WHY SHOULD I PLAY TO WIN IF I CAN PAY TO WIN?

In this text, non-digital games that allow you to buy contents that improve your chances to be successful in them, will be analysed from the perspective of Roger Callois’ (2001) game concept. The focus will be on the non-digital trading card game MTG. Additionally, Bourdieus (1997) forms of capital are used and extended to show how economic capital can be transformed into different forms of ingame capital but also how ingame capitals can be transformed into each other. Both concepts are used to explain how and why paying to win can influence the game experience negatively. Besides asking what the players can do against this problematic phenomenon, questions on the consequences for producers of non-digital games regarding their responsibility will be raised– always keeping in mind that “moral heroism” (moralischer Heroismus) (Kersting, 2008, 19) can not be the solution but rather an approach that tries to arbitrate between economic demands, (media) ethical values and a good gaming experience for ideally every player.

Economic inequality and its influence on the experience of non-digital games
PDF Articles
/sites/default/files/articles/04.Why%20Should%20I%20Play%20to%20Win%20if%20I%20can%20pay%20to%20win.pdf
Download Count
144
Update DOI
Off