If you love TEAM FORTRESS, please help me out...

Hey there,

I'm currently in my final year studying Graphic Design, and to complete out degree we have to write a dissertation on a topic of our choice.

I chose "Virtual Consumerism within video games", and I basically want to discover whether the reasons for purchasing virtual items is the same as why we buy real items, and whether player immersion has any effect on this.

The games I have chosen to analyse are Habbo Hotel and Team Fortress. I have a questionnaire that will help me greatly in writing my essay, and I was hoping that all you fans of Team Fortress could spare a few minutes to answer it. It doesn't take long and it is completely anonymous.

Also, if anyone has any general views on this topic, I would massively appreciate it if you could comment here and I can see what YOUR views are, not just mine.

This is not spam- I am in no way shedding virtual consumerism in bad light (it is a non-biased debate), and the essay will only be viewed by myself and two tutors (unless anybody is interested and wants to read it when it's done!)

Here is the link, please pass it on to all you know who play TF2 : http://app.fluidsurveys.com/surveys/jen-w/virtual-consumerism-within-team-fortress-2/

Thank you so much for your time,

Jen

@jellyelbows:

I think your thesis question needs to be reworked " discover whether the reasons for purchasing virtual items is the same as why we buy real items", well due to desire for said good/service.

I'd ask something more along the lines of:

" What are the the psychological reasons preventing some individuals to purchase virtual goods/services? "

" What are the perceived discrepancies between a virtual good/services, and a that of a traditional good/service?"

" What are the obstacles the virtual good/service market faces, and the reasons for its exponential growth?

I think you get the idea, something along those lines. Also your remark about immersion would be a point of discussion in the paper, and not a statement in your thesis. Depending on who your professor is, he might think your stating an assumption before even explaining your reasoning behind it.

Also TF2 is a beast of a subject to tackle, because it stretches way beyond micro transactions.Its incorporated a community market, and also a bartering system within steam. That hat market in TF2 has also become a hat based economy. A traditional micro-transaction mmo would be an easier topic to handle, but if you feel up to the task, power to you!

Edit: I forgot to mention that video games themselves, i believe are services to which you purchase a license, and not a traditional good. That state transfers over to your micro-transactions. Essentiall you never own anything in terms of video games, even if you purchase a physical copy. The publisher is the only person who owns the good, and rents out a service for all to enjoy said good.

There you go. I've answered all your questions.

I have 252 hours played in TF2 and I feel no need to buy any item. If Valve can make more money from micro transactions, go for it, but I don't care.

Exhaustively filled out.

Once random drops were introduced, I went from loving this game to vehemently hating it.

Filled out. One thing to note is that it is impossible for anyone to have played TF2 for 5+ years because TF2 was released in 2007 (October-Decemeber depending on where you live), so disregard any data submitted for that. Edit: Totally agree with MistaSparkle (below this comment).

Finished the survey as well, and have never bought an item. The only time I'll stop playing a game like TF2 is if the things they are selling affect gameplay. Its the same reason I don't think you should be able to buy level ups and things of the like. You shouldn't have to spend additional money from the initial purchase of the game to have an enjoyable experience, but if you absolutely need to, then go ahead. Just still keep the gameplay skillbased and not just, "Hey, check it out! I have a new gun I bought for $5 that gets intakills like crazy. Isn't that awesome!?"

Thank you for all your comments so far everyone- it's really interesting to see what people have to say, because people generally feel very strongly about this!

I am very surprised though- and @Beaudacious you are right, I did make assumptions. I thought that a large number of TF2 players regularly bought items, but most of the people I have spoken to so far have never/rarely purchase any.. Perhaps @Beaudacious you're right, I should look more at the psychological reasons preventing some individuals to purchase virtual goods/services, and perhaps the psychological reasons encouraging a minority to do so.. Thank you for all the other things you have said- it has helped me out a LOT, and has helped me understand what I need to tackle more.. I think I will collect more results for the questionnaire I have already created, and then create a second, more defined one.. You're right though, TF2 is a big subject! I chose it because I felt that it was most varied in terms of the types of items on offer and a more general audience played it, as opposed to WOW who has a very niche following (although that seems to be changing!). It seemed a game that people play because of the items, whereas in a lot of MMOs the items are just a bonus (second to gameplay, socializing etc..). That's an interesting point you made about physical video games being a service rather than a traditional good. There are a lot of things that fall into such a category (filsm, music etc). When I say 'traditional goods' though, I do mean physical clothing, electronics etc, rather than physical games.

