3 Rationalizing and Resisting

Core player concerns underline the statements made by developers and journalists, but they often attempt to be both introspective and change the industry. Part of the player discussion about spending is an effort to explain, justify, or rationalize their own spending. This approach offers insight into what players see as legitimate and where they object. Players often discuss payments in games in loaded terms, and broader stories about paying for free-to-play games are typically written as either a confessional or circus sideshow. There are also points of resistance, where players collaborate in efforts to avoid paying or to change the monetization schemes of a key game. Beginning with an overview of player discourse provides the perspective to shift to four key case studies about spending in free-to-play games.