This is what I don't get, why would you get some in game currency or item that will help you for like five minutes for the same price as a game that will give you tens of hours of fun. Cosmetics I somewhat get, you wanna show off. Still think it's kinda dumb but I get it since I'm tf2 player.

My nephew has talked about how lucky some of his friends are because they get more robux from their parents than he does and how he wishes his parents would give him more "nice things" like that. This is a kid who has been to disneyland *multiple times* and has gone on *multiple cruises* before he was a decade old. THey have a big trip basically every summer, but he doesn't want any of that, he just wants more robux.

Its not the parents fault, its just how its going. As a kid I wanted pokemon cards, because all the other kids had pokemon cards and were showing off how many pokemon cards they had and it was on TV that you GOTTA CATCH EM ALL and the cool kid had a shiny raichu and I was a loser because I didnt have one so I really wanted one so I needed pokemon cards. It didnt mean my parents failed me. It means toy manufacturers have all but weaponised marketing/propaganda and children are especially susceptible. In my example, replace shiny raichu card with Peter Griffin skin.

Kids my age: Remember when you could just download a skin for Quake from a website, install it, and still have other players see it? *And it was free?*

Kids want to play the games their friends are playing more than what their parents play. I will play Fortnite and Roblox and Rocket League with my son and I’ve never had a skin or a battle pass and have tried to show him you can have fun with out wasting your money but that doesn’t stop a kids FOMO. Publishers know kids have undeveloped abilities to delay gratification and are susceptible to peer pressure

Kids want to play what their friends/community are playing.

Kids my age: Remember when you could just download a skin for Quake from a website, install it, and still have other players see it? *And it was free?*

While I agree that this is not a good thing, I have to say it is not much different to for example Pokemon cards. Sure you could sell physical cards - if you're lucky maybe even without loss - but I don't think it is so much different.

i have four nephews. 3 of them want fortnight/roblox money. i try to get them into different games and they won't have it. they are addicts for these freemium bullshit games

Physical cards last for years. Maybe the online game will be around in ten years, but maybe not. I have most of my magic cards from my youth. They're a thing I own. I can do what I want with them- play the game, use them for decorations, sell them. Digital shit is transient with few options for the buyer.

Kids my age: Remember when you could just download a skin for Quake from a website, install it, and still have other players see it? *And it was free?*

Really? Your parents never bought you worthless junk meant to be throw away like fart putty or those rubber bubbles you blow up with a straw that barely work or packs of Pokémon cards or baseball cards? I don’t think it should be up to the parents to tell the kids what’s valuable to them. If the kid wants a vbucks card over a game then you can tell them that’s why they didn’t get a new game. (I do recognize that the current monetization models have ruined modern gaming which is why I only play games that are 15 years old or older)

Oof. Society peaked in 1999 and no one can tell me different.

Kids want to play what their friends/community are playing.

there was no fortnite in 1999 tho 🥺

And here my kid wants a tamagotchi for christmas. whatyearisit.jpg