So far everybody has said that they would spend £10 upwards on a real hat, yet most would spend less than £1 on a virtual hat.. I'd be interested to find out why that is the case!

Thank you for taking time to complete the questionnaire @Christoffer , just out of interest have you purchased virtual items in any video games?

Thank you also @Aus_azn - when you say since random drops were introduced, do you mean you enjoyed playing TF2 when virtual items were only purchasable? Is it the virtual items themselves that you do not like about the game, or the fact that they are often given away?

Thank you for filling it out @Force0401 - and thank you also for the heads up about the time frame! I should have picked up on that earlier, it is because I created a questionnaire for Habbo Hotel users and altered the questions for TF2.

Thank you @MistaSparkle - and an interesting point. You say you do not think the items currently have any effect on gameplay- would you say they have any other effects that may make people want to buy items (such as appearance, social etc..). Also, would you not say that Strange items effect gameplay (and can only really be purchased)? Or just that they may create jealousy?

Thank you so much to everyone so far for filling in the questionnaire and for your opinions- it is all helping massively to the writing of my essay and I look forward to hearing more opinions!

Jen

Another question I'd like to ask- looking at the results so far, a lot of people are saying that they do not wish to purchase virtual items which better gameplay, as they feel that you should not have pay to progress. Do people all hold this view, despite the game initially being free? Also, how does this relate to your opinions on real items- would you not purchase the latest iphone, gadget etc because you do not feel that you should have to pay extra for something better? Or is it the opposite for real items?

@jellyelbows: I personally feel it depends on the situation of it. I simply do not like where in a competition someone with more money can obtain an advantage over others. For something like buying a product it is not a competitive thing, you buy what you want and get it, those that are more well off get nicer things because they can afford it, getting the nicer products in no way negatively affects you.

Filled it out. Used "other" a lot because while I don't support/buy micro transactions, they've created healthy alternatives to obtaining the items.

Exhaustively filled out.

Once random drops were introduced, I went from loving this game to vehemently hating it.

You should really read this article to understand how monetization in video games work. It's more about social games but with more hard numbers, schemes and systems behind it than I've seen anywhere else. It's quite long and a little depressing, but it should make it clear how small the amount of people is that actually puts money in and how it still works so well. I'm pretty sure the similarities to a game like tf2 is there, though.

@jellyelbows: The fact that Valve has multiple ways to obtain items (purchasing, finding in crates, gifting, trading and random drops) it never feels (at least to me) that Valve are selling progress, that and the fact that most new items have positives and negatives, the fact the game is incredibly well balanced and that a player can still perform well with the stock weapons, makes it not feel cheap, like other systems do (I know in EVE it is a contentious issue right now)

I also can't find iPhones randomly on the floor on my way to uni so, the Valve model isn't directly comparable to the real world.

And maybe it's just me, but if anyone buys something just because they think it will make them "fit in" need to take a long hard look at themselves, same goes for people who buys things they think will make "unique".

@jellyelbows said:

Thank you for taking time to complete the questionnaire @Christoffer , just out of interest have you purchased virtual items in any video games?

Not in that kind of way. I often buy DLC packs but that's a different thing. I usually look up what items could be bought, just out of curiosity, but most of it doesn't seem to enhance the game. If I played something like League of Legend I would probably get into microtransactions since the game is built around this. Then I would get something unique and significant instead of silly cosmetics.

Interesting point @Christoffer - there seems to be a mix of people who will only buy items if it enhances game play, and those who will not buy them if it enhances game play (as this has an unfair advantage). It also seems that there are those who feel that cosmetic items are useless, and those who feel it helps them fit in with other players (or make them stand out). Although the cosmetic value of items can be more directly linked to reasons for purchasing real items, it seems that the reasons for purchasing (or not purchasing) weapons etc are more to do with the virtual world alone.

