Gaming Scams. Why?!

News this week has been super slow, so I thought I'd go back to basics and cover something that I've been thinking for a while now. Scams in video games. Enjoy!

So, video games. They're great right?! They provide us with endless hours of entertainment and in return, only expect soThemoney in return. Usually that would seem like a good deal. I mean, if you're spending £40-50 you should rightly expect something great in return.
So, my question today is, why do people use video games as a way of scamming people? Well of course, there's an obvious financial gain to be made, but why video games in particular? Why are video games now-adays seen as one of the most popular methods to scam people?
I have some ideas, and I want to share them with you guys...

Firstly, I think that video games are easy to be fooled by...

For example, you go past your local video game store and see a poster for the new Call of Duty or Battlefield game. You think "This looks so new and original! I'm going to buy it and buy all the map packs and give them all my money!!". It's only after you've played said game for a couple of weeks that you realise the newest rendition of Call of Duty or Battlefield is exactly like the last 4 games. Now I wouldn't necessarily call Call of Duty and Battlefield scams. They're Triple A titles that never fail to impress. However, they show all this fancy new technology and features, and you just want to give them all your money. Most of the time however developers like Activision and EA use resources from previous titles, meaning each game seems awfully similar to the previous. Again, as I said, not necessarily a scam, but it's a very cheap and easy way of going about things.

"Sneaky, sneaky developers.."

The real reason I say that video games are easy to be fooled by is that developers can, in a way, get away with quite a lot, without us gamers knowing. A few weeks ago you may remember the story I covered in which a developer, going by the name of 'Lord Kres', published a game on Steam called 'Journey of the Light' (click here to refresh your memory!). The game looked good and had great potential, however, the game only had one chapter, when it said on the games' Steam page that there were eight chapters in total. Also, all the levels within the game were exactly the same file size. I said this in the news update, but surely, as you progress further into a game, the game should become larger, shouldn't it? Valve did their own investigation, and the game was removed from Steam and users who bought the game got their money back. As I just said, the game looked good and had great potential, yet over 1000 people bought the game and were scammed by 'Lord Kres'
. It's not their fault, but maybe, just maybe, platforms like Steam should have some sort of testing phase or something, so games such as 'Journey of the Light' don't steal our hard earned cash! At least this way, people can only be scammed by really poor quality games, and not some sneaky developer!

My next point is,  most modern video game tech is sooo easy to rip-off!

One of the main gaming news stories this week is that a random company in China is ripping off the two major video game companies,  Microsoft and Sony. The console, named the 'OUYE' (which is very similar to the failed OUYA) well, looks like a PS4 and an Xbox One had a baby. The OUYE shares the PS4's slim, rectangular body while it shares the Xbox One's texturing and controller. The OUYE has a Kickstarter campaign that begins later this month, with a $15,000 stretch goal.

Now, as you can see from the image (left), the PS4/Xbox One and the OUYE look remarkably similar. Think about this, the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One are high tech consoles, meaning they do come with a hefty price tag. If a Mother for example, wants to buy their son or daughter a Playstation 4 for their birthday, they're going to see the price tag and could well be put off of by it. However, if they see the OUYE on sale, for around $70 (it's actual price tag), they could well be tempted to buy the OUYE instead, leaving them a very disappointed child in the process. Consoles and tech like this are blatant knock-offs. Now gamers like you and I can tell the difference between a legitimate PS4 and the OUYE, but clueless parents and guardians may not.

This is not the only example. A less obvious example being FPS' and shooters. There are the FPS' and shooters that are at the top of the chain, those being Call of Duty, Battlefield and Counter-Strike. Over the years these game franchises have made millions upon millions of dollars. Call of Duty, for example, recently passed $10 billion (yes, billion!!) in lifetime revenue. Now I don't know about you, but I consider that a lot of money! As a result of all this success and more importantly, revenue gain, smaller developers are trying to pump shooters out of their proverbial backsides, trying to raise as much money as possible. They've seen the success that Activision and EA have had, and are trying to replicate it, leaving us, the consumers, with a multitude of knock-offs. Again, unknowing parents and guardians could be asked by their sons or daughters to go and buy a Call of Duty, and instead come home with a crappy knock-off instead. Again, not necessarily a scam, but an incredibly sneaky way of going about things.

Finally, MICROTRANSACTIONS...

Yes, the dreaded microtransaction. They appear in most modern video games, from FIFA to Call of Duty. They're everywhere.
I'm sure if you ask a developer "are microtransactions a scam?" they'll definitely say no. For most games, microtransactions are a way of making a little money on the side. For example, most free-to-play games rely on microtransactions to make money, like Dota 2 and EVE. In my opinion, that's okay. At least they're not charging for the full game too.

I see microtransactions as scams because of how the bigger developers use them. One example, being Call of Duty. You have to pay £40-50 for the full game, then, if you want the season pass containing all future DLC's, you'll have to pay an additional £30.

Forza's ridiculous microtransaction
scheme...

Another example being Forza 5. Developer Turn 10 implemented 'Tokens' into the game, allowing players to buy in game advantages, such as 'Accelerators'. Basically it allows players to remove all skill needed from the game, thus removing any effort needed to complete the game. Another Forza example being that you could buy locked cars and use them early. However, the cost of the cars was often higher than the cost of the actual game itself. Now that's what I call a scam!
Of course, it's all up to the player whether they spend the money or not. The scam in all of this is the pricing. I mean, most microtransactions cost little, yet in total, cost more than the game does itself! I think that it is ridiculous that developers can price additional content so highly. A few virtual cars should not cost more than a couple of quid. That's the same with Call of Duty. A few maps and gun skins should not cost £15 per pack. A less obvious scam, but in my opinion, a scam none the less.

Scams. They're everywhere. Unfortunately, we can't do much about them, only really avoid them. I guess my point today is, be careful when you're buying video game tech, whether it be a game, a console or a peripheral device. Developers and video game orientated companies will do anything to make some easy cash. So, be careful when buying!

That's it from me today. What are you opinions on video game scams?  Do you agree with me, or have anything to add? Let me know in the comments below!

As always, thanks for reading!

Connor :)