80 added, 40 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: game-monetization
group: Craft
description: >-
Design free-to-play economies, battle passes and cosmetic shops with anti-predatory guardrails.
Use when designing battle passes, gacha, in-game economies, or IAPs.
---
- # Game Monetization
- Design free-to-play economies, battle passes and cosmetic shops with anti-predatory guardrails..
+ # game-monetization
- ## Process
+ ## Core Philosophy
+ Video game monetization is not tricking players with manipulative dark patterns, predatory gacha mechanics, or pay-to-win combat advantages that destroy competitive integrity. Sustainable, high-LTV game monetization is built on mutual respect, long-term retention, authentic player celebration, and vanity-first cosmetics. Whether designing free-to-play (F2P) battle passes, premium DLC expansions, or community creator economies, monetization must enhance the player experience rather than hold it hostage.
- 1. **Intake & Scope Definition**
- - Identify specific objectives, inputs, constraints, and operational context.
- - Inspect existing project documentation, configurations, or relevant repository assets.
+ ---
- 2. **Analysis & Strategic Formulation**
- - Evaluate options against best practices, security posture, and domain requirements.
- - Deconstruct complex components into discrete, actionable phases.
+ ## 4-Step Sustainable Game Monetization Architecture
- 3. **Execution & Synthesis**
- - Produce structured, production-grade deliverables matching the required format.
- - Ground all recommendations in concrete project evidence rather than abstract generalities.
+ ### Step 1: Monetization Model Selection & Guardrails
+ 1. **The 3 Ethical Monetization Models**:
+ - *Premium Upfront ($20–$70)*: Full game unlocked; optional paid story DLC expansions.
+ - *Free-to-Play Cosmetic / Battle Pass*: Core competitive gameplay is 100% free and fair; monetization driven strictly by cosmetics, emotes, character skins, and audio packs.
+ - *Subscription / Season Pass*: Continuous content delivery for dedicated enthusiasts (e.g. MMOs).
+ 2. **The Non-Negotiable Anti-Predatory Guardrails**:
+ - **Zero Pay-to-Win (P2W)**: Money must never buy statistical power, faster cooldowns, or competitive advantages in PvP.
+ - **Probability Transparency**: If randomized cosmetic drops (loot boxes) are used, exact drop probabilities must be displayed mathematically on screen down to 0.01% (enforcing China/EU statutory mandates).
+ - **Spending Limits & Minor Protection**: Enforce spending velocity caps and parental verification gates.
- 4. **Review & Refinement**
- - Validate against the verification checklist and domain edge cases.
- - Highlight open questions, explicit trade-offs, and next milestones.
+ ### Step 2: Battle Pass Progression Architecture
+ 1. **Dual-Track Progression (Free vs Premium)**:
+ - *Free Track*: Grants enough currency, consumables, and modest skins to make non-paying players feel valued and engaged.
+ - *Premium Track ($10 / ~1,000 Hard Currency)*: Grants exclusive seasonal skins, custom animations, weapon charms, and enough earned hard currency to fund the *next* season's pass if completed.
+ 2. **Linear vs Non-Linear Progression Curves**:
+ - Avoid aggressive grind walls: Target **50–70 hours** of casual gameplay across a 90-day season to complete 100 tiers.
+ - Provide daily and weekly gameplay challenges that reward XP without dictating frustrating, disruptive playstyles.
- ## Deliverable & Output Format
+ ### Step 3: Virtual Economy & Currency Sinks
+ 1. **The Two-Currency System**:
+ - *Soft Currency (Earned Gameplay Only)*: Gold / Credits earned by playing matches. Used for baseline character upgrades, weapon repairs, and basic customization.
+ - *Hard Currency (Purchased with Real Cash)*: Gems / Coins purchased via storefront. Used exclusively for premium cosmetics and battle passes.
+ 2. **Inflation Control & Sinks**:
+ - Soft currency sinks (crafting fees, cosmetic unlocks) must mathematically match soft currency generation rates to prevent hyperinflation.
- ### 📋 Executive Summary
- - **Objective:** Key goal addressed
- - **Status:** Complete / Action Required
- - **Primary Recommendation:** Core actionable conclusion
+ ### Step 4: The Rotating Cosmetic Shop (FOMO vs Respect)
+ 1. **Rotating Storefront Discipline**:
+ - Feature a rotating catalog of curated cosmetic bundles.
+ - Provide clear direct-purchase options (players can buy the exact item they want directly without buying 20 mystery boxes).