I see @SerHulse - so if Valve to not appear to be selling progress, who in your opinion would you say is giving Valve all their money? The people who are interested in the cosmetic value of virtual items? Or those wanting to 'catch up' with the older players?

I'm not too familiar with EVE- is it, like most MMOs, a case of time put in= reward? Or by your comment, are you saying that there are a lot of items that you can buy to help you progress?

I understand that real items cannot be exactly compared to TF2 items... However there are people purchasing items in TF2, not just finding them. These are the people I am interested it, and perhaps they are purchasing certain items to help them fit in with the crowd and so that they have the latest items, just like they might purchase the latest iphone to fit in with the crowd and have the latest item (even though it does not directly better their game play, it might give them the appearance of it, by simply looking better than everybody else..)

Yes you're right, it does seem bizarre that people would spend money on fitting in, but it is a fact that people do this in the real world. Would you say that this is not the case in the virtual world, or are you simply saying that you think it is bizarre? In a way you could argue that purchasing video games is a means of fitting in with a crowd...

Thank you for posting the article @mnzy - I have read it, and it's very interesting! I got confused though- does that topic continue onto the next chapter/page?! I think it's important that I understand the financial process behind the games I am using as examples. It also explains why the majority of questionnaires I am getting back say they have never bought any virtual items, yet Valve are making so much profit.. somebody must be buying them!!

Interesting point @Three0neFive - although some people would argue that the trading/finding/purchasing of items is ALL that the game is about.. Perhaps this is where I am getting the discrepancies between people who purchase virtual items in TF2, and those who don't...

Thank you for you time @dudeglove - I realize that they are not the best written questions in the world, but I am only a graphic designer and do not want to go too far out of my depth with the questions! I was just hoping for some basic feedback that would help me with the theories I already have :)

Thank you @Mcfart - don't worry, I understand that just because you don't purchase virtual items, it doesn't mean you're opposed to them.

@WhyBeAre -thank you for your insight, you made a good point! Although I am making comparisons between purchasing real items and virtual items, the main difference is that most video games are a competition, therefore we progress to be BETTER than everybody else. (However there is still some element of TEAM-work in TEAM Fortress.. which explains why we might purchase TF2 items to help them fit in). You could also argue though that life is a game- you might purchase a nice shiney new car so that you are better than the rest of the street and so you can drive faster than those on your street..You're right, it doesn't seem that getting a 'nicer' product in real life would negatively affect anybody else, but it may create jealousy, low self-esteem etc in those who do not have such a nice item, and they are driven to buy a match (pretty much the workings of consumerism/capitalism). I agree though, it doesn't seem right that people should be able to buy an advantage in a competition, and perhaps that's why TF2 is so popular and respected. Out of interest, what WOULD drive you to purchase a virtual item in a video game?

@jellyelbows: No no no, your misunderstanding, the people who buy items on TF2, are the ones who want the item now, rather than waiting for it to randomly drop, I meant that, because there are other ways to get the items it never feels like they are selling the progress, because you can get the same items through actually playing and "progressing" through the game.

There are some who buy the cosmetic items, but in relation to the weapons, the existence of other ways to get "progress" other than buying it, keeps the whole system from feeling cheap and potentially making the people running the system seem like money grubbers.

Other F2P systems exist were literally the only way to get anywhere in a game is to buy stuff, this is achieved by making it next to impossible to compete with those that have bought stuff, like World of Tanks for example, the players who spend obscene amounts on new tanks, will consistently and completely decimate those who don't. TF2 doesn't suffer the same fate, as the paid weapons are never game-breaking, a good player can still beat a bad player even if said player has spent lots of money on guns. In World of Tanks, strategy doesn't mean shit if someone can instantly kill you and everyone around you from across the map and you can barely scratch him back.

It's a fine balance, but Valve, and to a lesser extent League of Legends, do a good job with their F2P systems.

