Line #81 Main/Microtransactions


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4	[[quoteright:349:[[VideoGame/CallOfDuty https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cod_mtx_3.png]]]]
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6	->'''Mario''': Fafa, where do we keep the credit cards?!\
7	'''Fafa''': ''NO!''\
8	'''Mario''': Oh, ''please!'' I need to buy magic paintbrush and extra lives and I can send jelly boosters to all of my friends!\
9	'''Fafa''': You sound like a crazy person!
10	-->-- ''WebVideo/GloveAndBoots'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeLTx-ZhlFQ "CANDY CRUSH SAGA IS EVIL"]]
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12	Post-Release Content, or content that is created after a game has been released, is additional purchasable content that comes in two distinct flavors: DLC, or big updates to a game, synonymous with expansion packs; and Microtransactions.
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14	Microtransactions, also called Micropayments or MTX, are small transactions found in online games and services where a user pays a one-time fee for access to a piece of exclusive content (VirtualGoods). This could be pretty much anything--a cute new hat for your VirtualPaperDoll, a cool new piece of armor, a temporary power-up, whatever. It could even just be a shortcut to content you could access for free -- for example, you might pay real-world money for a cache of the in-game currency. The Virtual Goods can be bought directly, but it's also common for your real-world money to buy some amount of special in-game currency to spend in a special shop. [[labelnote:Historical note]]Originally, the scheme was named not for the cost but the data; players noticed that when purchasing certain DLC, a very small amount of data was downloaded, on the order of a few bytes. In other words, you were paying for a key to unlock content that ''already existed'' on the disc. With games becoming less coupled to physical media, the distinction has become more blurred.[[/labelnote]] See also AllegedlyFreeGame and {{Freemium}}.
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16	''[[SelfDemonstratingArticle You need more TV Tropesbucks to see the rest of this trope's definition. Please enter your credit card details to continue.]]''
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18	[[folder:Click here to reveal the second paragraph. You will be billed US$0.99.]]
19	This is the most common form of BribingYourWayToVictory because it generally allows you to pay as much as you like (although payments are often framed as "donations"), giving the richest players the ability to outpay everyone else. The most extreme cases can require players to pay to unlock game content that is simply held behind paywalls in the base game, resulting in an AllegedlyFreeGame. However, it's entirely possible to have Micropayments without giving an unfair advantage to those who pay--for example, by making the exclusive content strictly cosmetic. Unfortunately, some games can offer exclusive and powerful gear otherwise unobtainable in-game, by buying it outright from the MTX shop.
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22	[[folder:Click here to reveal the third paragraph. You will be billed US$2.99.]]
23	{{Freemium}}[[note]][[WesternAnimation/SouthPark The "Mium" is Latin for "Not really!"]][[/note]] is a SisterTrope that sometimes overlaps--a {{Freemium}} game that also uses Micropayments may offer them as an alternative to, in addition to, and/or as part of a Premium membership. Sometimes games will offer a one-time pack of credits for the Virtual Goods for free to give players a taste of power, in hopes that they'll come back to buy more--this is roughly analogous to a ThirtyDayFreeTrial.
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26	[[folder:Click here to reveal the fourth paragraph. You will be billed US$19.99.]]
27	Some game developers that rely on in-app purchases to gain revenue may also offer {{Ad Reward}}s as a possible alternative to pay for their in-game bonuses. This allows exclusively free players to enjoy some additional benefits without actually spending their money, while still giving the developers income from the advertisers.
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30	[[folder:Click here to reveal the fifth paragraph. You will be billed US$59.99.]]
31	The difference between this trope and RealMoneyTrade is that Microtransactions are sanctioned and sold by the game itself, whereas RealMoneyTrade is done by third parties, without the involvement of and, usually, against the wishes of the game's publisher.
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34	[[folder:Click here to reveal the sixth paragraph. You will be billed US$99.99.]]
35	For the infomercial analog, see PaymentPlanPitch.
36	[[/folder]]
37	----
38	!!Examples:
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40	[[foldercontrol]]
41
42	[[folder:Entire Companies]]
43	* All Creator/ArtixEntertainment games (''VideoGame/AdventureQuest'', ''VideoGame/DragonFable'', ''VideoGame/MechQuest'', ''VideoGame/WarpForce'', ''VideoGame/EpicDuel'', and ''VideoGame/AdventureQuestWorlds'') have the basic storyline and most equipment available for free, but the best weapons, armor, Titan quests and battles (best for farming!), and so on are only available to upgraded players and (in the case of equipment) often only for special currency that must be purchased with real-world money (although small amounts can be gotten rarely in AQ, DF, and MQ). The worst for it is probably AQ; MQ is probably the best, but DF and AQW both have an awful lot of content available for free players.
44	* Creator/IronRealmsEntertainment games such as ''VideoGame/{{Achaea}}'' games use "credits", which can be bought with real money. Credits are traded for gold and items in-game at a varying exchange rate, but the credits-to-real-money rate remains constant.
