Persuasive Speech project presentation

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Name: Tamika Johnson.

Date: May 24, 2021

Exploring Micro-Transactions in Gaming

Specific Purpose Statement: To inform the audience of Micro-Transactions in the gaming industry.

Thesis: Micro-transactions are purchases for virtual items in any video game and are meant to smooth the game’s progress due to your virtual character becoming stronger, or just for cosmetic and/or any other item that a gamer can enjoy throughout the game’s experience.

Organizational Pattern: Topical

Introduction

I. Attention Getter:

A dollar is not that much many of us think. Many of us would scoff at spending thousands of dollars playing a video game, or playing something fun online. Yet, these tiny transactions add up and before you know it, you could be out of hundreds to thousands of dollars by playing to win. Microtransactions could be good for your preferences but bad for your wallet.

II. Credibility Statement:

I have done a thorough research over microtransactions in several known popular games in order to discover the meaning and the conclusion of microtransactions and the advantages and disadvantages towards the game. This information will correlate towards the references, journals and articles to prove the information is accurate.

III. Reveal the Topic or State the Thesis or provide Significance Statement:

I will be discussing about microtransactions and the good as well as the bad for the current state of modern gaming.

IV. Preview Statement

First, I will discuss the definition of Microtransactions, second, would be discussing the research behind microtransactions and how they affect or gain in the gaming industry and lastly I will discuss my own research from the popular games from over the years of gaming.

Transition: So, let’s take a look at what microtransactions are..

Body

I. Main Point: Microtransactions or in-game purchases are additional purchases towards gaining virtual items that are meant to either continue gameplay or for cosmetic purposes, this is all on top of the purchase of the game itself.

A. Supporting Material (Sub-point) According to Keller Gordon in the article ‘Microtransactions are great for game companies, less fun for players’ says “Most of the time they’re simply cosmetic, like buying a swanky set of rainbow armor for your avatar. Other times they affect actual gameplay; a player might buy an upgrade that puts them in a better position to beat an opponent online.” (Gordon, 2021)

1. Sub-subpoint (Details): This means that through real purchases towards virtual items you can dress up your avatar or if you simply do not want to wait to get the materials for the upgrade in your avatar, a microtransaction can eliminate the time being used to get the upgrade.

2. Sub-subpoint: Because of these microtransactions “most players don’t seem to mind. Spending money simply to change how your character looks doesn’t affect gameplay itself, so why should it matter?” (Gordon, 2021)

B. Supporting Material (Sub-point): “Visuals are important to players. When they buy a game, they expect an escape, a journey into some unknown world filled with action and adventure. And the scenic terrains aren’t the only visuals that matter.” (Gordon, 2021)

1. Sub-subpoint (Details): Games are meant to submerge yourself in an experience that is no match towards the reality or the real world, many people play these games to become someone that they’re not in reality or to seek adventures in the comfort of their homes.

2. Sub-subpoint: The costs of virtual items for the avatar are additional purchases that are not needed for the progress of the game and the players are spending additional funds aside from the actual game.

Transition: Now that we have established what microtransactions are, let’s explore different options that are available.

II. Main Point: There are some games that are free to play (FTP) and pay to play (PTP) these offer options to either play for free or pay to play the games, respectively. Both these options offer microtransactions but it is more common in free to play games.

A. Supporting Material (Sub-point): “Microtransactions are always a subject of controversy among gamers. They are very lucrative for the industry and give rise to low-cost games of high quality. The idea being, players don’t have to pay anything if they don’t want to.” (Anderton, 2018)

1. Sub-subpoint (Details): Microtransactions are optional to pay aside from either purchasing the game or downloading the game for free.

2. Sub-subpoint: The difference between free to play games and pay to play games is that it was meant to attract players into free to play games and to offer microtransactions for the player in order to advance the game.

B. Supporting Material (Sub-point): “This seems to work well in mobile gaming. Titles like Clash of Clans and Pokemon are able to attract a lot of players because of the low cost/free aspect of the game. This leads to a large player base that makes the game more fun to play.” (Anderton, 2018)

1. Sub-subpoint (Details): Because of this format giving players a chance of playing a high quality game for free it will attract the gamer into playing and leading them into paying additional fees or microtransactions.

2. Sub-subpoint: Paying additional fees will eventually lead the player into believing the game experience will be better if they pay to play.

III. Main Point: Since 2019 I have been playing AFK Arena, microtransactions are meant to attract the player when you are downloading a free to play game, the advertisements for this game are located everywhere: social media, entertainment platforms and so on.

A. Supporting Material (Sub-point): “This game uses AdMob, Facebook, Snapchat, Mopub and Youtube for advertising the most.” (Silvija, 2021)

1. Sub-subpoint (Details): The advertisements were falsely advertising the game and misleading the player in the actual gameplay.

2. Sub-subpoint: Because of this most of the advertisements showed false advertisement in order to bring more players to the game but there is also a risk that the player will delete the game or not download it at all.

B. Supporting Material (Sub-point): Most of the advertisements were short but provided a creative picture of what the player believes the game would be about or offer free content and gets the player interested in downloading the game “due to the diagonal composition, the eye is first drawn to the character then the attention moves to the right, following the diagonal lines” (Silvija 2021)

1. Sub-subpoint (Details): Free content and creative pictures under a concept of a high-quality game will get the attention of the player and eventually notice the great concept of the game and will eventually lead them into purchasing microtransactions.

2. Sub-subpoint: Free content are meant to draw the player into playing the game.

Conclusion

I. Signpost, One Sentence Summary.

In conclusion, microtransactions are meant to either help the player progress through the game or for the player’s preferences in cosmetics, this is the player’s choice in order to purchase their way into a virtually exceptional experience in the game.

II. Final Clincher/Impact Statement

Although Microtransactions are bad for the modern gamer’s wallet, they are lining the developers funding of games we love. It is clear to see, microtransactions are here to stay. Game over!

REFERENCES

Anderton, Kevin. “The Ongoing Controversy Of Microtransactions In Gaming [Infographic].” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 9 May 2018, www.forbes.com/sites/kevinanderton/2018/03/07/the-on-going-controversy-of-microtransactions-in-gaming-infographic/?sh=5259ed021d9c.

Gordon, Keller. “Microtransactions Are Great For Game Companies, Less Fun For Players.” NPR, NPR, 11 Mar. 2021, www.npr.org/2021/03/11/975765363/microtransactions-are-great-for-game-companies-less-fun-for-players.

Silvija. “AFK Arena Analysis: The Road to 1 Million+ Daily Active Users.” Udonis, 15 Apr. 2021, www.blog.udonis.co/mobile-marketing/mobile-games/afk-arena-analysis.

Zendle, David, et al. “The Changing Face of Desktop Video Game Monetisation: An Exploration of Exposure to Loot Boxes, Pay to Win, and Cosmetic Microtransactions in the Most-Played Steam Games of 2010-2019.” PloS One, Public Library of Science, 7 May 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7205278/.

Evers, Ellen R.K., et al. “The Hidden Costs of Microtransactions.” The Hidden Cost of Microtransactions: Buying In-Game Advantages in Online Games Decreases a Player’s Status, Published by: International Journal of Internet Science, vol. 10, no. 1, ser. 20-36, 2015. 20-36.