Analysing the changes in monetization of games in the 21st century
Lehtimäki, Elmeri (2021)
Lehtimäki, Elmeri
2021
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021052812358
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021052812358
Tiivistelmä
Back in the day, buying a game was simple – buy a machine (PC, PlayStation etc.), buy a physical copy of a game, and you are set. This was the method of monetization for the most selling and the most played titles. During that time and age there was very little alternative ways of monetization available. Whereas many games still have a “price tag” price to pay, the most popular and most revenue generating games are using different kind of methods of monetization than just pay-to-play and the ratio from which games generate revenue is switching from initial purchase price, towards other means of monetization.
This thesis aims to give the reader an understanding of the industry, and the concepts of different methods of monetization. The various monetization methods shall be explained and analysed, with examples. The thesis and its findings shall be presented in a way, that anyone even without prior knowledge of the industry will be able to understand the content.
The research suggests that some of the most popular and revenue generating games utilize a mixture of different types of microtransactions instead of just one This has drastically changed from the past where the only method of monetization was the upfront payment. This development is a result of multiple things. Things like improvements in infrastructure have allowed better network connections and better bandwidth, which has led to services like Twitch.tv to rise in popularity. This rise of popularity has further accelerated the growth for the most popular titles – most of which use a variety of monetization methods.
This thesis aims to give the reader an understanding of the industry, and the concepts of different methods of monetization. The various monetization methods shall be explained and analysed, with examples. The thesis and its findings shall be presented in a way, that anyone even without prior knowledge of the industry will be able to understand the content.
The research suggests that some of the most popular and revenue generating games utilize a mixture of different types of microtransactions instead of just one This has drastically changed from the past where the only method of monetization was the upfront payment. This development is a result of multiple things. Things like improvements in infrastructure have allowed better network connections and better bandwidth, which has led to services like Twitch.tv to rise in popularity. This rise of popularity has further accelerated the growth for the most popular titles – most of which use a variety of monetization methods.