45	* Playfish games like ''VideoGame/PetSociety'' and ''VideoGame/RestaurantCity'' have separate in-game and real money currencies.
46	* Creator/{{Harmonix}} sells songs to go with their games. ''VideoGame/RockBand'' has 300 or so songs found across the five released games, and a handful available on "track pack" discs. The other 4000 or so require individual purchase at $2 a pop, or in packs which cost a little less. Thankfully, non-RBN songs before ''Rock Band 3'' (i.e. before keyboard and harmonies) have had their price cut in half, making them $1 a-la-carte. ''VideoGame/DanceCentral'' also has its own DLC.
47	* Some Japanese arcade game vendors have adopted digital wallet platforms; they are similar to the card systems that have been adopted by many U.S. arcades in lieu of tokens or coins, but they are tied to their existing user account card systems and their specific games; particularly, Creator/{{Konami}} has Paseli, which is tied to their [=e-Amusement=] platform. To combat tax hikes in Japan, Konami also decided that standard, 100 yen credits were not enough, and began to lock certain features behind slightly higher-priced 120 yen credits that can only be invoked through microtransactions; for instance, ''VideoGame/{{DanceDanceRevolution}}'' requires this for "Premium Play" mode (which enables additional modifiers and extra stage access), and ''VideoGame/{{beatmania}} IIDX'' has various levels of "DJ VIP Pass" options that [[MercyMode allows you to play all three stages even if you fail your first two]]. For parents concerned that their children might overspend at the arcade, users under the age of 18 have a monthly limit to how much PASELI credits they can use.
48	* Creator/PerfectWorld has Zen, bought with real money and transferrable to any of their games. What you can buy with it varies by game, and ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'' also has an exchange market that lets those so inclined to grind dilithium in-game and trade it for Zen.
49	* Creator/ThreeRingsDesign's games have a separate currency is used for all the things players would normally have to buy a subscription for. Naturally, this currency is bought with real money but can be traded afterwards.
50	* Creator/VoltageInc's [[RomanceGame reverse harem games]] run on microtransactions. The player downloads the free app and then can buy as many or as few routes as desired. The versions of the games adapted for the social networking system GREE also use microtransactions to make them {{Allegedly Free Game}}s.
51	* All of Creator/{{Zynga}}'s games, including ''VideoGame/FarmVille'', ''VideoGame/MafiaWars'', and many others, work this way.
52	* King, maker of such "gems" as ''VideoGame/CandyCrushSaga'', which exist just for the purpose of draining your wallet, with certain in-game purchases going about ten times your average in-app purchase.
53	[[/folder]]
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55	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
56	* An in-universe example in ''Anime/LastPeriod'', as its setting is based on a gacha game. The Luna Stones used for summoning can't be purchased with the standard currency, Zel, but require a rare and mysterious type of money called "Yen".
57	* ''Anime/{{Aggretsuko}}'': At the start of the third season, Retsuko gets addicted to a VR game where she has a unicorn {{Bishonen}} boyfriend called Seiya. The game always teases the player into buying more outfits, which leaves her in debt after binge shopping for outfits in the game.
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60	[[folder:Literature]]
61	* An in-universe example in ''[[Literature/SonicTheHedgehogAdventureGamebooks Sonic vs. Zonik]]''. Sonic starts of the game with an Energy Gun that when fired freezes the target for a while and costs ten rings per use.
62	** Later on, Sonic finds the Zone Chip, which he can use at any time to transport him and/or Tails to a zone with four door ways to choose from that will reward you an item if you clear the challenges (the tweezers and the gloves). However, it costs ten rings per person to use.
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65	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
66	* An in-universe example in ''Series/{{Upload}}''. People can be uploaded to a corporately-owned ArtificialAfterlife, and along with the hefty subscription fee, there are "In-App Purchases" for optional extras.
67	[[/folder]]
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69	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
70	* ''LARP/{{NERO}}'', a [[{{LARP}} live-action role-playing game]], lets you buy ExperiencePoints for money.
71	[[/folder]]
72
73	[[folder:Video Games]]
74	* ''VideoGame/AlterEgo2018'': Players have the option to pay to boost EGO points, remove in-game advertisements, and gain access to bonus content.
75	* ''VideoGame/AmongUs'' introduced an in-game store in November 2021, where you buy stars and then use those stars to buy in-game goodies. However, nothing in there is actually required to play the game and nothing gives an advantage; it's just cosmetic options. The previous [=DLCs=] were also integrated into the in-game store, but people who'd already purchased said [=DLCs=] had them grandfathered in. They were also hilariously transparent about its purpose in the trailer.
76	-->This is just to make money, isn't it? [[BluntYes YUP]][[labelnote:*]]We live in a capitalist society[[/labelnote]]
77	* ''VideoGame/AngryBirds''. You get a smattering of the powerups for free when you start, and more trickle in day by day, but if you're impatient, there's always the marketplace where you can buy some more (and they entice you into bigger buys with bonuses at the higher quantities). ''Angry Birds Space'' applies the same principle for their Space Eagle. You get one use a day for free; more than that and you have to buy in.
