Gacha games have been in the industry for a long time and they are almost in every platform in PC, consoles and in the mobile industry where it is very prevalent. But what does it do to make people so addicted to it and what do you need to know to get your head in the game? Today, we will be discussing about gacha games and how do you make the most bang out of your buck!
Introduction
Gacha games are virtualization of the mechanic used in Japanese vending machine called gashapon or gachapon where you deposit a sum of money and you spin a tuner to let the machine drop a capsule containing something random but within the category shown in the machine. For example, some gashapons contains anime character merchandise such as figures, ballers, pins, etc. Imagine that concept in video games, and that's how gacha games work.
With the rise of the mobile game industry, comes with the rise of various game genres and that includes gacha games. Some of the most grossing games in the Google Playstore and Apple Appstore are in the genre of gacha games. But why is it that way, you ask? Simple, it is because you play a risky gamble to get what you want. Some have high rolling rates and some have abyssal rolling rates but the value depends on the player itself. Do you play for the novelty of the characters or the ability to collect them all and have a diverse range of characters?
Luck of the Rolls!
Gamers who are participating in gacha games usually have two styles of playing and it depends on what they want to achieve in a game. Let's first talk about those who love the thrill of the game, the ones who value the novelty of a certain characters. Those who search for novelty prefer to get certain characters because it's either strong gameplay-wise or attractive in their eyes. Some of them aim for waifus and husbandos while others would love to be the player who has the most powerful characters so they wait for their banners (the event where certain characters are available or where they have their rate-ups) to pull the characters that they wanted.
These players usually are in games where the rates are very low so they tend to save their rolling materials in order to use in one big splurge to attempt acquiring a character they desire. For example, in Fate Grand/Order where their rolling rates are very low (it is estimated that you need to have 300 Saint Quartz in order to have a chance to get a 5-star Servants), players tend to save their materials to wait for their desired characters so they don't spend it on other banners and wait for to arrive.
These games who have high novelty characters usually get high amounts of revenue because players desire their characters so much that they are willing to bite the bullet and spend money through a microtransaction in order to get more rolling materials. However, it's still a risk that they need to accept that they might not be lucky to get that character despite rolling a lot of times to get them. Lady Luck doesn't seem to have smiled at them at all.
Gotta Catch Them All!
While some games are based on the novelty of the characters and usually being accompanied by abysmal or low gacha rates. Some games are attracting players by their ability to collect all of them with their high gacha rates. These games focus on collectibles that you can easily get because usually at the end of the day, you can get them easily by rolling for a few rolling materials and acquiring them.
Players in this game who are usually playing as collectors are usually farming for the rolling materials every day despite being a hardcore or casual player, they get all the materials they can get in a day so that when a new banner shows up they can get easily the characters that they want. Games such as Azur Lane (where to get an SSR, the highest of the rarities, there is a 7% chance of rolling them to pull them from a banner) are usually attracting collectors who would want to obtain all characters from the game. While some do only collect from a certain faction, you can not deny that they still fit in the category as they can and plan to get all characters in said pool than getting one or two. That's their goal so they collect materials to collect their characters.
These games with high gacha rates usually capitalize on other monetization plans such as skins where your characters get special outfits and costume that you can get using their premium currency or expansion upgrades that you can get also using premium currency to expand your inventory to get more characters in the game. While it still makes you buy from microtransactions, you get what you want without risking it through a rolling method so some players prefer it.
The Argument between the Two
Usually, player bases are usually in conflict and turmoil when they discuss which games are the best. Some are dissing games who focus on collectibles because "why even play a gacha game when you can get all" making the novelty of pulling from a banner useless. While the argument of the collectors are "better to get them all than none at all" which they think it would be a waste of time when you agonize and mourn at yourself for not getting a character you desire, making yourself do drastic decisions.
And while both of them have their points, honestly, it does not matter...
My Take
If you ask me, it's all about what you want to get in a game, some players prefer to feel pride and accomplishment for getting this character, sure, please revel in your victory. It's your reward. On the other hands, players smile and feel great when they get all of it in their account, that's acceptable too. Both sides don't need to bicker on the others in their catharsis, let them be happy on what they want to be happy.
After all, there is still something you need to consider...
Lady Luck and RNGesus
These are usually the aliases of a mechanic used in drawing lottos and is being used in games such as these as well. The Random Number Generator, well this is the mother of their algorithms but usually they use RNG. It draws from a certain number and the drawn number will be the result. If the banners have certain character on rate-up then it would have a higher chance in the RNG.
However, some people are still losing out in gacha games whether they have a lot of rolling materials or less. Some meanwhile win it all by using less materials. How can we explain this? It's just pure luck. While it is theoretically possible to rig it, there are no evidences that it is rigged for someone, it's just the name of the game, I guess Lady Luck is not smiling on you.
Conclusion
With these types of games, maybe you have an idea on how some games operate which you can base on if you want to play a gacha game, remember to check your savings and your tendencies as it will dictate on how you will win or lose, both virtually and financially, in video games! In the next article regarding gacha games, let's talk about whaling and its arising problems!
