Video games have come a long way since the days of Pong and text-based RPGs. Games these days are more realistic, cinematic, and all in all a more immersive experience than it ever was. Whether it’s a colorful adventure wherein a hero goes after a villain to save the princess, or gritty simulations of war, fantastic voyages involving dragons and trolls, or being able to live the lives of your favorite athletes, video games have gone beyond a simple “geek” activity to being an integral part of our society. With the development of online technology, we are now able to play our beloved video games with people all over the world, finally turning gaming into the community it has always been perceived by true gamers.
With this evolution in gaming comes the more practical side of the whole thing. The use of video games has brought forth the necessity to purchase points, items, and content to increase the allure of certain games. With this comes the need for a credit card suitable for online gamers. Here are attempts made by certain companies to fulfill that need:
The Playstation Network
The Playstation network (PSN) is Sony’s portal that helps players set up accounts that allow them to redeem rewards, download content, and basically play online with everyone else on the network. In the network is the Playstation store wherein users can purchase items with their wallet, funded by a user’s credit card. This system has been successful in providing gamers with an easy way to acquire their gaming needs with a credit card, excluding—of course—the short period of time in 2011 when the Network suffered a worldwide outage.
The World of Warcraft (WoW) Rewards Visa
The popular online game is ideal for online gamers. With a reward system that gives players points for simply playing the game, using the WoW Rewards Visa is the perfect accompaniment for the MMORPG. And, as a cool treat, players can also opt to put their custom players as the face of the actual credit card.
The Nintendo Points Card
Most of the other companies have virtual points systems that you pay for with credit cards. Nintendo, on the other hand, has points cards you need to purchase to get points for the Wii or the Nintendo DSi. These cards can also be purchased online using a credit card. While not the best way to use a credit card for your gaming, Nintendo does offer some nifty exclusive add-on content. (Plus, these make excellent gifts for your gamer friends.)
Gamers in general are somewhat torn about the matter of having to use their credit cards for playing video games. Some feel that the enjoyment of playing games is no longer the same as gaming has seemingly become a cash grab for most game manufacturers. Others see this as a great way to expand on the gaming experience, what with the convenience of online credit card transactions, the ever expanding content of video games that are available for only a small amount of money and the online capabilities of gaming today. No matter what side of the issue you are on, this is the next step in the gaming experience. If the alternative is to not play video games at all, then most people are more than willing to pay extra costs to keep on playing.
Technogin 