78	* The ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' series got into the game with ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedUnity'', which allows players to purchase "Helix Credits". A select few items are only obtainable with these credits (namely, several in-game maps that reveal the location of collectibles and missions that, by themselves, can be found by exploration), but everything else is equipment that is also obtainable with the various types of in-game currency (namely, Livres and/or Creed Points that are obtained by performing in-game "assassinly" actions like using Fast Lifts or stealthy assassinations).
79	** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOdyssey'' is perfectly playable and enjoyable without purchasing additional content, but the majority of the game's [[GameBreaker Game-Breakers]] can only be obtained through the Store, be it from full-fledged DLC or item packs. The latter can be paid for with orichalcum, an extremely rare in-game resource that would require thousands of hours of grinding to unlock everything[[note]]Daily quests reward 10 units, weekly quests 40 units apiece, and you can randomly find single pieces in remote corners of the game world. A single legendary item costs 80-100 units if it's currently on sale, or you can pay 20 units for a quasi-loot box that ''might'' contain a random legendary (the chance seems to be around 20%)[[/note]], or much more conveniently with the aforementioned Helix Credits. Also available are similar "time savers" as in ''Unity'' like money and resource packs, experience boosters, money boosters, as well as maps that mark a range of collectibles on the world map.
80	* ''VideoGame/AtlanticaOnline'' makes its money by means of an Item Mall, where various items can be bought for real cash, such as the Blessing Potion (which makes the players group much stronger for a limited time), Mounts (faster movement and other boni) or certain valuable items that can also be gotten in-game. All these items can also be traded with other players, allowing customers to make in-game money for real money as well, provided they can find someone rich enough. Some items are also occasionally given away for free or can be found during seasonal events.
81	* ''VideoGame/BattlefieldHeroes'' has [[VirtualPaperDoll clothing]] available to all players, but some of it must be bought. Strictly cosmetic, though.
82	* ''VideoGame/BattleStations'' allows the player to buy rare items, which usually require a lot of luck-based exploring or questing to acquire. There are, however, three items for sale which cannot be found via exploration. These items can be traded on the in-game auction, though, so a wealthy character could try and get them there instead. Also in the cash shop are Action Point packages, allowing the player to gain more Ap than the regular Ap regeneration provides.
83	* ''VideoGame/{{BlazBlue}}'':
84	** ''VideoGame/BlazBlueCalamityTrigger'' lets you pay a small fee to unlock the "Unlimited" forms of some characters, instead of playing for them.
85	** ''VideoGame/BlazBlueContinuumShift'' went the extra mile by making it much harder to unlock "Unlimited" characters without paying for them. You can also unlock Mu-12 by either spending several hours playing story mode or just buying her as well.
86	** ''VideoGame/BlazBlueChronophantasma'' makes it even harder to unlock the "Unlimited" characters without paying. Like Mu-12 before him, Kagura is unlocked by several hours in the VisualNovel story mode or paying real money.
87	* ''VideoGame/BloodlineChampions'' lets you spend real money to unlock characters. However, you can play your way to most of the things in the store, and nothing that can be bought with real money affects gameplay in any way.
88	* ''VideoGame/BurnoutParadise'' has a variety of downloadable content, the majority of which is new vehicles.
89	* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' started slow with Microtransactions, adding extra Create-A-Class slots and camos in Black Ops 2, as well as the Peacekeeper DLC weapon included with the Season Pass and first Map Pack. However, all the latest games use a system called Supply Drops. Certain content is only accessible by unlocking Random Number Generator loot boxes that yield 3 items each. You can earn in-game currency to open these boxes but can pay for either an alternate currency (Black Ops 3 and Infinite Warfare) or a better chance at getting something good out of the boxes (Advanced Warfare). Obviously, currency earned in-game is dwarfed by whatever can be paid for. Initially, items in the supply drops are cosmetic only, but after a while exclusive gear starts getting added in, to the point where after two years Black Ops 3 had more MTX weapons than it had Day One weapons.
90	** Ghosts had a lot of cosmetic choices available for purchase, from flag based calling cards to canine reskins to having Snoop Dogg or R Lee Ermey act as your mission control.
91	* ''VideoGame/CellToSingularityEvolutionNeverEnds'': Darwinium can be purchased to speed up production or get other bonuses. 1 Darwinium costs approximately 4 cents.
92	* ''[[VideoGame/ChocoboRacing Chocobo GP]]'' has its own premium currency in the form of mythril, which can be earned at a fairly slow rate in-game (50 units per week) or purchased with real money... and the free drops ''expire'' after five months if not used by then. Mythril is used to buy battle passes, which are in turn used to gain levels to unlock characters and earn gil, [[RuleOfThree which is used]] to pay for ''other'' things. Note that the game itself is already a full-price retail release.
93	* ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}} V'' has DLC for civs, wonders, and map styles.
94	* ''VideoGame/CombatArms'' has a lot of equipment that can only be bought, or more often, rented, with real money.
