Hello everyone I am back with something very different from last weeks blog, and this time I will be talking about a game I had played since middle school. A vastly popular massive online experience, the game is called League of Legends. Ever since its inception in early 2009, it has been growing ever since. It is a simple game consisting of 10 people in a 5 vs. 5 setting. A simple concept, the game has a high skill ceiling making it a fun game to sink one's teeth into.
However, there is a fatal flaw with the game. The game is free to play. This on paper is great, however, it gives the producer an option. Something that has been growing in the video game industry, monetary bonuses for purchase. These monetary bonuses for purchase do not affect the game itself. You do not live longer, you do not deal damage faster, you just are different. This manifests itself in different ways, however, the largest is skins.
A skin is simple, a vanity upgrade to a champion(playable character) of your choice. There are rare occurrences when a skin may be free for whatever reason, but for the most part it costs real money to purchase. Skins can vary in quality as well, and the higher the quality the higher the price. Here is a simple example:
Credit to League of Legends, this is Azir's Splash art Credit to League of Legends, this is Elderwood Azir, a skin for him
Now, the difference is clear. The above art represents what a skin is. The Yellow skin is the base skin that the character appears as, and the below is a skin that you can purchase for $10 US dollars. This changes a few things, in game models, colors, and sometimes voicelines. However, things are changing at Riot Games, the company which created and owns League of Legends.
Attached here is a screenshot of the payment screen for RP, or riot points, which is the premium currency for League of Legends.
Generally speaking, when a new skin is released nowadays, it is worth 1350 RP, or a purchase of $10. However, things are changing now.
Prices are increasing, and the amount gained is decreasing. The reasoning behind this is that with rampant inflation and such, the company needs to increase prices. A fair enough reason for a free game, however, is it fair for the company to increase prices while quality has been reduced?
Over recent years the affordability of skins in League of Legends has drastically decreased. Initially skins had 6 price points, 520 RP, 750 RP, 975 RP, 1350 RP, 1820 RP, and the ultimate skins, which are 3250 RP a piece. However, even since 2019, 95% of skins released have been placed at 1350 RP or higher. Removing the budget option from the game. The quality however has not taken a hit, and the skins have been wonderfully created, however, times are indeed changing.
Riot Games does not listen to feedback from the community, nor should they since it is their game and can be produced however way they desire. However, after stating that community feedback is imperative to their game design, it is seen that this is far from the truth. For example, a new skinline has been produced, Star Guardian, which is a rerun from previous years and is LoL's(League of Legends) most popular skinline. A skin from previous years is getting a rehash as a Prestige Skin, Riot's take on a skin with more flair on it than before, and in my opinion stupid. It is more than quadruple the price of a normal skin, and the "improvement" is minute.
This reddit post here simplifies the recent issue, and highlights the inability or Riot Games at this moment in time to both satisfy the community, while also justifying price increases when quality just goes down with time.
Is it really fair for prices to be increased when just in a 3 year span the average prices of skins has increased, and how skins are decreasing in quality?
Hey Tuan,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I also play league of legends and I agree with you the price of the skins as been outrages. It would be hard to believe back then a skin would cost over 50$. It is crazy because now Riot has made their own rarity scale on the skins as well and can be pushing people to get it just because it is rare. However, I feel like the skin quality has not been down. I main Katerina and the high noon Kat was amazing. Even though it is a free game and the skins are not, we do not have to buy the skins. I have seen a lot of skinless players. Also, I feel like Riot has to make things more expensive just because they are giving a lot of skins for free as well, through the chest and rewards system.
I try to avoid purchasing skins unless it's a game I really like. However, I do struggle a lot sometimes trying not to give in to style. Microtransactions in games to me is generally a bad thing. It changes the price of a game from a set amount to x amount. Me and a lot of my friends have ended up paying way too much for games barely even worth 20$. One of my friends plays this game called SMITE where skins are rampant. He pays hundreds of dollars monthly just for cosmetics. To be fair he has hundreds of hours in the game, but I still question his investments. In my opinion, you should be able to get as many hours of enjoyment out of the game as you paid in dollars. Pay 20$, play for 20 hours. If you enjoyed, it for less than you paid for then it wasn't a good deal. Thank you for your post and I will stay tuned.
ReplyDelete