Ahh I see @SerHulse - sorry, I wasn't arguing against you, I was trying to understand your point.. I understand now what you mean about Valve not selling progress.. and thank you for mentioning those other games- World of Tanks sounds like a really good game to compare TF2 to.. So would you say that WOT is still a popular game, despite the fact that it is so easy for people to buy their victory over you? And would you say that the people who are buying these new tanks etc are people who have not got the time to put in to progress to the level of other players, or people who are so into the game that they are willing to pour loads of money into it (or people who are filthy rich??!).

Perhaps then I need to analyse TF2 in terms of its weapons rather than cosmetic items, and just explore cosmetic items in 'games' such as Habbo Hotel...

@jellyelbows: Yes, it's six chapters, click on the "+ Pages" button on top.

I don't buy clothes to fit in OR be unique, I just buy them to look good :(
 
 "If I won the lottery tomorrow I would purchase the one TF2 hat I had always desired" is pretty hilarious.
HAHA, "I would purchase more videogames so that I could purchase more virtual items" is even more crazy! Was this survey written by GlaDoS?

@I_smell said:

I don't buy clothes to fit in OR be unique, I just buy them to look good :( "If I won the lottery tomorrow I would purchase the one TF2 hat I had always desired" is pretty hilarious.

Maybe so, but so far 26% of people have voted for that option...

Also, 'looking good' is based on a general consensus of what it is to look good, so by trying to look good you are trying to fit in with the people who look good.. (also there was a 'no opinion' option..)

@jellyelbows: World of Tanks is quite popular, I don't use it much because of the aforementioned unbalance, but enough people play. And as far as I'm aware, you actually can't progress past a certain (very low) point on the ladder. There are 2 (maybe 3) currencies, most Tanks and upgrades cost X amount of Gold, (Gold has to be purchased) and Y amount of Silver (Silver is earned).

So while some items cost Y Silver, they pale in comparison to the ones that cost X Gold (if you see what I mean)

Many F2P models follow a similar format, of multiple currencies, one earned and not valuable, and the other purchased and very valuable.

Now why people buy extra Tanks is a different question, in every F2P game there are going to be people who will buy a lot of stuff, in WoT because it is so difficult to be successful (and remember you have to be successful to get the Silver currency) that people will get frustrated and buy upgrades. I think that frustration at the game is the primary reason the majority of people buy Tanks / Upgrades, but it starts with people who have more money than sense. The group of people with the money to buy things needs to exist in order to attract the rest of the players into buying stuff as well, not so much peer-pressure, but a need to succeed, which in the case of WoT is a need that the developers have designed into their game.

You need to succeed in order to unlock things, you can't succeed without these things, so people buy them. This isn't a problem TF2 or LoL have, so in those games, it's more impatience, than frustration.

@jellyelbows said:

Interesting point @Christoffer - there seems to be a mix of people who will only buy items if it enhances game play, and those who will not buy them if it enhances game play (as this has an unfair advantage). It also seems that there are those who feel that cosmetic items are useless, and those who feel it helps them fit in with other players (or make them stand out). Although the cosmetic value of items can be more directly linked to reasons for purchasing real items, it seems that the reasons for purchasing (or not purchasing) weapons etc are more to do with the virtual world alone.

I don't think anyone likes paid items that makes the game imbalanced like that. By "enhancing the gameplay" I mean making it broader by changing up the ways you can play it. Examples would be characters for fighting games, or heroes in LOL. It forces you to approach the game differently without breaking it. I think that is enhancing the gameplay. But that's, again, is more full DLC territory.

Don't get me wrong, I like cosmetic stuff in games. I'm an avid modder and can spend hours looking for nice additions or replacements to the world. The biggest leap for me the is paying for it. Companies selling people useless cosmetics for real money. This gives me a sour aftertaste. But of course if you value "sticking out" in a shooter game, I can see why you buy into this.

Ever heard the phrase "It's horse armor" in the description of useless DLC? This was bad in 2005 and I think it's bad still. But we're all different.

Filled out.

I stuck over 5 years cos for some reason i included TFC.

I stopped playing this game (on and off) pretty much once the items were obtainable through means other than the class achievements.

