The Terrifying Future of Video Games Taking Your Money

This hilarious video by Cracked.com raises the horrifying spectre of paying for video games, then paying again to be able to compete on a level playing field.

Be warned that the video includes bleeped-out profanity.

The video features two friends playing video games side by side on a couch at home. One friend is playing a poppy mobile game called Blobber Blast (“You blast these little blobbers. There’s so many of them!”) and the other is playing a console based online multiplayer game.

The friend with the console game expresses frustration that he can’t follow an opposing player because she’s moved into a section of the game he hasn’t paid for yet.

“Wait, so there’s a part of the game you already own,” says friend #1, “that you can’t access without paying more money? Is it an important part?”

“Not always,” says friend two. “Just in my current situation. Or if a part of the game’s not ready yet, they’ll package the patch like it’s a really cool extra thing when they’re really just fixing a part of the game that didn’t work. Or if they want to incentivize pre-orders by offering a special in-game item or something, or just think that they can squeeze a few bucks out of idiots who will pay to change the color of their horse or whatever.”

“And they’ll do that?” says friend #1. “Idiot’s do that?”

“Sometimes,” his friend admits. “Me sometimes. If the horse color is sweet.”

Paid Video Game Extras Are Everywhere

The pair then get into a debate over whether the pay-to-play features make sense. Friend #2 explains that he’s just had to pay $3 to follow his opponent into a silo she’s hiding in so he can finally defeat her. Friend #1 asks if he can also pay more to buy a more powerful gun, and asks how that’s even a fair test of skill.

To his shame, it turns out that friend #1 has paid before to continue playing his mindless poppy game, “Blobber Blast.”

Some Insulting Paid Video Game Extras

In fact the trend of DLC (Downloadable Content) games charging more money for extras is blossoming fast. Video games charge extra for upgraded armor and weapons, “skins” for weapons (paint jobs) and extra power.

The game “Dead Space” charges $2.25 for faster-firing guns. The game “Call of Duty: Black Ops” added a “zombie” mode that players could access for an additional $15. “Street Fighter III” released a “color pack” for $3, which are invisible online to other players unless they’ve also bought the pack. Perhaps the worst paid extra in the video game world is a $2 hairstyle for your Xbox avatar that makes it look like Snooki from The Jersey Shore.

Source: The 10 Most Insulting Things Video Games Charged Money For – Cracked.com