95	* ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacingNitroFueled'' added a new feature during the ''Back N. Time'' update: the ability to buy the in-game currency, wumpa coins with real-world money. While completely optional, the pit stop's randomised design and the game's overall low coin distribution heavily encourages purchasing coins to reduce the grind for them.
96	* ''VideoGame/CyberNations'' lets players get tech levels, infrastructure, land, and in-game cash in exchange for donations, but limits players to one donation per month. It's not essential, but it can lead to a nice boost in tax collections if timed right.
97	* ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 3\|AbsenceOfJustice}}'' allows you to purchase and download additional sidequests during the post-game, almost all of which have new characters as rewards.
98	** Starting with ''VideoGame/Disgaea6DefianceOfDestiny'', the franchise would sell booster tickets that would increase money, mana and XP drops by 10x-100x for real money exchange. These tickets are single use, meaning the player will need to spend further money after using up what they have.
99	* ''VideoGame/Destiny2'' has the Eververse store, which allows you to purchase Silver with IRL money, to then purchase Bright Engrams in the store. These engrams hold random cosmetic loot, which can be dismantled for Bright Dust and then used to buy even more items, such as tokens which increase the rate of XP gain, increase the rate of earning faction points and additional rewards from completing activities.
100	** But the game also has it's problems with microtransactions, with things coming to a head during the Christmas celebration the game had with its special loot boxes that only had that season's gifts. This made getting them a hassle and a headache, as they had to be bought if you wanted more than the three a week they would dole out within the short time limit of the celebration. Following EA's disastrous problems with ''Star Wars Battlefront II'' (2017) did not help.
101	* ''VideoGame/DisneySpeedstorm'' has Tokens (called as such because the game takes place within an arcade cabinet as seen in its opening cutscene) that can be used to buy certain cosmetics, season coins for the rotating store, or higher-end upgrade parts (which will be replaced by upgrade coins in Season 7). They can be earned slowly through ranked multiplayer, however. They were also used to buy the premium path of the Golden Pass (the game's season pass)... until Gameloft decided to restrict them to direct payments only beginning with Season 7, pissing off fans in the process.
102	* Parodied in ''VideoGame/DLCQuest'' where everything has to be bought from the ability to move to the left to the ending of the game. Fortunately, you have to pay with in-game money.
103	* In ''VideoGame/DoritosCrashCourse 2'', there are coins that you can purchase with money. You can subsequently use those coins to unlock levels or get power-ups. However, apart from a few cosmetic effects, you can earn everything by just playing the game, if you wish.
104	* Possibly the UrExample, the North American arcade version of ''[[VideoGame/DoubleDragon Double Dragon III: The Rosetta Stone]]'' had additional player characters, weapons, and moves that had to be purchased with real-world coins or tokens.
105	* ''VideoGame/{{Dragonica}}''. It allows players to sell most in-game items for cash points instead of the standard currency.
106	* ''VideoGame/DungeonsAndDragonsOnline'' is an MMORPG which requires paying real cash to unlock certain areas, purchase powerful equipment or unlock certain classes.
107	* ''VideoGame/EntropiaUniverse'', which also has (extremely tedious) ways of getting the virtual money without paying anything in RealLife.
108	* ''VideoGame/FallenLondon'' allows you to buy Fate with real money. Fate is obtainable in-game on very rare occasions and can be used for mundane functions like restoring your opportunities deck to unlocking new and complex story inlets. While all content in the game is technically unlockable through play, someone did the maths and came to the conclusion that several of the high-tier events are easier to unlock by getting a second job at US minimum wage and using the money from that job to buy Fate than trying to unlock them through play.
109	* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyAllTheBravest'' was marketed as a MassivelyMultiplayerCrossover with playable heroes from all across the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' franchise. In actuality, the player is only given generic character classes for free (admittedly, there are forty of them). All named characters have to be purchased for about a dollar - that is, 99 cents apiece, meaning that unlocking all of the characters would cost just short of 35 USD on its own. Moreover, players couldn't pick and choose which characters they wanted, as the purchased character was selected by the RandomNumberGod; a player who just wanted [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Cloud Strife]] on his team could potentially blow through all 34 other characters before getting his spiky blond-haired prize. On top of that, there are three purchasable missions each priced at 3.99 USD, which is the price of the app itself, bringing the total cost of a fully-unlocked game to just shy of 50 USD (plus however much you spent on [[ScrappyMechanic Gold Hourglasses]] to instantly revive your team). Fans and critics alike were not amused.
110	* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyBraveExvius'' is a little better, in that the game does provide amounts of lapis (the in-game currency that can be used, among other things, to pay to recruit more characters) and tickets (which can be directly redeemed for new characters), such that it's completely possible to go completely free-to-play and still manage to miss out on nothing. However, the vast majority of character recruitment is handled via [[LootBoxes a gacha system]], making it totally random as to what the player will pull. Having a bad run of pulls, and out of in-game ways to get more lapis? The game is always quick to remind you that you can simply buy more lapis for more pulls. In addition, some of the limited time packages will come with other in-game loot, such as extra equipment or just getting a character directly.