I do not support microtransactions, especially because they're always in competitive games. Why should I, with skill, be worse off than players with money. I am clearly going to put more time into the game to earn the things other people can just buy and not know how to use properly once they've bought them. Why am I not rewarded for being loyal to a game/developer?

Also, a lot of the fun in games with additional items, is the act of unlocking them through skillfull play. Rewarding gamers for being good is a good idea. Rewarding gamers who are bad but have money is a bad idea (even if it is an annoyingly good business idea)

To your thing about real life hats vs in game hats; A real item will always be worth more (theoretically) as you are not only receiving the work that was put into the item, but also the materials themselves, thus increasing the value.

I filled this thing out and I really like the idea of someone having a TF2 hat they've always desired. Like, loading up the store and finding the hat, softly touching the screen and whispering "...someday."

I love doing surveys, am I weird?

You probably want to post this over on the Steam Forums too if you haven't already. http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=80

That's where you get all the hardcore guys who buy and trade loads of items. I don't know if you've heard about this but there have also been some unusual hats (found from crates) which have sold for around $1500. http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1978906

Filled it out. Some of the questions were weirdly worded, but hey.

Done.

Survey filled.

@49th said:

You probably want to post this over on the Steam Forums too if you haven't already. http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=80

That's where you get all the hardcore guys who buy and trade loads of items. I don't know if you've heard about this but there have also been some unusual hats (found from crates) which have sold for around $1500. http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1978906

And this. Some of those people are crazy.

@jellyelbows said:

Thank you also @Aus_azn - when you say since random drops were introduced, do you mean you enjoyed playing TF2 when virtual items were only purchasable? Is it the virtual items themselves that you do not like about the game, or the fact that they are often given away?

The virtual items were first given by unlocking achievements. After that, the random drop system was introduced (in concurrence with or in close proximity to the appearance of hats). Only then, did items become purchasable.

I began to hate this game after the random drop system was introduced. Once hats came out, I've never voluntarily touched the game again. I sure-as-hell haven't spent a single penny on virtual items.

They just twisted the community from people who enjoy a quality FPS to OCD blokes obsessed about trading for all the hats and ridiculous weapons. It went from a simple game where everyone was on an equal playing field, to the point where Valve introduced the possibility of imbalance and an array of people in it only for the hats. Achievement unlocking was by far the most fair; if people really wanted to game the system, let them go on an achievement server then come back to rejoin the action once happy. Don't have them taking up space on a game server, wasting bandwidth, trading away or idling their asses off for items for hundreds of hours at a time.

To answer your question, I hate the virtual items, I hate the fact that they're often given away, I hate the fact that there is even an ingame store, and I bloody hate the fucking random drop system.

/rage

P.S. In the name of science, the last part of the last sentence should be censored to "I hate the freaking random drop system" in all published works. Thank you very much.

Done.

Where's my free hat for completing the survey? Trolokokloiokomokaokpnoibgololololol

I am not a long time or fully in love player in TF2 but I would like to chip in. I was considering buying it but one day it became free to play so I was excited that I got it for free! However, because I joined late I am not a premium person because of that I actually am looking towards buying 1 item in the game (buying any item grants you as a full member or patron of the game).

I filled it out. Hope it helped!

i'm done with it. 
 
i never bought any items from team fortress 2 but i have bought virtual items before. i bought world of warcraft gold back when i use to play it because i wanted an item. i wanted my level 40 mount but didn't feel like spending hours on finding how to get money. i bought gold got it and then got my mount.
 
i buy clothing to get new clothing. i don't have any kind of style or anything like that though.

Done.

submitted! good luck on your dissertation, sounds pretty tough to me

I would like to add that Team Fortress 2 was not initally a Free To Play game and was on Steam / Retail for £20-£30 under "The Orange Box" (which was a package of TF2, Portal and Half-Life 2) before it became cheaper over time. Infact, the transition to Free To Play was fairly recent and it was around June/July I think. I think this partially influences my decision not to put any more money into the game and perhaps others may agree with me on this.

