A gacha game (Japanese: ガチャ ゲーム, Hepburn: gacha gēmu) is a video game that implements the gachapon machine style mechanics. Similar to loot boxes, gacha games entice players to spend in-game currency to receive a random in-game item. Some in-game currency generally can be gained through game play, and some by purchasing it from the game publisher using real-world funds.
Most common gacha games are free-to-play (F2P) mobile role-playing games with an emphasis on team building and player improvisation.[1][2]
The gacha game model began to be widely used in the early 2010s, particularly in Japan.[1][2] Gacha mechanics have become an integral part of Japanese mobile game culture.[3] The game mechanism is also increasingly used in Chinese and Korean games, as well as European and American games.[3][4][5][6]
Gacha games have been criticized for being addictive, and are often compared to gambling due to the incentive to spend real-world money on chance-based rewards.
- ^ a b Toto, Serkan. "Gacha: Explaining Japan's Top Money-Making Social Game Mechanism". Serkan Toto: CEO Blog. Kantan Games. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ a b "'Fire Emblem Heroes' Is a Gacha Game - Here's What That Means". Inverse. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
GFywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Nintendo's Mobile 'Fire Emblem' Is a 'Gacha' Game, Here's What That Means". Waypoint. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
- ^ Nakamura, Yuji (3 February 2017). "Nintendo treading on shaky ground as new mobile game takes 'gacha' global". Japan Times Online.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
johannesheinzewas invoked but never defined (see the help page).