111	* The ''VideoGame/ForzaMotorsport'' series, starting with the fourth game, allows real money to be exchanged for Tokens to purchase cars in-game before you have the requisite amount of in-game credits. Not to mention the downloadable car and track packs; the latter case being a DoubleUnlock, as you pay with real-world money to unlock the cars, then you still have to buy them with game credits or tokens. ''Forza Horizon'' ''requires'' purchase of tokens to unlock gameplay enhancements such as [[WarpWhistle Fast Travel]] and the Treasure Map; thankfully the second game made microtransactions optional.
112	* ''VideoGame/FruitNinja'' makes you pay starfruit to unlock blades and backgrounds. While it's possible (albeit very time consuming) to get blades without paying for starfruit, paying is the only way to realistically get blades fast.
113	* ''Website/GaiaOnline'' has [=AutoCash=].
114	* In the Xbox 360 version of ''VideoGame/TheGodfather: The Game'', players have the option of buying weapons and upgrades off of the Xbox Live Marketplace.
115	* ''VideoGame/GhostTales'' has this option available if you want to purchase diamonds, which can be used for special items or completing quests.
116	* ''VideoGame/GuildWars2'' has the Gem Store, mostly selling cosmetic items and convenience services. Gems can be bought with real money or exchanged for gold in both directions. At very different rates, mind, so it's very costly to buy gold this way, but it does provide dedicated players with an alternative to paying real money for gems.
117	* Each game in the ''VideoGame/HeadSports'' series has at least one playable character for which real money must be paid to unlock. You can also pay real money to obtain in-game 'points' to buy cosmetics (which also enhance stats) in the shop.
118	* ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'' has the Mr. Accessory, which you receive by donating $10 to the game. It is generally valued at about the amount of meat (in-game currency) that a reasonably well-equipped character could expect to make in a month's worth of farming for it. Because it is very easy to sell the accessory at the current market price, the price works as a very practical real-money-to-meat exchange rate, albeit a one-way one (the accessory's price also serves as a key indicator of the in-game economy).
119	* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' uses Micropayments as a shortcut for unlocking heroes. Micropayments are also the only way to buy character skins, which are entirely cosmetic.
120	* ''VideoGame/LordOfUltima''. Free to play, but one can purchase "diamonds" that in turn allow for the purchase of artifacts that give resources, build-time increases, etc. The game limits how frequently you can use them, though.
121	* The entire business model of ''VideoGame/LoveNikkiDressUpQueen''. It overlaps with {{Freemium}} a bit, as the total cumulative amount you've spent on Diamonds unlocks "VIP levels" with more perks such as extra Princess retries and exclusive outfits.
122	* ''VideoGame/{{Lyrica}}'' can be played entirely for free. But if you want to read all of the story chapters, or add new songs to the playlist, you must buy it separately.
123	* ''VideoGame/{{Mabinogi}}'', as is typical for a Korean {{MMORPG}}, has a good deal of this. Originally starting as an AllegedlyFreeGame by restricting storyline quests, {{Empathic Weapon}}s, character rebirth (a vital game mechanic), and certain other content to paid subscribers only; the "Pioneers of Iria" expansion released all content to free players, including empathic weapons and free character rebirth. Despite this, there remain a considerable number of game-enhancing features that are only available in the premium cash shop, or to premium subscribers.
124	* Cards in ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering Online'' are bought from packs in the online store, just like real cards. They can be traded, bought, and sold freely among players, although "tickets" (normally used for tournament entry fees) are used as the de facto currency instead of dollars.
125	* ''VideoGame/ManorMatters'' is free to download and play. However, there are some levels that may be difficult to beat without the aid of a booster. You can also buy some energy to keep playing, especially since starting the new day doesn’t refill your energy gauge.
126	* ''VideoGame/MapleStory'' sells Money Sacks, which is exactly what it says on the tin. The downside? The illegal market for such things has better rates.
127	* Creator/{{Gameloft}}'s ''VideoGame/MyLittlePony'' is ripe to the bone with microtransactions, considering how costly some premium content would cost in real-life cash, pricing up to above $50.
128	* To unlock cars early in ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeed: Carbon'', ''Pro Street'' or ''Undercover'', buy them for real money on Xbox Live or [=PSN=] store.
129	* ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' has the option to get Lootbox bundles, as well as credits for Overwatch League skins. In China, the microtransactions instead focus on buying the contents outright, with lootboxes serving as "special rewards" for when you buy something. In both regional variants, you can also earn Lootboxes by playing, and with the introduction of the Arcade back in late 2016. Getting what you want, however is notoriously unreliable, go figure.
130	* ''VideoGame/{{Pangya}}'' has "Cookie" items that you buy with real-world money.
131	* ''VideoGame/{{Pixelo}}'': The mobile version has purchasable gold (500,000 for 0.99$ or 2,000,000 for 2.99$) which can be spent on interface customisations in the shop and daily puzzle packs from 2014-2017 at a price of 0.99$ for each year.