Nobody's touched on this really yet, so I'll chime in

There's a whole out-of-game economy completely separate from Valve. Mostly, it revolves around the sale of Unusual hats (hats with special particle effects only obtainable from opening crates with purchased keys).

The SourceOP boards are a good place to lurk and wrap your mind around this madness, but are far from the only place the out-of-game economy exists.

Filled it out. Some of the questions were weirdly worded, but hey.

@Aus_azn said:

Exhaustively filled out.

Once random drops were introduced, I went from loving this game to vehemently hating it.

Yep, totally the same here.

Survey'd!

Also: the thread title looks like a madlib.

I'll see if I can muster the time to fill out the survey, but in a nutshell I make a pretty good wage, have a wife and 2 kids, and it takes me about 15 seconds to figure out if I really want to spend my money on something. In some cases it has been $10 worth of TF2 junk that will entertain me for a weekend. In others it's $200 for a drive to the beach including lunch, dinner, and gas.

Now if I was 21, and back working at the grocery store... no way in hell I would spend money on a free to play game.

Tried to fill out the survey, but the link sends me to a page that tells me the survey isn't live or available for me.

Anyhoo, being a graphic designer myself you sorta got my attention. First thing that comes to mind when you wonder about people here mostly not buying stuff: Most of the folks here are pretty hardcore gaming crowd, many whom played TF2 when it wasn't F2P with microtransactions. You should try contacting people who only started playing after past june, try posting that questionnaire to a bit more casual forum. I bet it's two biggest paying groups you're not reaching via Giantbomb forums: Casuals wanting to get into the game fast in and kids armed with their parents' credit cards.

I myself actually started back then, just had replaced my 360 with a decent PC, and I ended up paying more than I planned. I had nostalgic feelings, having played the grandfather Quake mod version of it back in the days, and pretty much knew immediately what items I wanted. I bought initially 10€ worth of stuff, and then decreasingly 5€ two or three times, mostly weapons but few discounted hats thrown.

I think you made good choices choosing TF2 and Habbo as examples, them representing quite far reaches of spectrum in the world of micro transactions. The reasons to play are wholly different, competitive versus social. I think you will hear from two very different groups of people their opinions. But don't get too confused of fanatics' jargon and keep your focus the point you are after! Do tell if you still wanna discuss about the subject or the survey is back live. Being a advertizing graphics nerd, I'm happy to help.

Thanks @SerHulse - that's a very interesting comparison and I will probably research WoT further and use it in my essay. The point about frustration v impatience is also very interesting.

Thanks @Christoffer - I haven't thought about DLC much as it's harder to compare it to 'real life' items (although I suppose you could argue that 'experiences' in life may be DLC?!) I have heard that there is a lot of debate about it, although I haven't heard that phrase before! Is it in relation to Oblivion? Is the horse's armor useless and purely for aesthetic reasons?

Thanks @Canteu - yeah, I made a mistake with the timing for game play, but a few people have put 5+ years, so I will just assume that you all are referring to Team Fortress Classic as well! An interesting point also, it seems to be the general consensus (among people who do not purchase any/many virtual items- I need to find more people who go crazy on virtual consumerism!! hehe).

You say you stopped playing TF2 for a while- are the 'rewards' that Valve put in place (such as badges for long game play, halos for those who haven't cheated) still not enough to keep you playing? (Just interested in what methods Valve might be using to try and grab hold of those about to leave the game due to items being purchasable, and whether it is working!)

Also that's an interesting point you made about the worth of an item being determined by the materials. However, could you argue that people are just as (if not more) likely to download a song rather than purchase a solid CD? (A matter of personal opinion I guess, as well as convenience...)

@mrBRIGHTDAY : hahahaha.... A beautiful interpretation. But hey- I bet it happens!!

No, you are not weird @49th . I too very much enjoy filling out questionnaires, as well as forms, such as signing up for a loyalty card or a school exam entry. I always wanted to be a travel agent so that I could fill out numerous forms... Oh, we can dream..

Anyhow, thank you for filling out mine! And thank you so much for the heads up on the Steam forum! I had no idea about this!!

