Kosmeettiset mikromaksut esimerkiksi Fortnitessa ja Counter-Strike 2:ssa ovat omiaan luomaan kaveripiirin sisäisiä hierarkioita varsinkin nuorempien pelaajien keskuudessa. Paremmuusjärjestys selvitetään sillä, onko kaikilla se halutuin uusi "skini", vai eikö ole.
Norjalaiset tutkijat Kamilla Knutsen Steinnes ja Clara Julia Reich ovat työssä Oslo Metropolitan Universityssa, ja saivat toimeksiannon Norjan Ministry of Children and Educationilta. Tarkoituksena oli tutkia pelien mikromaksujen vaikutusta lapsiin. Tulokset ovat merkittäviä, ja niistä kertoi Science Norway.
Tutkimuksen kohteena olivat pääasiassa norjalaiset 10-15-vuotiaat lapset. Haastatteluissa selvisi, ettei enää ole eroa verkkomaailman ja oikean maailman kesken. Digitaalinen hierarkia heijastuu suoraan todellisen maailman hierarkiaan. Tilanne on koko ajan vain pahentunut, kun pelijulkaisijat ovat tulleet paremmiksi markkinoinnissaan. Lapsilla oman sosiaalisen ryhmän aiheuttama paine ajaa käyttämään rahaa mikromaksuihin.
Lisää pääsee lukemaan Crossplayssa.
"There is still much to learn about the social dynamics within children's virtual worlds and governments and policymakers worldwide are interested in this topic from a regulatory perspective. Video games are also an important part of children's everyday lives and there is little research on young people's digital consumption in a Norwegian context. The pressure to fit in resembles what is already taking place in other contexts but takes on new forms. Some children might end up feeling excluded if they lack the resources (e.g., Wi-Fi, gaming equipment, in-game currency) to play with their friends or might get picked on based on what 'skin' they are wearing."
"There are important differences when comparing video games to other leisure activities among children. In football, for example, children may get exposed to commercial content such as banners for football shoes, typically for a limited time within a given physical context (e.g., during training at the football court). Video games, however, employ a variety of tailored marketing strategies to constantly target children and their need to feel a sense of belonging and individuality. Moreover, we found various deceptive design strategies (i.e., 'dark patterns') in games and a lack of regulation. This implies that young people have less consumer protection online compared to physical arenas."
"Some children talked about various strategies they used to protect themselves from commercial influence, such as not visiting the in-game shop or doing chores (like vacuuming) instead of playing video games. Social influence was added to the commercial pressure, where the children wanted to stay updated on 'skin-trends' and to belong in-game among peers."