Free-to-play games aren’t free after all. You’ll only realize this when the predatory microtransactions kick. A family recently cried for help after their 17-year-old blew $25,000 on 368 purchases in Monopoly Go.
In the now-deleted post, the family appears to be asking for help from Redditors on “who to write to” in an attempt to recover some of the money. However, it doesn’t seem like the Monopoly Go policy has provisions for refunds.
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A comment from u/Spiritual_Village540 read, “Not much you’d be able to do. My friend’s son (who is also 17) did the exact same thing but not that much money. She was told since her son had access to her credit card, he was liable for all purchases.”
Although the amount in question in this case is dizzying, the 17-year-old is far from being the first to fall into the microtransaction trap. Many players of free-to-play games have found themselves spending worrying amounts of money to progress quickly through the games.
The pay-to-win model features microtransactions systemically designed to frustrate players who are not willing to pay. Sometimes it is having a limited number of lives while at other times it is denying players the boosts they need to make the game easier.
Although the cost of the microtransactions is usually small, they easily add up over time. One Monopoly Go player spent $1,000 on microtransactions before deleting the game. Microtransactions are the main way free-to-play game developers make money from the games and continue to update them with new content.
Launched on April 11, 2023, Monopoly Go has continued to amass thousands of players. At the time of writing, the game has over 50 million downloads on Android. Like its predecessors, players must spend in-game money wisely to make more or they’ll have to purchase more of the in-game money using real money. The fast-paced spins of the board game have proved addictive.
Some users have already voiced their concerns about Monopoly Go’s Christmas event saying it was almost impossible to win without spending real money.
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