While most games are action-based fighting games or roleplaying (RPG) games, Gacha games, a unique game style focused on collecting in-game items, have recently increased in popularity.
Gacha games encourage players to spend copious amounts of in-game currency to get items. Players obtain the in-game currency by playing or buying it using actual money.
According to Qustodio, Gacha games first grew in popularity in the 2010s, originally named “Gashapon” or “Gachapon,” which was a type of toy vending machine popular in shopping malls, arcades, and convenience stores across the country.
Eventually, the name was shortened to “Gacha,” and now, this form of gaming is one of the top forms in the world.
Spending money on games isn’t a problem, but it becomes one when players spend hundreds or even thousands trying to get one singular in-game item. According to Sensor Tower’s list of the top-grossing games of 2021, Genshin Impact, a popular Gacha game that rose in popularity during that year, generated about $153.4 million, and 33% of that money came from players spending money within the game.
Many younger children also enjoy playing such games. According to a study published by the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), out of the 713 participants who play Gacha games, 10.4% were under 18 years old.
While that does seem like a small percentage, there may be even more underage users. For instance, according to ParentZone, Genshin Impact sets their age rating as 12 years and over. This game doesn’t have a verification system to check if children are lying about their age, meaning it could easily have several underage children playing it.
Since Gacha games appeal to all demographics, they can develop some bad habits, especially for younger children, as their minds are constantly growing and adapting. Gambling is one habit that most kids adopt through these games. According to a study published by the McCreary Centre Society, about two-thirds of adolescents from ages 12-18 said that they had gambled or had played games that involved gambling.
Similarly, according to the American Psychological Association, those with low incomes with more to gain from a big win are more susceptible to gambling addictions. According to the Gambling Health Alliance (GHA), 22% of young gamers have spent over $126. Since children don’t have the means to create income, they use their parents, often borrowing money, to continually fuel their addictions. This pattern exhibits the same behaviors as that of gamblers.
Additionally, those who are desperate for the items resort to stealing. According to the GHA, 15% of gamers had taken money from their parents without permission. Many gamblers in debt find themselves considering and sometimes executing this sort of stealing. According to a report done by the U.S. Department of Justice, nearly one-third of gamblers admitted to committing a robbery to pay for gambling or gambling debts.
Gambling also stimulates your brain’s reward system, creating an ever-increasing addiction. Gaming addictions can be very dangerous and are similar to addictions to drugs and alcohol. It also is blinding, making it hard for one to stop. The same can be seen in video games. According to the GHA, 31% of young gamers reported struggling to track their spending on in-game items.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like Gacha games’ popularity will decline anytime soon. New technology means new ways to make games better, which means more addictions and more revenue for game producers.
Unless certain preventions are taken, such as age limits to these games or in-game trackers to check on how much money a person has spent, young children will grow up in debt. They will live their lives incapable of halting their addictions until they can get that hit of dopamine they’ve been starved of for most of their life, draining all of their money in the process.
