電玩遊戲中的虛擬貨幣：遊戲玩家的陷阱？

動視暴雪、育碧（在 The SandBox 上提供 NFT Lapins Crétins）以及其他遊戲界大牌都被指控使用了精心設計的技巧

Seven video game giants are accused of manipulating consumers through the use of virtual currencies. The opacity of these currencies, which cannot be directly converted back into euros, makes it difficult for players to grasp the real cost of their purchases. This practice could impact the crypto industry.

七家電玩巨頭被指控透過使用虛擬貨幣操縱消費者。這些貨幣的不透明性無法直接兌換回歐元，使得玩家很難掌握其購買的實際成本。這種做法可能會影響加密貨幣產業。

Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft – which offers NFT Lapins Crétins on The SandBox, and other big names in gaming are being targeted by a complaint filed by several consumer protection associations. The associations are demanding action against the use of virtual currencies, which they claim are being used to manipulate consumers.

動視暴雪 (Activision Blizzard)、育碧 (在 The SandBox 上提供 NFT Lapins Crétins) 以及其他遊戲界的知名公司都成為了多個消費者保護協會提起投訴的目標。這些協會要求對虛擬貨幣的使用採取行動，他們聲稱虛擬貨幣被用來操縱消費者。

Their latest tactic? Introducing virtual currencies to encourage players to spend without being fully aware of it. Imagine this: you want to buy a stylish weapon or a fancy costume for your avatar, but, surprise, you first have to convert your euros into coins, gems, or other virtual currencies.

他們的最新策略？引入虛擬貨幣來鼓勵玩家在不完全意識到的情況下進行消費。想像一下：您想為您的頭像購買時尚的武器或精美的服裝，但令人驚訝的是，您首先必須將歐元兌換成硬幣、寶石或其他虛擬貨幣。

The problem? These conversions make the real cost of your purchases hard to grasp. Worse still, there is no way to convert these gems or coins back into euros once the purchase is made.

問題？這些換算使您難以掌握購買的實際成本。更糟的是，一旦購買，就無法將這些寶石或硬幣兌換回歐元。

Result: players end up buying more virtual currency than necessary, without understanding how much real money they have spent.

結果：玩家最終購買了超出必要數量的虛擬貨幣，而不了解他們花了多少錢。

According to UFC-Que Choisir, this opaque system deliberately biases consumers’ freedom of choice. This is where publishers, while hiding the real price of items, push players to open their wallets recklessly.

UFC-Que Choisir 表示，這種不透明的系統故意偏見消費者的選擇自由。這就是發行商在隱藏物品真實價格的同時，促使玩家不顧一切地打開錢包的地方。

The issue falls within a broader context where cryptos and virtual currencies are flooding into gaming. With the rise of Play-to-Earn, a new model where players can earn crypto while playing, the line between leisure and investment becomes blurred.

這個問題屬於更廣泛的背景，即加密貨幣和虛擬貨幣正在湧入遊戲領域。隨著 Play-to-Earn（一種玩家可以在玩遊戲時賺取加密貨幣的新模式）的興起，休閒和投資之間的界線變得模糊。

But beware, not all platforms play fair. While some, like SpaceCatch, honestly reward players who catch aliens and earn cryptos, others use dubious practices.

但請注意，並非所有平台都公平競爭。雖然有些遊戲（例如 SpaceCatch）誠實地獎勵捕捉外星人並賺取加密貨幣的玩家，但其他遊戲的做法卻很可疑。

Did you know that 42% of PC games use virtual currencies, and on mobile, this figure reaches 81%? Consumers, especially the younger ones, are easy targets. Each month, they spend on average €40 on video games without always understanding the real value of the items they acquire.

您是否知道 42% 的 PC 遊戲使用虛擬貨幣，而在行動裝置上，這一數字達到 81%？消費者，尤其是年輕消費者，很容易成為目標。他們每個月平均在電玩遊戲上花費 40 歐元，但並不總是了解他們所購買物品的真正價值。

To add to this confusion, the items offered are never displayed in euros.

更令人困惑的是，所提供的商品從來不以歐元顯示。

With such figures, publishers are not done monetizing the enthusiasm of players for virtual weapons or flashy skins.

有了這樣的數字，發行商還沒有停止利用玩家對虛擬武器或華麗皮膚的熱情來貨幣化。

In response to these practices, several consumer associations, supported by organizations such as UFC-Que Choisir and CLCV, are calling for reforms to regulate these virtual currencies. They are calling for greater transparency: it is urgent to display the prices of virtual items in real currency.

針對這些做法，一些消費者協會在 UFC-Que Choisir 和 CLCV 等組織的支持下，呼籲改革以監管這些虛擬貨幣。他們呼籲提高透明度：迫切需要以真實貨幣顯示虛擬物品的價格。

“Gamers should not need a calculator every time they want to make an informed decision“, says Agustin Reyna, from the European Bureau of Consumers’ Unions.

“遊戲玩家不應該在每次想要做出明智的決定時都需要計算器”，歐洲消費者聯盟局的奧古斯丁·雷納 (Agustin Reyna) 表示。

And what if Web3 and blockchain offered a fairer solution? Cryptos, while criticized in some cases, can also help players better manage their spending. Some projects show that Play-to-Earn game models where players actually earn cryptos are possible.

如果 Web3 和區塊鏈提供更公平的解決方案呢？加密貨幣雖然在某些情況下受到批評，但也可以幫助玩家更好地管理他們的支出。一些項目表明，玩家實際賺取加密貨幣的「邊玩邊賺」遊戲模式是可能的。

Rather than hiding the true cost of purchases, these alternatives propose that players earn currencies by actively participating in the game, while making transactions transparent.

這些替代方案並沒有隱藏真實的購買成本，而是建議玩家透過積極參與遊戲來賺取貨幣，同時使交易透明化。

Players can also turn to altcoins related to video games, offering new perspectives and fairer rewards. Here are some popular altcoins in this universe:

玩家還可以轉向與視頻遊戲相關的山寨幣，提供新的視角和更公平的獎勵。以下是這個宇宙中一些流行的山寨幣：

These currencies allow developers to create more open ecosystems focused on users, far from the opaque practices of traditional gaming giants.

這些貨幣允許開發者創建更開放的以用戶為中心的生態系統，遠離傳統遊戲巨頭不透明的做法。

Play-to-Earn is based on a simple principle: giving back to players a part of their earnings. SpaceCatch has understood this well, offering them the possibility to earn cryptos by catching aliens.

Play-to-Earn 是基於一個簡單的原則：將部分收入回饋給玩家。 SpaceCatch 很清楚這一點，為他們提供了透過捕捉外星人來賺取加密貨幣的可能性。