The analysis revealed that some in-game purchasing systems could be characterized as unfair or exploitative. The design features were analysed in relation to the consumer rights and guarantees described in the terms of use agreements of the patent assignees. Attention was directed towards the analysis of patents for potential in-game purchasing systems, with 13 identified on Google Patents.
This review examines consumer protections related to in-game purchasing by anticipating some of the potential design strategies that might contribute to higher risk consumer behavior. Video games as a consumer product have changed significantly with the advent of in-game purchasing systems (e.g., microtransactions, ‘loot boxes’).