In-game purchases in online games, on the example of the CS: Go video game

This article is devoted to the study of in-game products in online games using the famous «CS: GO» game as an example. In-game products are digital goods available for purchase in the game world, including weapon skins, cosmetic accessories, personalized gameplay elements, etc. However, there is some controversy in the scientific literature related to focusing the discussion on the issue of the ethics of such purchases and singling out the group of adolescents and schoolchildren as the most susceptible to purchases of the products mentioned above. The author emphasizes the need to study not only groups of teenagers and schoolchildren, but also consider the group of adults from 25 to 35 years old to understand the motivations and factors influencing their in-game purchases. Such studies are important for developers and regulators, as the main audience of «CS: GO» video game gamers is in the 25 to 35 age range.