UC Santa Cruz

This paper provides a pattern library of monetization methods that are common in games today, providing a resource for future designers and computational media, psychology, and business researchers to reference in their work. Such strategies as battle passes, loot boxes, premium currency, DLC, and subscriptions are discussed. The psychology, fairness, and narrative aspects of each strategy is examined in depth. The idea of games as a service is also examined as a framework for modern monetization models. A short history of games is also presented, to give background and context to the emergence of modern monetization models.