03/05/2022
So, this is a fairly popular topic in the gaming community these days. I'd like to start off by stating I largely agree with most of the views represented here but there are two major points of disagreement. The first point is that Pay-To-Win should is not and never should be a debatable definition. Words have meaning, the meaning of those words is important, and attempting to extrapolate information from those words that is simply not the appropriate definition will only lead to unnecessary confusion. Paying to win in a game is exactly that; it is paying to win in the game. If there is an exchange of currency to receive an item or service that is otherwise unobtainable or exponentially more time consuming/difficult (these two words in some cases are interchangeable within games), that is paying to win. In short terms; it is paying to have what is largely considered an unfair advantage over other players. The second point is a trap I have fallen into as well. Simply dismissing the indulgence in such systems as a "well it's in the game" reasoning structure is asinine. I mean asinine here in terms of foolishness and not stupidity because I actually do have a large amount of respect for this content creator along with his opinions and what he has done for the gaming community. Regardless, for context, I will provide an analogy I typically approach this view point with. If you are on a bridge and there is a sign that says "jump off the bridge here" with an arrow pointing off the side. Would you jump off the bridge? The aforementioned logic would lead you to believe the individual would because "well, the sign is on the bridge" or "other people are going to follow the sign". However, I think most people can reason that jumping off the bridge isn't a good choice. Why? Because it doesn't teach the person who put the sign there a valuable lesson. It reinforces that if they place a sign telling someone to do something in a given place, they will do it. Under this logic, if you indulge in Pay-To-Win mechanics in a game because "well, they're in the game", you are teaching, reinforcing, and showing the developer/publisher/*insert game entity here* (the sign creator in the aforementioned analogy) that this sort of practice is accepted. You, at that point, become part of a steadily increasing problem that is leading to the destruction of a beloved past time for Asmongold, myself, and many other gamers have taken time out of our day to complain about. Asmongold made a lot of strong points here, however, I think he ultimately provided a lengthily (and necessary) explanation for something that, once again, myself and many other gamers have struggled to come to terms with; times have changed, and so has the market.
Asmongold Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/asmongoldWhat is Pay-To-Win? 0:00Pay-To-Win in WoW 1:28People defend Pay-To-Win 2:44Why people love Pay-To-Win now 5:...
