How does an online game money system flow work?

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Gunner
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How does an online game money system flow work?

Post by Gunner »

It's really a question that has been popping in my head since like forever. Like if we're owning an online game with a premium cash system for example, will it be possible for us to exploit the money?? I mean, it's not like 'selling stuff and get paid, and you lose the stuff and get the money'. It's more like 'update info in database and get paid' isn't it?? Or am I wrong with something here? If you really can do that then it's cool you can just make a lot of events with discount market items without ever need to worry about your stocks. :)

I think the way I explain it might be confusing here :ugeek:
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Gunner
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Re: How does an online game money system flow work?

Post by Gunner »

just like bitcoins and all that.. I never understand those systems... why not just add lots of values in DB right away?!?
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vitinho444
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Re: How does an online game money system flow work?

Post by vitinho444 »

Well now that i think, they could increase the amount of money they earn by updating their DB. (they being the game owners).
When i played Runescape, people usually would buy in-game money (not premium currency, normal currency (gold)) for real money. That was illegal inside the game ofc, but think if you had access to the players db, where the money is stored... You could give yourself unlimited amount of money, and sell it for real money. :roll: It's like the CIA selling drugs to fund the war on terror...
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MikuzA
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Re: How does an online game money system flow work?

Post by MikuzA »

Like Valve Dota2 is selling a lot of cosmetics, which never go out of stock. Pure profit. You just need a game and a community to enjoy this kind of luxury.

And juggling with your own game, as you mentioned, that might cause the game to die real hard(if you get caught), plus you might get in trouble with someone.

But if it's a free game, with no in-game microtransaction stuff and people buy stuff 'outside' of the game for trading purposes, and you have not added a rule to deny this kind of action.
Then of course you would COULD exploit your own system to sell other people stuff, but instead of doing that..

You could profit yourself much more by just 'looking' how much people are doing this, then add an own microtransaction system that you actually get all the profit yourself instead of players exchanging in-game money to real money.
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Jackolantern
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Re: How does an online game money system flow work?

Post by Jackolantern »

I'm not sure how you could exploit it on your end, really. This isn't comparable to retail. It is a service. Your value, and how you "create" your cash in-flow is by collecting and maintaining independent, invested players to your game and having services for sale in your game that they want. Adding more items and more services isn't exploiting the system. That is just an attempt to expand your business. But it will only truly expand when you bring in more players willing to spend money in your game.
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Gunner
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Re: How does an online game money system flow work?

Post by Gunner »

Oh ok, makes a lot more sense now. I just feel bad for those players who have spent their real money to online games but in the end those online games get closed. There's quite many examples already like Pet Society or Restaurant City.
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Jackolantern
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Re: How does an online game money system flow work?

Post by Jackolantern »

There are tons of examples. But I think the expectation is that these games won't go forever. When an MMO closes, the players always lose something, be that money or their time and effort.
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Callan S.
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Re: How does an online game money system flow work?

Post by Callan S. »

I used to put money into arcade machines - don't have anything for it now! ;)

Same for going to the movies, technically...

Edit: But seriously one reason I personally don't want to spend money on online games is when it's one use or a limmited number of uses.

I'd prefer items that have a number of uses, then perhaps it regenerates one use per RL weeks say 10 times, then regenerates 1 use per RL month forever.

That way I feel I have actually bought something in the game. I mean, there's a big difference between buying a character slot (permanent) vs buying some buff that lasts a short time and you've used it up forever.

Not so worried about a game eventually closing.
Last edited by Callan S. on Fri Mar 21, 2014 1:53 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Jackolantern
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Re: How does an online game money system flow work?

Post by Jackolantern »

Yeah, I think anytime you are not buying something in a retail box, the expectation is that you won't have it forever. Digital purchases are a little bit more unclear about this, but I think most players get it. A smart live team would also do things to try to mitigate this problem when they know the game is going to close. Announce a final day that store purchases will be open, at least a while before the game closes. Then do something like up the damage or bonuses many times for PvE combat. Then instead of players being bummed-out that they are going to lose their gear, hopefully they will be happy they had them when the final days come so they could go game-breaking-crazy with them as the curtain was coming down :cool:
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Callan S.
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Re: How does an online game money system flow work?

Post by Callan S. »

Actually another thing that'd be good to do is to actually have an end to the story, somewhat figured out when opening the game, so if it does close down then you can actually end the story of the game instead of just end in mid
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