We are proud to announce that PCGamingWiki is launching a new microtransactions section in all of our PC game articles. Many PC gamers don't have a clue about what they are getting into before they install the latest 'free-to-play' game, 'game as a service' multiplayer shooter or new 'live service' singleplayer game. These games could contain manipulative loot boxes, hopelessly unfair grinds or game imbalancing pay-to-win unlocks. At PCGamingWiki, we want to provide absolutely clear information as to how each game is monetized and what microtransaction techniques are being employed. We want people to know whether the game includes solid DLC or expansion packs that deliver solid content post-release, or whether their game features real money gambling mechanics, or keeps their best content behind paywalls or premium subscriptions.

Microtransaction categories and definitions

Central to our project is the definition of each microtransaction category. We have got in contact with the creators of Microtransaction.Zone (a fantastic website which has sadly not updated since 2018) and they have kindly given some advice to adapt their microtransaction tags to our new categories on PCGamingWiki. These new Microtransaction categories are: Loot box - A variation of microtransaction where the player purchases a loot box where there is a chance to receive varying qualities of in-game item, similar to gambling. Cosmetic - Cosmetic microtransactions are any paid additional content that are designed to be cosmetic and does not substantially affect gameplay, such as skins, hats, decorative items etc. Unlock - Purchase of microtransaction content that affects gameplay and is not solely cosmetic. 'Unlocks' are normally chunks of a game that have been already developed and have been 'locked', and can be 'unlocked' with a purchase. This commonly includes individual characters, maps, levels, weapons, armors, etc. Boost - Allows player to pay to accelerate progress in a game, whether it is faster speed, levelling, level skipping, boosting % chance to find rare items, etc. Currency - Being able to purchase in-game currency whether it's gold, gems, tokens, crafting materials, credits, V-Bucks, etc. which in turn are used to buy other microtransactions, or can be traded for account credit. Infinite cap - Game has microtransactions that can be purchased over and over again without any limit. This is in contrast to finite cap games that have a limit. Pay-to-skip - The game's 'main' rewards can be achieved or grinded for without payment, but payment unlocks those rewards faster or instantaneously. This list is a first draft and we welcome feedback on definitions on how these will be implemented. We have also added the following Monetization categories: Ad-supported DLC Expansion pack Freeware Free-to-play Player trading Subscription New categories will appear in the Infobox Microtransaction/monetization categorisation is part of the Taxonomy project. Editors can simply add the tags by adding this code to the {{Infobox_game}} template at the top of the game article using this code: |taxonomy = {{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/monetization | ad-supported, dlc, expansion pack, freeware, free-to-play, player trading, subscription | ref= }} {{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/microtransactions | boost, cosmetic, currency, finite cap, infinite cap, loot box, pay-to-skip, unlock | ref= }} You can find up to date code and definitions on the Taxonomy project page, with detailed instructions on how to implement the new categories.

You might notice that at the moment these categories barely contain any games. We need new editors and help from the PC gaming community to help us to sort and categorise each game article. You don't need an account to edit, but if you create an account and login, you can browse and edit our website without any ads.



Microtransaction section We have also added a new text area under the Availability to precisely list and explain how each microtransaction affects the game. This valuable area will explain exactly how each game uses microtransactions and provides an opportunity to warn players of any particularly problematic microtransactions. Example of new Microtransactions header in game Apex Legends See these examples which represent a first draft: Apex Legends Destiny 2 World of Warcraft A new set of instructions is listed in the Editing_guide/Microtransactions, which contains a detailed guide. Each bullet point should match the Infobox category. The code for this area and also reproduced here:

===Microtransactions=== *'''[[Currency (microtransaction)|Currency]]''': Begin with this row to explain how real money is directly exchange for in-game currency, and also how it is earned in-game. Try not to mention other currencies unless necessary. *'''[[Loot box (microtransaction)|Loot box]]''': What drops from the loot box *'''[[Cosmetic (microtransaction)]Cosmetic]''': *'''[[Unlock (microtransaction)|Unlock]]''': *'''[[Boost (microtransaction)|Boost]]''': *'''[[Pay-to-skip (microtransaction)|Pay-to-skip]]''': Emphaisize that despite Boosts existing, all important content can be acquired through grinding on the base subscription/free tier. *'''[[Infinite cap (microtransaction)|Infinite cap]]''' / *'''[[Finite cap (microtransaction)|Finite cap]]''':

We need editors

Our project is quite ambitious and we are making new changes that needs more manpower, and we are looking for new editors to help categorise all these microtransactions and help our fellow PC gamers. Furthermore, this is a brand new section and we are really looking for feedback on the categories, names, definitions, suggesting new categories, layout and more!

If you have a suggestion please leave a comment on this post, or hop onto our Discord onto the #projects channel for more immediate feedback. Let's fix PC gaming!