Thanks @Rolyatkcinmai and @AhmadMetallic -and yes, I am not the best questionnaire writer in the world!!

Thank you also @Rattle618 , @Zyte , @TaliciaDragonsong , @dabe (haha, I did consider offering a virtual item as an ironic reward..but that would imply that I am for virtual consumerism, and sadly I must remain non-bias...) @iShayman , @ShadowVirus , @RTSlord ,@President_Barackbar , @Ravenlight

haha, thank you for your opinion @Aus_azn .. it's interesting that you think it has become unbalanced since the drops - a lot of people are saying they enjoy TF2 because it IS now balance.. I guess it is in a way, if you haven't got the time (or abillity?) on those who have been playing a long time, it is unfair to not be able to catch up. That does seem a bizarre statement though- the whole point of it is that it is a game, and those who have been playing longest should be rewarded for doing so! And don't worry, the swear words were mentally omitted :)

Thanks @shadows_kill , it's good to get a view from somebody who isn't/hasn't been dedicated to TF2 for a long time. I think what you've said is exactly what Valve were hoping for, and exactly how they're making their money! It doesn't seem like much to spend for you, but as Tesco say "Every Little Helps". Can you see yourself buying more items in the future?

Thanks @iam3green .. Do you still play WoW? Would you say that the main reason people purchase items/gold in that game is because they can't afford to put the time in? Do you think you would purchase more items in WoW if it were free to play?

That's interesting @Force0401 .. do you say that because you did purchase TF2 when it was released in Orange Box, and so you shouldn't have to pay for anything else when everybody else gets it for free? Were the items Valve offered to you for paying for it originally enough to keep you in the game? How do you feel about the item drops/shop - would you still purchase the game for £20-£30 in its current state?

Thanks @Ravenlight - yeah, I have briefly heard about external economies.. I think that's one of the most interesting things- that these virtual items, which can't be touched and don't really have any function, are worth so much REAL money..It's just about how rare it is, and how sought after it is, and all the buzz surrounding it. I guess you could say the same for things like real gold- it's not overly useful and it doesn't look THAT great, but because it's so rare, people go crazy over it.

It's interesting you should say that @jabbertrack - I would have assumed that it's the younger audience that would throw their money into a FTP game. Would you say then that, having a family and full time job, you would rather spend money on 'progressing' in a game, than 'waste' time getting there?

Oh, sorry @Catfish666 -I'm not sure why it's done that- perhaps I was only given a short amount of time to host my survey! Thank you for trying though. I think you've hit the nail on the head with the current survey results- that's exactly what my boyfriend said when I told him what the results were and where I had posted the link. Where would you suggest I find such money-wielding players?

And thank you so much for your words, they have put me at ease!! I have been getting so bogged down in all the information, panicking that I shouldn't be tackling something like TF2, worried that I can't compare it to Habbo Hotel because it's not actually a game..and I haven't even begun to write the essay yet!! But you've pretty much said exactly how I was feeling about it, and made me feel better about it in one swoop! Do you think I should bring any other comparative games into the mix..such as World of Tanks, EVE, WoW..? I think I just need to start writing it and see where it takes me- I may be back to ask your help though! Thanks again.

And thank you to everybody again for the effort you've put into helping me!! It is VERY much appreciated...

You're pretty hot, so i randomly answered your quiz, or whatever it was. Seriously *whispers* marry me.

Because when I backstab someone, I want them to know it was me. A spy that looks different does that. If I was poor at TF2, I wouldn't bother.

360 Avatar gear on the other hand, is complete bullshit.

@jellyelbows said:

And thank you so much for your words, they have put me at ease!! I have been getting so bogged down in all the information, panicking that I shouldn't be tackling something like TF2, worried that I can't compare it to Habbo Hotel because it's not actually a game..and I haven't even begun to write the essay yet!! But you've pretty much said exactly how I was feeling about it, and made me feel better about it in one swoop! Do you think I should bring any other comparative games into the mix..such as World of Tanks, EVE, WoW..? I think I just need to start writing it and see where it takes me- I may be back to ask your help though! Thanks again.