Introduction
Gacha games are virtualization of the mechanic used in Japanese vending machine called gashapon or gachapon where you deposit a sum of money and you spin a tuner to let the machine drop a capsule containing something random but within the category shown in the machine. For example, some gashapons contains anime character merchandise such as figures, ballers, pins, etc. Imagine that concept in video games, and that's how gacha games work.
With the rise of the mobile game industry, comes with the rise of various game genres and that includes gacha games. Some of the most grossing games in the Google Playstore and Apple Appstore are in the genre of gacha games. But why is it that way, you ask? Simple, it is because you play a risky gamble to get what you want. Some have high rolling rates and some have abyssal rolling rates but the value depends on the player itself. Do you play for the novelty of the characters or the ability to collect them all and have a diverse range of characters?
Luck of the Rolls!
Gamers who are participating in gacha games usually have two styles of playing and it depends on what they want to achieve in a game. Let's first talk about those who love the thrill of the game, the ones who value the novelty of a certain characters. Those who search for novelty prefer to get certain characters because it's either strong gameplay-wise or attractive in their eyes. Some of them aim for waifus and husbandos while others would love to be the player who has the most powerful characters so they wait for their banners (the event where certain characters are available or where they have their rate-ups) to pull the characters that they wanted.
These players usually are in games where the rates are very low so they tend to save their rolling materials in order to use in one big splurge to attempt acquiring a character they desire. For example, in Fate Grand/Order where their rolling rates are very low (it is estimated that you need to have 300 Saint Quartz in order to have a chance to get a 5-star Servants), players tend to save their materials to wait for their desired characters so they don't spend it on other banners and wait for to arrive.
These games who have high novelty characters usually get high amounts of revenue because players desire their characters so much that they are willing to bite the bullet and spend money through a microtransaction in order to get more rolling materials. However, it's still a risk that they need to accept that they might not be lucky to get that character despite rolling a lot of times to get them. Lady Luck doesn't seem to have smiled at them at all.
Gotta Catch Them All!
While some games are based on the novelty of the characters and usually being accompanied by abysmal or low gacha rates. Some games are attracting players by their ability to collect all of them with their high gacha rates. These games focus on collectibles that you can easily get because usually at the end of the day, you can get them easily by rolling for a few rolling materials and acquiring them.
Players in this game who are usually playing as collectors are usually farming for the rolling materials every day despite being a hardcore or casual player, they get all the materials they can get in a day so that when a new banner shows up they can get easily the characters that they want. Games such as Azur Lane (where to get an SSR, the highest of the rarities, there is a 7% chance of rolling them to pull them from a banner) are usually attracting collectors who would want to obtain all characters from the game. While some do only collect from a certain faction, you can not deny that they still fit in the category as they can and plan to get all characters in said pool than getting one or two. That's their goal so they collect materials to collect their characters.
These games with high gacha rates usually capitalize on other monetization plans such as skins where your characters get special outfits and costume that you can get using their premium currency or expansion upgrades that you can get also using premium currency to expand your inventory to get more characters in the game. While it still makes you buy from microtransactions, you get what you want without risking it through a rolling method so some players prefer it.
The Argument between the Two
Usually, player bases are usually in conflict and turmoil when they discuss which games are the best. Some are dissing games who focus on collectibles because "why even play a gacha game when you can get all" making the novelty of pulling from a banner useless. While the argument of the collectors are "better to get them all than none at all" which they think it would be a waste of time when you agonize and mourn at yourself for not getting a character you desire, making yourself do drastic decisions.
And while both of them have their points, honestly, it does not matter...
My Take
If you ask me, it's all about what you want to get in a game, some players prefer to feel pride and accomplishment for getting this character, sure, please revel in your victory. It's your reward. On the other hands, players smile and feel great when they get all of it in their account, that's acceptable too. Both sides don't need to bicker on the others in their catharsis, let them be happy on what they want to be happy.
After all, there is still something you need to consider...
Lady Luck and RNGesus
These are usually the aliases of a mechanic used in drawing lottos and is being used in games such as these as well. The Random Number Generator, well this is the mother of their algorithms but usually they use RNG. It draws from a certain number and the drawn number will be the result. If the banners have certain character on rate-up then it would have a higher chance in the RNG.
However, some people are still losing out in gacha games whether they have a lot of rolling materials or less. Some meanwhile win it all by using less materials. How can we explain this? It's just pure luck. While it is theoretically possible to rig it, there are no evidences that it is rigged for someone, it's just the name of the game, I guess Lady Luck is not smiling on you.
Conclusion
With these types of games, maybe you have an idea on how some games operate which you can base on if you want to play a gacha game, remember to check your savings and your tendencies as it will dictate on how you will win or lose, both virtually and financially, in video games! In the next article regarding gacha games, let's talk about whaling and its arising problems!
