Elden Ring has sold tens of millions of copies worldwide. The game is extremely popular and part of its success comes from lack of microtransactions.
Microtransactions are an important revenue-generating tool for gaming companies. But many gamers absolutely hate them. They often feel that gaming companies are forcing them to spend money on microtransactions to level up their character and make progress in the game easier.
When a game like Elden Ring doesn’t join the club, it’s bound to turn a lot of heads.
Elden Ring doesn’t have microtransactions and that’s perfect
The lack of in-game purchases indicates that FromSoftware knew Elden Ring could be financially successful on its own. Selling tens of millions of copies is probably enough to meet the company’s profit expectations.
FromSoftware knows that if you manage to create a fascinating game that naturally creates hype, more people will buy it. The larger the player base, the higher the profit for the company. Create an amazing product, and let things happen naturally. That’s the recipe they’ve used so far.
Then, there’s also the question of how much profit a company wants to makes off a game. Are they happy with $5M, $50M, or the sky is the limit? Depending on the target profit, their monetization strategy may change.
FromSoftware value their community more than money
What does a gaming company value more: money or its community? If it’s money, then in-game purchases, subscriptions, DLCs, and other similar products will likely be offered to gamers. But if a gaming company values its community more than it values money, games will be designed with gamers’ happiness in mind, not around money.
FromSoftware could have easily had a deluxe edition of Elden Ring that started you off with a nice set of armor and weapons. They could have asked an extra 20$ for that package. But they didn’t.
On the other hand, other gaming companies out there have implemented the microtransaction-based model extensively. In-game transactions let players buy exclusive cosmetics, as well as limited-time XP boosters. Companies that adopt this model aim for a recurring-revenue model. But not everyone likes that.
The question is: can FromSoftware trigger a change through Elden Ring’s success? Will gaming companies reconsider their microtransaction-based model after witnessing Elden Ring’s success? Only time will tell.
What’s your stance on this? Do you wish Elden Ring had microtransactions? Comment down below.
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