PCGamingWiki:Taxonomy
From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
Monetization
- Reference, Video game monetization.
- Defunct MicroTransaction Zone lists their useful tags.
| PCGW | MicroTransaction Zone | Definition to be modified | Notes | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ad-supported | (none) | Monetized through advertisements including display banners, videos, cutscenes and product placement. | ||
| DLC | (none) | Downloadable content, also known as DLC, is content that can be paid for and is downloadable, normally consisting of substantial content updates including large story campaigns, map packs, substantially expanded gameplay. They are typically more substantial than microtransactions. | ||
| Free-to-play | (none) | Free-to-play or F2P games give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying. They often require a subscription, or are supported by advertisements, downloadable content, microtransactions or lootboxes. | Apex Legends, Fortnite, Star Wars: The Old Republic | |
| Loot box | (none) | A variation of microtransaction where the player purchases a lootbox where there is a chance to receive varying qualities of in-game item, similar to gambling. | OpenCritic flags games with loot boxes. | Star Wars: Battlefront II. Overwatch |
| Microtransactions | (none) | Game is supported through small transactions such as purchasable in-game currency, weapon skins, character skins, battle passes, etc. These are normally less substantial than DLC. | ||
| Shareware | (none) | A distributed free portion of the game that is more substantial than a demo and is often over 30% of the full game, but requires making a purchase before being able to access the rest of the game. | Doom | |
| Subscription | (none) | Monetized through a continuous ongoing payment from a player, often in one month or one year increments. Once the subscription runs out, the game is no longer accessible or is accessible in a very limited form. This is distinct from subscription services which allow access to multiple games, for example Origin Access. | World of Warcraft |