132	* ''VideoGame/PokemonRumble World'' uses Poke Jewels for the same purpose, and obtainable from the same methods, as ''Shuffle''. However, the game allows you to spend ''only'' up to $30 worth of money for poke jewels. After that, it allows you to collect a generous amount of free poke jewels every day. You only pay enough money to buy the average priced game, and it cuts you off and rewards you for doing so.
133	* ''VideoGame/PokemonGO'' has Pokecoins which can be bought in various amounts for various amounts of real life currency. The coins are required if you want to buy any items in the game at all. It is possible to earn coins in game by having a Pokemon defend a gym, but you're limited to making 50 coins per day and you can possibly make less than that if other players knock out your Pokemon early.
134	* ''VideoGame/PAYDAY2'' once had microtransactions in the forms of safes for custom weapon skins between 2015 and early 2020. Through a RandomDrop, you earned a safe that contained a random skin for a random gun that may or may not have stat boosts that you may not even own. It required however, a drill to open, which can drop at the end of a heist, but didn't on release of the system. Update 100 removed the drill requirement, while Update 198 removed the safes, and just made the weapon skins drop at the end of a heist instead. The microtransactions are, as of writing, removed from the game, but it still facilitates the use of the Steam Marketplace.
135	* ''[[VideoGame/PokemonTrozei Pokémon Shuffle]]'' lets you pay for "gems", which are exchanged for in-game currency or chances to play a level. You can get gems for free in the game, though, and money and chances can be obtained in-game (by completing a level or waiting).
136	* ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'''s multiplayer mode has its own shop where players can pay real-world money to unlock for Atlas and P-Body, special emotes, accessories, and so on. It didn't catch on... until Videogame/{{DOTA2}} and [[Videogame/CounterStrike Counter-Strike Global Offensive]] implements the same system.
137	** Which is tied to the Steam Community Market system, so players can trade in-game items for real-life money. Most, although not all of the {{Freemium}} games in the Steam system (like ''VideoGame/SpiralKnights'' and ''VideoGame/{{Dota 2}}'') are also in the Steam trading system and use Microtransactions.
138	* ''VideoGame/ProjectBlackout'' "rents" (because their use is time-limited) special, more powerful equipment for real money.
139	* ''Videogame/RuneScape'' formerly allowed the purchase of "spins" on the "Squeal of Fortune", a Wheel of Fortune parody on which the player was able to win assorted (mostly junk, but some very good) prizes, as well as experience rewards. This has since been removed and replaced by the very similar minigame known as Treasure Hunter, where "keys" can be [[BribingYourWayToVictory purchased]] to unlock treasure chests for random rewards (free experience, bonus experience used when skilling, and an array of useful items). There's also a straight online store called "Solomon's General Store" which allows you to buy costumes, animations, and other cosmetic items. Nowadays, not a single week goes by without [[MoneyDearBoy at least one promotion]] active on Treasure Hunter, Solomon's Store, or both at once. [[note]]Taken to the logical extreme by Youtuber 'A Friend' who maxed out an account (named 'Not p2w') with under four days playtime solely via microtransactions. By comparison, the fastest 'natural' maxed account was in the mid 40 days bracket.[[/note]]
140	* ''VideoGame/RustysRealDealBaseball'' is an experiment of Creator/{{Nintendo}}'s in microtransaction-supported gaming, being a MinigameGame where each minigame (after the first one or two) is purchased with real money. However, in a typically Nintendo twist, you can take items won in the minigames and haggle with the shopkeeper to lower the real-money prices.
141	* ''VideoGame/S4League''. Those who are willing to shell out real money get slightly more effective weapons, flashier clothes, and will gain levels faster. They also don't have to worry about buying their weapons with in-game currency, which is fairly difficult to acquire. However, the advantage supplied by the paid-for weapons is fairly minimal, and none of them are unique; they're just optionally reskinned versions of the stuff everyone gets. Likewise, the paid-for clothes just look good, they don't offer any concrete tactical advantages.
142	* ''VideoGame/SecondLife'''s has an in-world currency, "Linden Dollars" (or Lindens, named for the developer Linden Labs), which can be freely converted to and from real-world currency. The exchange rate is adjustable, according to a supply-demand index called the "Lindex". Lindens are required to rent parcels of land and to upload textures, sounds, animations, and mesh models which you've created yourself, but mostly Lindens are exchanged among players in order to obtain clothing, hair, vehicles, houses, furnishings...whatever can be created in-world. It's perfectly possible to enjoy Second Life without Lindens, but most players eventually find something to spend money on.
143	* ''VideoGame/ShadowEra'' is a CCG that allows you to buy crystals that are used to buy starter decks/booster packs. You can buy all the cards with an in-game currency, and you slowly gain crystals via play.
144	* ''VideoGame/StarCitizen'' allows players to buy in-game currency with real money, though it places a monthly cap on it in an attempt to avoid BribingYourWayToVictory.
