Det kræver ikke megen fantasi at forestille sig, at kosmetiske mikrotransaktioner i populære live service multiplayer-spil som Fortnite og Counter-Strike 2 skaber et hieraki blandt særligt de yngste spillere, der skaber dette hieraki baseret på om hvorvidt man har købt det nyeste nye.
Det er åbenbart præcis det der sker blandt de yngste spilentusiaster, og systemerne er åbenbart designet til netop at facilitere den slags adfærd. To norske forskere, Kamilla Knutsen Steinnes og Clara Julia Reich, der begge arbejder ved Oslo Metropolitan University, fik faktisk til opgave af det norske Børne- og Undervisningsministerium at undersøge hvordan mikrotransaktioner i spil påvirker børn, og resultaterne er ret slående. De siger dette til ScienceNorway om deres resultater.
"There is still much to learn about the social dynamics within children's virtual worlds and governments and policymakers worldwide are interested in this topic from a regulatory perspective. Video games are also an important part of children's everyday lives and there is little research on young people's digital consumption in a Norwegian context. The pressure to fit in resembles what is already taking place in other contexts but takes on new forms. Some children might end up feeling excluded if they lack the resources (e.g., Wi-Fi, gaming equipment, in-game currency) to play with their friends or might get picked on based on what 'skin' they are wearing."
De har primært undersøgt norske børn mellem 10 og 15, og via en række dybdegående interviews kunne slå fast at der ikke er nogen opdeling imellem deres online og offline verden, og derfor opstår der lige så meget digitalt hieraki baseret på de midler man har som der gør offline. Desuden siger de to forskere, at problemet er kun blevet værre efter udgivere er blevet bedre til at markedsfører spil, skins og virtuel valuta:
"There are important differences when comparing video games to other leisure activities among children. In football, for example, children may get exposed to commercial content such as banners for football shoes, typically for a limited time within a given physical context (e.g., during training at the football court). Video games, however, employ a variety of tailored marketing strategies to constantly target children and their need to feel a sense of belonging and individuality. Moreover, we found various deceptive design strategies (i.e., 'dark patterns') in games and a lack of regulation. This implies that young people have less consumer protection online compared to physical arenas."
De har heller ikke meget til overs for dem der bevidst skjuler at børnene faktisk bruger rigtige penge.
"Some children talked about various strategies they used to protect themselves from commercial influence, such as not visiting the in-game shop or doing chores (like vacuuming) instead of playing video games. Social influence was added to the commercial pressure, where the children wanted to stay updated on 'skin-trends' and to belong in-game among peers."
Du kan læse mere om undersøgelsen via Crossplay.