Game Economy

World of Warcraft has been fighting gold inflation for 20 years. Every expansion - new faucets, new problems. Why are some MMOs stable while others drown in gold?

• **EVE Online** - the player-driven economy is so complex that CCP hires PhD economists
• **Diablo 3 Auction House** - a failure: real-money trading destroyed game feel and was removed
• **Genshin Impact** - gacha brings in billions but is criticized for gambling mechanics

Sinks & Faucets

**Faucets** - sources of resources in the game. Quests, loot, match rewards, daily logins. **Sinks** - where resources go. NPC purchases, crafting, repairs, taxes. The balance between faucets and sinks determines economic health.

**Golden rule:** Sinks should be desirable, not punishing. Repair - a bad sink (frustration). Crafting cool items - a good sink (value exchange).

**Types of sinks:** - **Mandatory** - repairs, travel (irritating) - **Optional** - cosmetics, conveniences (preferable) - **Aspirational** - endgame purchases, status (best option)

Inflation in Games

**Inflation** - the growth of currency in the economy faster than the growth of goods. In MMOs this is a classic problem: veterans accumulate millions, newcomers can't afford anything.

**Inflation in multiplayer ≠ inflation in singleplayer.** In a single-player game inflation is part of the power fantasy. In an MMO it destroys the economy and drives away newcomers.

**Methods to fight inflation:** - **Luxury sinks** - expensive optional items (mounts) - **Decay mechanics** - resources lose value over time - **Currency binding** - some currency can't be traded (soulbound gold) - **Seasonal resets** - full or partial economy wipe

Monetization Models

**Monetization** - how a game makes money. The entire design depends on the chosen model. A premium game ($60) is designed differently than an F2P game with gacha.

**Whale economics:** in F2P games 5% of players (whales) generate 50%+ of revenue. This creates tension between 'design for everyone' and 'design for whales'.

**Ethical monetization:** - Cosmetics only (Fortnite, LoL) - Battle pass with predictable rewards - Respecting time - can play without purchases - No predatory mechanics (pity systems instead of pure gacha)

F2P Balance

**F2P balance** - making a game fair for paying and non-paying players. Key principle: paying players save time, not buy power. 'Pay to skip, not pay to win.'

**'Friction' design:** F2P games intentionally create friction (grind, wait timers) to sell convenience. Ethics depends on degree: slight friction = ok, impossible grind without payment = exploitative.

**Signs of a healthy F2P:** - **Ceiling, not floor** - paying players reach max faster, not higher - **Sidegrades** - paid options aren't strictly better - **Earnable premium** - premium currency can be obtained for free - **Transparent odds** - if there's RNG purchasing, odds are public

Key Ideas

• **Faucets create resources, Sinks destroy them.** The balance between them determines inflation
• **Inflation destroys multiplayer economies.** Aspirational sinks and currency binding are the main countermeasures
• **Ethical F2P: pay for time/expression, not power.** Cosmetics and time-savers are ethical, P2W is not

Related Topics

Game economy connects many systems:

• Resource Systems — Economy is built on top of resource design
• What is Balance — Economy - balance between players with different spending

Вопросы для размышления

• What sinks exist in your favorite MMO? Are they frustrating or aspirational?
• Have you encountered an F2P game you consider P2W? What specifically makes it unfair?
• If you were designing an F2P game, what monetization model would you choose?

Связанные уроки

• gt-03