+ - Maintain evergreen availability for signature legacy items to minimize toxic FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).
- ### 🛠️ Detailed Implementation / Analysis
- - Concrete technical, operational, or strategic specifications.
- - Clear code, configuration, or documentation blocks where applicable.
+ ---
- ### 📌 Decisions & Next Steps
- - [ ] Immediate action items with designated owners.
- - [ ] Required dependencies or prerequisite milestones.
+ ## Deliverable Format: Game Economy & Monetization Specification (`MONETIZATION-SPEC.md`)
- ## Instructions & Operating Rules
+ ```markdown
+ # Economy & Monetization System Specification: [Game Title]
- - Lead directly with actionable findings and structured results.
- - Never introduce speculative abstractions or unrequested complexity.
- - Maintain consistency with existing architecture and naming conventions.
- - Provide explicit rationales for non-obvious trade-offs.
+ ## 1. Core Model & Ethical Guarantees
+ - **Model**: Free-to-Play Multiplatform Tactical Shooter
+ - **P2W Policy**: 100% Cosmetic Only (Zero stat advantages, zero paywalled weapons)
+ - **Primary Revenue Levers**: Seasonal Battle Pass ($10) + Direct Cosmetic Storefront
- ## Verification & Quality Checklist
+ ## 2. Currency Architecture
+ | Currency | Type | Source | Primary Sinks | Inflation Safeguard |
+ |---|---|---|---|---|
+ | Credits | Soft Currency | Match completion, daily quests | Base gun recolors, profile banners | Fixed repair fees per match |
+ | Stellar Gems| Hard Currency | Real-money purchase ($1 = 100 Gems) | Battle Pass, Legendary Hero Skins | Fixed direct prices |
- - [ ] Deliverable directly satisfies all stated user requirements and criteria.
- - [ ] Edge cases, boundary conditions, and error states are addressed.
- - [ ] Output contains zero placeholder tokens, broken references, or unverified claims.
- - [ ] All cross-references and formatting comply with repository conventions.
+ ## 3. Seasonal Battle Pass Progression (90-Day Season)
+ - **Tier Count**: 100 Tiers (Free Track: 30 rewards | Premium: 100 rewards)
+ - **Completion Horizon**: ~60 hours of gameplay (Avg 45 mins/day)
+ - **Currency Recirculation**: Completing the Premium Pass earns 1,000 Stellar Gems (100% cost of next pass).
- ## Anti-Patterns & Constraints
+ ## 4. Storefront Pricing & Transparency
+ - Common Skin: 300 Gems ($3.00)
+ - Rare Skin: 800 Gems ($8.00)
+ - Legendary Hero Bundle: 1,800 Gems ($18.00)
+ - *All items available via direct purchase; zero randomized loot boxes.*
+ ```
- - **NEVER** output generic boilerplate without grounding in specific project inputs.
- - **NEVER** silently omit unresolved contradictions or unverified assumptions.
- - **NEVER** make unrequested modifications outside the stated deliverable boundary.
+ ---
+
+ ## Worked Example: Turning Around Player Revolt Over Aggressive Monetization
+
+ - **Crisis**: Players revolted when a shooter introduced a paid character that had 10% faster health regeneration. Steam reviews tanked to "Mostly Negative".
+ - **Remediation**: Leadership immediately removed all combat stats from the character; refunded all purchases in hard currency; issued a public apology pledging a permanent "Cosmetics-Only" charter.
+ - **Outcome**: Community trust restored; long-term Battle Pass retention increased 45% over subsequent seasons.
+
+ ---
+
+ ## Verification Checklist
+
+ - [ ] Zero competitive combat advantages or pay-to-win items sold for cash.
+ - [ ] Premium Battle Pass returns sufficient hard currency to purchase the next season.
+ - [ ] Progression curve allows casual players to finish tiers within season limits (50–70 hrs).
+ - [ ] Soft currency generation is balanced with durable economic sinks.
+ - [ ] Direct purchase is supported for all featured cosmetic assets.
+
+ ---
+
+ ## Anti-Patterns
+
+ - **Pay-to-Win Sneakiness**: Selling weapons that are statistically superior to free weapons.
+ - **Energy / Paywall Chokeholds**: Blocking players from playing matches after 30 minutes unless they pay "energy refills".
+ - **Predatory Probability Manipulation**: Secretly altering drop chances to force whales into spending thousands on unannounced odds.