Gacha! All fun and games until you got addicted
Gacha in videogames has been around since early 2010 and became one of the most popular game mechanics in Japan. The popularity of Gacha games has spread internationally because of their interesting mechanics. Mobile gamers and collectors got a hook into these games. However, Gacha didn’t originally start as a videogame. It was first a vending machine known as Gachapon containing small capsules with a random toy inside. There is no way of knowing which item you’ll get and that is the fun part of it.
Gacha collect them all!
Gacha games operates like Gachapons. The difference is it’s run by RNG or Random Generated Numbers and it is a lot more accessible. Some of the popular Gacha games right now are the Fate Grand Order, Genshin Impact, Fire Emblem series, and Arknights. Although a lot of these games are free-to-play (F2P) or can be played without spending real money however that also means you will have a low chance of getting your desired items or character. That is why these game mechanics are so popular with the players that love to collect.
Gacha games are rapidly evolving now, from the card turn base of Fate Grand Order to the open world of Genshin Impact. This make the games a lot more spendable worthy. The highest-ranking and most powerful characters and items are very rare and difficult to obtain. For example, the odds of getting the featured SSR (Super Super Rare) characters in Genshin Impact are 0.6%. If you are a F2P player getting limited characters is just based on your luck. Although Genshin Impact has a pity system it still can be hard and this is where it will be problematic.
All in moderation
Like every other game, Gacha can be so addicting to the point that it will harm you financially. Gacha in nature is very random, and it prompts players to spend real money, these kinds of games are the most addictive microtransaction. These are anything you can buy inside of a game. These are the items, costumes, weapons, etc. Microtransactions are almost in every new game, especially on mobile. A lot of players refer to Gacha as gambling, except there is no money being returned. There are also a lot of players complaining about Gacha, a game where everything is random and how they spend a lot of money yet get nothing in return.
Like everything in life, gaming should be in moderation as well as spending money on them. Spending so much on something that will just entertain you for a while is not healthy. Sure it’s your money and you can do whatever you want with it however it’s important to know your limitations. Enjoy the game, spend money, and know when to give up. If the limited character or item doesn’t appear no matter how many times you try then maybe try again next time they have a high drop rate.
Remember, play to have fun!
