

To answer your question, sorry for forgetting, the most I've spent was around $60. It was for 2 expansions for my favorite game forza. I'm completely happy with that purchase, it was a great way to extend one of the best versions of a game that I loved.

[@Andrewscreen]

iv spent like $400 on fortnite and $300 on roblox i dont really regret it edit: well not all of it was my money

[@terminator6277]

I have spent over 1000$ in cellphones games in the past 2 years

[@roguedogx]

3:57 something else I think you should know, not everyone pays the same for the same upgrade. Machine learning algorithms set prices for these objects based on what they they the player is willing to pay.

[@juanjosesegura4585]

Oh crap...

[@thecaptain4630]

The government should ban loot boxes in games or make games with gambling rated for adults and charge higher taxes on companies with these practices.

[@rewer]

ninja of fire，that would be strongly against the principle of freedom and capitalism spirit. Not that i like lootbox, but you have to think the principle foundation of this country.

[@charlesgordon5650]

I've spent waaaaay too much on Clash Royale.

[@LawGeek]

Remember one thing, "If you are not paying for the product, YOU are the product"

[@monstrferret541]

This video was great and I loved all of the explanations of what’s going on in your brain to get you to spend more! I think it’s worth noting that the cost of game development is rising, and full priced games having lootboxes or expansions is one way the industry is trying to offset that cost and make their massive investments more safe. It seems that $60 dollars is about the maximum people feel comfortable spending at the moment for a full priced game without any extra bonuses, but $60 isn’t worth what it was in 2007. A $70 price tag may put off more people than it’s worth for a full game to many people, BUT not for a “Deluxe Edition” if you get X, Y, and Z preorder bonuses that took relatively little development time for that solid price bump.

[@KTSpeedruns]

Cost is rising only according to the people making the games. It's AAA developers who are pouring a lot of money into game development which, to them, includes the cost of marketing that game. Marketing costs are surely through the roof, but games are not getting proportionally bigger with the assumed rising cost. In fact, some games even look like AAA games and made very nice profits with a small fraction of the development cost and a lower price point than the typical AAA game. Nintendo even seems to be better than ever without having any of these predatory strategies in their flagship games. The truth is, most AAA publishers and developers are going through mass lay-offs and most of the money brought in from these micro transactions go toward giving executives multi-million dollar bonuses.

[@eaven3349]

It's cool you used Sjin's clip lol

[@josesanchez19521]

I used this video to have a nice talk about this subject with my kids, again. Thanks for all the quality content.

[@thisisnotok2100]

I cant beleive they put Sjin in this lmao

[@laking09_57]

Why I don’t play mobile games

[@damiannaum3134]

And that's why I pirate my games

[@לעזאזלעםגוביידן]

you can't spell steal without EA

[@lee1davis1]

Wow. You two are amazing and the research you do. Thanks for helping. I tend to go cheap with my gaming a wait a few years for them to be under $20, on sale, Etc. I'm a frugal gamer though. I feel real bad for how companies treat their customers.

[@jadenyuki3138]

Wow i overspend on yu gi oh cards.

[@Ndasuunye]

I've spent at most $10 on free to play out of my 5 years "in the game " lol

[@Isibi1234]

Just...... thank you for existing

[@suvajeetdatta1220]

I paid ₹1500 for Cities: Skyline Best investment ever

[@EngineeringNS]

Wow really?? I didn't even know that game had in game purchases and I have like 50h

[@wsk5nwytscnkfsu]

omgosh.. i played quizquiz in 1999!

[@The_Woof_Pack]

Liked because you mentioned League of Legends, they earned my monies!!

[@ramakrishnatrading7874]

Best channel on Finanacial Literacy !!! Good Job Both of You Guys !!! I would like you guys to Put Video on Top 5 Books on Financial Literacy.

[@Gaaaaaamer]

1:21 Looks alarmingly similar to Maplestory ....😗 EA has Monetized the chat...

[@Enrico-]

40 hrs to unlock a character ain't that much. I mean, you can't get a Charizard with less than like 45/50 h of game time.

[@nickbsick6142]

You can get him a lot faster if you only use a charmander.

[@Enrico-]

@@nickbsick6142 It's not how you play Pokemon

[@makenzyhoning8301]

yeah, I've easily spent over $500 on league

[@hamtaru]

Exactly why I never buy things in games, feels like one I start it will become a daily thing. I'd rather just wait half an hour for my lives to refill

[@TheOG-GG]

A video about criminal video game companies charging microtransactions and EA comes up? I am shocked! SHOCKED!...no not really :P

[@nomannothedark]

So I only play broad games these days , after I spent 1500 dollars on a mobile game

[@fintanin7827]

Two Cents fighting the good fight. Down with lootboxes.

[@b4fball]

Down with the lootboxes! #BOIKOT LOOTBOXES

[@jeep2.418]

"Such a noob" nice one Philip! 😂

[@michellecottrell3553]

I play castle building games I have strong castles crush most money without spending a dame lol not worth it to spend just play smart

[@willdriver7542]

I have spent about $50 on skins and trinkets in Guild Wars 2. I regret non of it. I have a section of my budget for in game purchases, about $10 a month. I usually spend about $100 a total per year across all the games I play. A lot of people feel like it is a waist of money to make in game purchases, especially for cosmetic items, but I feel like they have about the same value as paintings or makeup. Sometimes it's just nice to make things look nicer or different.

[@DiamondFlame45]

Excellent video! It is true. Video games are transitioning from "pay once" to "free to play" because it is more lucrative to have micro-transactions.

[@WaddleDeeKnows]

The most I’ve spent past a base game was 40 dollars on NBA 2K19 for the legend edition so I could get some in game currency and early access, honestly I would say it was worth it since it didn’t force me to grind so I was happy about it but I probably wouldn’t do it again

[@ekko_the_gekko7452]

Nintendo Switch!!! Most Family Friendly Device On The Market!! Yay-Yay!!!

[@cholententertainment6516]

Fortnight is addicting