All for the love of the game
Ragnarok’s comeback in the form of Ragnarok M: Eternal Love has been a hit, with both old and new fans enjoy spending hours and real money in the game. Spending copious amounts of cash to improve your character is part of the game, but some players love the game so much that they are willing to spend literally millions of Pesos (when converted) just to obtain a rare in-game item.
The latest of these insane spending involved an auction where player MambaaElChap—an Indonesian player who leads the guild VoltZ—won in an auction for the Key of Heaven mount by placing a bid of 360,000 Big Cat Coins (BCC). Based on Ragnarok M’s Recharge Center, one BCC translates to around Php 9 when converted. Since the winning bid price is 360,000 BCC, that means MambaaElChap spent around Php 3.240 million Pesos in real money just to get that rare item that is only usable in the game.
The Indonesian player is known to be a heavy spender in Ragnarok M. Prior to winning the auction for the Key of Heaven, MambaaElChap also purchased the Ghostring Card by placing a bid price of 35,875 BCC—or around Php 320k in real money.
For those who may ask, the Key of Heaven is a mount usable by all job classes that offers an increase in Movement Speed by 50%. Given the nature of the item, it cannot be enhanced, refined, or enchanted. Items like these are considered as end-game items as they give the biggest boost possible in order for one’s character to stand out in major battles.
While it is easy to criticize players for spending that much money for a game where they could have used it somewhere else (like a downpayment for a house, a really nice car, or just invest said money in stocks), it is part of their passion and love for the game. We have our priorities in life, and let us respect theirs. Who knows, players like MambaaElChap actually earn a lot in online gaming, especially with the promise large prize pools in professional eSports tournaments.
