I was looking at various lists of MMO games etc the other day when I noticed that a lot of them claim to be entirely free, but then accept payment by microtransaction. In computer security, etc, microtransactions are very small amounts of money transfered in real time for services (ie for torrents and traffic routing, though that's not actually implemented in public p2p networks)
What are microtransactions with reference to games, how much do they cost, and why are they important in 'free' games?
Best Answer
In the context of online games, a micro-transaction is the exchange of real world money for some in-game good or service. Most often these are small purchases in the range of $1 to $5.
Some game designers use micro-transactions as a way for players to further customize and personalize their characters, leaving out the purchase of in-game items that may affect a players stats and game balance.
Micro-transactions are popular among free games because they provide the developer with a source of revenue, while allowing players to play through much (or all) of the game for free. One benefit of this model is that it can lead to a larger player base than would be possible with a standard pay to play model.