I can believe if you haven't personally spent a certain amount of time in online communities dealing with micro transactions, asking from the people who do, you're gonna get information overload for sure :) But just relax and start processing the info, the answers are there, you just gotta have the right questions. Beaudacious already wrote some suggestions which seemed pretty reasonable. I assume you're approaching the subject more from a marketing research than virtual sociological aspect, so I'll present my views on that light.

Like said, I think Habbo and TF2 are pretty solid picks, I'd say they're good examples of currently succesful virtual markets with loyal and unique customer groups. Better keep it simple and dive in deep to two good examples than scratch the surface of many, I say. Can say what I see as the more defining characteristics of those you mentioned though.

World of Tanks I know basically only what's been said, that "you can buy yourself to be the best", most gamers hate it but it's a valid business strategy. Battlefield Heroes also uses this model and Lord of Ultima to a certain degree, the latter even very prominently advertizes how you can buy more game credits via a SMS transaction.

EVE I think isn't really that suitable pick for this research, because although it's surely one of the more interesting examples of in-game contained freely developed and very organic economy, I think there's no micro transactions and the only things you can buy are the game expansion packs (which, from a marketing aspect are a way to keep the game and its value up-to date).Then again, it is really mind boggling how complex economic systems there reside inside EVE though, there are complete player ran factions based on existing political systems, from free capitalism to space communism. There was even a story that made its way to news about the biggest bank heist in EVE! (Note that the original link leads to BBC site!) Bet there's alot of interesting stories if you start googling on it, at least lots of layers to be peeled to understand how it works (hell, I know I don't), but personally I'd keep one like this at tops as a mention of curiosity.

Speaking of WoW actually, one recent change comes to mind that bears a mention. Traditionally WoW has always and still does make its money from monthly subscriptions, the only additional paid services being server and faction changes (System that's received alot of critique from players, myself included, as this is viewed unfair taxing on fairly basic social actions. People want to play with their friends, thus will grudgingly pay for the transfer, but it's debatable would it be more profitable to make this free which in turn could then attract a larger crowd. Go and tell, but Blizzard sure is making this service that is 100% automated will stay a paid service). Traditionally, Blizzard has been very slow to bring in any micro transactions to the game, but then gradually did. It developed as follows:

2009: First purchaseable in game pets appear to Blizzard store. They are account specific and there is now way to give them inside the game to anyone else, once you have accepted them. 100% vanity items, no gameplay effect.

2010: First purchaseable mount, Celestial Steed, is released. Basically you pay money and will always have fastest for your current level mount available.

- At this point it should be mentioned that until this point, WoW has had a pretty big gold selling problem from pretty much the start. Up until this point Bliz didn't really make any other measures other than responding to reports about gold sellers and banning them, but that way they were only cutting the leaves of the problem weed. But then they decided to target the problems roots:

2011: First purchaseable and tradeable pet is put in sale to the pet store. The catch behind it being that anybody can use real money to buy the pet, then sell it to someone in WoW for in-game gold. This was a pretty big move, and also first of its kind, from Blizzard so I found it interesting at least. Had quit WoW myself by then time it happened, so I can't tell first hand impressions, but apparently it didn't have huge impact.

And as for where to inquire TF2 casuals, I think you should just straight up make a topic "If you've started to play TF2 when it got free" or so. You should ask a mod if you'd repost that here, but you could just add it to the end of your original post. But you probably should ask Steam forums, plenty target group should reside there. Oh and Tested.com, they're all about TF2 there.

Thanks @iam3green .. Do you still play WoW? Would you say that the main reason people purchase items/gold in that game is because they can't afford to put the time in? Do you think you would purchase more items in WoW if it were free to play?

@jellyelbows:

The game isn't slated to launch until later this year but you might also check out the Real Money Auction House proposed for Diablo III and the concerns surrounding it. Sifting through the D3 forum archives should give you a general feel for how the community reacted when it was announced.

@TheDudeOfGaming said:

You're pretty hot, so i randomly answered your quiz, or whatever it was. Seriously *whispers* marry me.

This is why we can't have nice things.