145	* Mobirix's iOS and Android ports of Psikyo shooters ''[[VideoGame/{{Strikers1945}} Strikers 1945 II / Strikers 1945 III]]'' add leaderboards, achievements, multiplayer, ads, and... locking all but the first character, earning some through achievements, or grinding through hundreds of playthroughs to earn gems to unlock a character. Or buy $15 worth of gems to unlock all the characters, and further spend gems and gold for power-ups and continues. Other characters can be randomly selected with gold, but not in the port of ''Tengai'' (''Sengoku Blade'').
146	* ''VideoGame/SvenCoop'', a mod for ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'', allows people to "donate" money to its creators for permanent weapon enhancements - namely, their Uzis do double damage, and they can use armor to boost the damage on their melee weapon.
147	* ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'' has this. Some of the stuff is rather easy to get later on in the game, and some of it is free too, so the advantage is mitigated somewhat.
148	* The Mann Co. store in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2''. The in-game store has just about every item in the game, most of which can also be obtained through the random drop system. There is still a small market in Unusual hats, something of a status symbol amongst players. The Mann Co. Supply Crate Key (the only way to open crates) and three hats in particular - Bill's Hat (from the ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'' series), Max's Severed Head, (from the Sam & Max series) and the Earbuds (from when Team Fortress 2 was released for Apple computers) are used as the de facto currency for anything too expensive to easily be paid in [[ItemCrafting metal]]. With the expansion of Steam trading, however, other options are open such as trading Steam game gifts or items from other games.
149	* To unlock all the characters and power-ups in ''VideoGame/TempleRun'', you need coins. These coins can be gathered within the game, but for the impatient, they are also available for real money.
150	* ''VideoGame/{{Tetris}} Online Japan''. You use TP to increase your stats, which affect how many piece previews you can see, how fast pieces move across the field when you hold left or right, the speed of the line clear animation, and so on. The higher the stat, the faster you can play. Of course, this can give quite an advantage. TP is earned by playing and winning games, at 10-34 TP per game depending on performance. It also takes a total of 9,700 TP to max out each stat of the 5 stats. But for 105 yen each, you can buy a "Point Scratch" that gives a random amount from 500-10,000 TP when used. "Premium" version subscribers paying 315 yen a month get another 300 TP per month.
151	* ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'' has platinum, which you can use to buy a lot of in-game equipment, especially slots to put your equipment in. However, this is zig-zagged since platinum can be traded between players[[note]]except for any gifted platinum from the developers and the platinum you start off with[[/note]]. This allows for rare, limited, or overly grindy equipment to be bought outright and gives players a way to get platinum without buying some.
152	** A more direct example would be [=TennoGen=], the cosmetic equipment made by players and voted for on the game's Steam Workshop, for [=PC=] players. They have to pay money to get these unique cosmetics. Fortunately, the creators get a cut when their [=TennoGen=] sells.
153	* ''VideoGame/WarOfLegends'' has "[=WoLCash=]" used to purchase in-game items and bonuses.
154	* ''VideoGame/WorldOfTanks'', an MMO tank-simulation game, operates on microtransaction, also mixing in a {{Freemium}} system. You can purchase gold, which can be either spent on a "premium account" that gives you a boost in experience and credit generation, or various in-game items and tanks.
155	** ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarships'', its MMO naval-simulation sister game, operates on the same business model, and in fact premium accounts are shared between them (that is, you're paying for a Wargaming premium account that applies to both games, regardless of whether you bought it directly with real money on their website or bought it in with ''World of Tanks'' gold/''World of Warships'' doubloons).
156	* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' players can purchase special mounts from the Blizzard store. They differ from ordinary mounts only in appearance.
157	* ''VideoGame/ZhengtuOnline'', a Chinese MMORPG deliberately designed from the ground up for gold buyers. The game physically blocks you from advancing without buying experience and items for real-world money.
158	* ''VideoGame/ZombiePandemic'' allows you to buy a number of coins, which you then spend, coin by coin, to speed up the building of Safe Houses, or buy yourself more Action Points. You can find them yourself but it takes much, MUCH longer, especially alone.
159	* The [=iOS=] remake of ''VideoGame/DungeonKeeper'' did this to a ''horrific'' degree that managed to make the game fail within days. Doing ''anything'' in the game took around 24 hours (which you could speed up by buying gems). The backlash was so bad that the UK advertising watchdog officially reprimanded the company for advertising the game as "free".
160	* ''VideoGame/GemsOfWar'' is free to play, but has optional purchases. Spending real money gets you things a lot quicker, but in theory, ''most'' things can be acquired by other means if you keep at it long enough. (For example, Gems are only obtained rarely during gameplay, and only in certain circumstances, but it does happen.)
161	* ''VideoGame/Uncharted3DrakesDeception'' was turned free-to-play about a year after release and added a ton of real money-only items. After the update, every normal unlockable could be bought with money too.
162	** ''VideoGame/Uncharted4AThiefsEnd'' has microtransactions as well, but everything (including DLC!) can be unlocked by playing. To balance this out, the drops are random (albeit never duplicates) and it can take a while to earn enough "relics" to buy them.
163	* About half the stuff in ''VideoGame/GhostReconWildlands'' ''must'' be purchased through the Ubisoft shop if you want to use it. The other half ''can'' be purchased if you're too lazy to track it down yourself.
