In-Game Economies As Reflections of the Real-World Financial System

Economies are always interesting especially when they move actively. It is a reflection of the environment around it. When everything is thriving, everything is easier, things are generally calm and disposition is often at a satisfactory perspective. However, when it declines, everything can slow down, even devolve into gradual chaos in extreme cases. In between the extremities found in the spectrum are the real-world market. These are the price of goods, the demand for products, the available supply, a resident’s assets, their liabilities, and how they affect the entire economy as a whole. Since their effects can influence their environment, economies can often shape the behavior of its participants.

These parallels can also be experienced in virtual worlds that have multiplayer features in them, as well as a few sandbox games that compose their mechanics in an engaging system. In-game economies mirror the procedures that their real and normal counterparts possess, which can lead in interesting directions because of a number of changes that it could introduce to the game as a whole. As for its purpose, defined economies within online games provide immersion for players as they inhabit the worlds presented to them.

Trade secrets

Just like in real life trading, there are assigned values to most virtual goods accrued in online multiplayer games but a sophisticated economy would have their values rise and drop depending on trends and demands. Games like Final Fantasy XIV have these complex economic systems that are driven by a number of goods and their use in most dungeon crawls or if they can be effectively utilized in special limited-time events. It is also not rare to see players haggling with each other to get the best value that their gil, or the in-game currency, can afford them. Assets in this game include the player’s own property and powerful weapons, most of which could be traded and sold again, similar to most real estate markets around the world.

Much like real-life behaviors prevalent in modern economics as well, there are in-game items that are rare to come by. It’s the same as opening a booster pack of Pokemon cards and finding a rare Charizard in foil. This has significant value within the community and it is also true for most multiplayer games. Any sports game that incorporates player cards will have this kind of economy present within its confines. Their values are not static and it fluctuates based on real-time supply and demand. The same case also happens in games like Gran Turismo 7, where car prices rise and fall depending on the popularity surrounding it. These items or cars can only be bought with the in-game currency, which can be bought with actual money.

Economic enrichments

Real economies also influence opinions about certain games and they gain popularity or notoriety because of this. There are a lot of free-to-play or inexpensive games that grow a significant audience and as a result, they are at the top of gaming platforms such as Steam and Epic Games. Games like Peak and Heartopia are at the top of the charts because they are relatively affordable. Because of their popularity among players, the demand for these games are high. They also engage with the inherent economies in these games and they can augment their resources with real funds as well.

This sensibility can also be applied to online casino games. Gambling platforms that gain popularity are placed on top of websites like pikakasinot.com which serves as a reflection of a gambling site performing well. If an online casino is at the top of aggregation websites, players can expect enjoyable engagements in online slots. They might even give out a bonus to signify that their income is at the peak!

For a risk-free simulation of real world events being affected by complex economies, there are sandbox games available for players who want to try governing their own constituents. Games such as Tropico or SimCity have robust systems that players can tinker with to explore how providing proper utilities to citizens could help boost the overall economy. Inversely, it can also produce depressed societies stricken by poverty through the absence of utilities, all of which is left for the player to decide. By applying principles of real-life economics to these virtual societies, players will get a grasp of how the extremes would look like. Since most of these types of games are single-player experiences, they may not require real-life currencies to be traded.

In the red

Obviously, economic depression and inflations can also affect these digital playgrounds, similar to real-life. It is especially explicit in massive multiplayer online games, where the environments are extensive. Possibly the most famous example of this is World of Warcraft, arguably the biggest active multiplayer online game today and it shares the same problems with Final Fantasy XIV. Their developers act as their central banks and whenever there are gold rate improvements, they are also wary of the potential imbalances that could happen. Developers should be careful in doing this because overshooting the rates can cause potential economic destabilization.

Real life will always be an inspiration for video games, doubly so for online multiplayer virtual playgrounds. After all, most of these games are manifestations or interpretations of its developers. By incorporating real-life mechanics of modern economics, the players remain engaged in the game through the immersion that it can provide.