164	* ''VideoGame/StarWarsBattlefrontII2017'' got into a whole host of trouble over its handling of Microtransactions via loot boxes, so much so that governments actually took notice. Read more on the game's [[YMMV/StarWarsBattlefrontII2017 YMMV]] and [[Trivia/StarWarsBattlefrontII2017 Trivia pages]].
165	[[/folder]]
166
167	[[folder:Web Original]]
168	* ''WebVideo/EpicNPCMan'' naturally [[PlayedForLaughs makes fun of microtransactions]] when Skycraft starts shoving them up players' faces.
169	** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGmXPk5MhuU Microtransactions be like]]" has Rowan complain about how he doesn't want to pay for the Honeywood expansion pack since he already paid $89 for the main game. Greg offers him an alternative way to access the pack's content by [[ItemFarming farming crystals from rat drops]], which leaves Rowan unenthusiastic because of how tedious it is. Not that he gets far; his sword breaks after only killing 3 measly rats, after which Greg offers to repair it... for $4.95. Rowan decides to just use his bow, only to learn he can only acquire arrows by buying LootBoxes (and that's a hard maybe at best). [[TemptingFate Rowan decides to just go back to Darkwood in frustration]], but suddenly [[ExaggeratedTrope he finds himself unable to take another step...]]
170	--->'''Greg:''' Ah... You seem to have, uh... run out of steps...\
171	'''Rowan:''' [[CurseCutShort GET F-]]
172	** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umWdXtpzJUU Micro-transactions explained]]" has two [=NPCs=] {{discuss\|edTrope}}ing microtransactions after seeing Ben pay real money in exchange for a sheep suit. While they agree that the prospect of buying cosmetics with small payments within a AAA game that has already been purchased at full price is ridiculous, it's also pointed out how some people are still willing to do so and thus inevitably perpetuate the business model. All in SesquipedalianLoquaciousness.
173	** In "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GXLVn73yRY Skipping the grind with money]]", Rowan starts a new character and quickly buys himself a set of cosmetic armor, wanting to look as badass as Britt. She quickly calls him out on it by pointing out how it's lazy to buy your way to the top and that buying powerful gear actually diminishes its value because grinding for it doesn't mean anything anymore. [[ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne Rowan takes offense at being called lazy]] and retorts by going on a lengthy rant about how he ''did'' grind for it in real life at his actual job [[JerkassHasAPoint by working hard enough to earn disposable income]] and using it to treat himself with a cosmetic that he only gets to use in the few hours of free time he gets in a given week within the "capitalist dystopia" that the world seems to be turning into. Britt is actually touched by his speech and apologizes for calling him lazy, since the armor is just cosmetic after all, [[{{hypocrite}} until Rowan pulls out]] an [[InfinityPlusOneSword Arcane Sword of Destruction]] that he bought for $100 and that allegedly can one-shot a dragon. A frustrated Britt can only retort with a blunt "[[PrecisionFStrike fuck you]]" before walking away.
174	* ''WebAnimation/ExtraCredits'' {{discussed}} the topic in detail in [[http://extra-credits.net/episodes/microtransactions/ one of its videos]], calling it a useful tool that many games should embrace and offering some do's and don't's to any developers interested in adopting the model. (Build the content with the payment model in mind, give free players a way to earn paid currency without paying, avoid BribingYourWayToVictory, etc.)
175	* ''WebVideo/{{Jimquisition}}'' discussed it, mostly about the negative part -- namely, how easy it is for game companies to abuse it as a cash grab.
176	* {{Discussed}} in this [[http://sirusgaming.info/2017/09/microtransactions-gone-far/ article]] whether or not it's gone too far.
177	* Many game apps on Website/{{Facebook}} use Facebook coins, which are bought with money. Some use the direct method as well.
178	[[/folder]]
179
180	[[folder:Western Animation]]
181	* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "Freemium Isn't Free" has an in-universe example. The Canadian government releases a ''[[ShowWithinAShow Terrance and Phillip]]'' [[AllegedlyFreeGame game]], which is essentially a parody of games like ''The Simpsons: Tapped Out'' and ''Family Guy: The Quest For Stuff'', where the object is simply to collect coins and build a town up. Most of the boys get bored of it very quickly, except for Stan, who racks up ''$26000'' of debt on the game. [[spoiler: Turns out that the game is the demonic plot of The Canadian Devil, Beelzaboot.]] This is TruthInTelevision, where a very small percentage of players (known in the industry as 'whales') provide the vast amount of income that Freemium games and Microtransactions earn. The people who have even enough self-control to protest prices are just pocket-change.
182	* In ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'' episode "The Least Dangerous Game", the episode starts with the main characters playing a game called ''Bat'leths and [=BiHnuchs=]'', a TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons-style game with Klingons. After the events of the episode, they pick up the game again only to find out they need to buy the expansion packs to continue, causing them to groan in annoyance. Then again, the game ''was'' made by Ferengi.
183	[[/folder]]

Context Main / Microtransactions