Video games are a great way to escape the daily routine – and have a knack for surprising us. One of their most unexpected twists is how seemingly worthless in-game items are treated like treasure – and often traded between players. From the glittering skins in Counter-Strike to turnips in Animal Crossing, here are some eyebrow-raising digital items in our favorite games.
Counter-Strike: The Skins
Some of the best-known such items are the skins in the multiplayer shooter Counter-Strike. They have no intrinsic value in the game – all they do is change how the players’ weapons and hands look. While some Counter Strike skins come with bragging rights, their value in the game is nil. But this doesn’t mean they are not valuable.
First, you need a crate. Then, you need a key. Both of these can be acquired in-game or bought for real money on the Steam community marketplace. The skins are hidden inside the crates that you can open with the keys. And, depending on the skin’s type, look, and feel, it can be sold for various prices. From a common sticker that’s given away for free or sold for a few cents, you can go to items like the battle-scarred StatTrak™ Skeleton Knife “Crimson Web” which is one of the most sought-after skins today.
Animal Crossing: New Turnip Horizons
Animal Crossing has become incredibly popular during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the daily dose of escapism many of us craved during the lockdowns. And it came with an unexpected benefit: teaching us about the stock market.
The “Stalk Market” (pun very much intended) is the place where players can buy and sell their turnips. It has random fluctuations of the price, with variations of bearish and bullish trends throughout the week.
The community took the Stalk Market very seriously. Someone even created a Turnip Calculator to try to predict patterns in the game.
Rocket League: More Than Just Decals
Rocket League is one of the most interesting forms of eSports today. It is a game where you play futuristic soccer… with super-powered cars. It’s an incredibly fun game to play, and nothing short of spectacular. And it comes with its own in-game items that players have started to trade.
You see, your car in Rocket League can be heavily customized. The items you can customize it with come in flavors from common (Base) to Exotic, Black Market, Premium, and others. You can get – or trade – everything from car bodies to decals. Of course, they are purely cosmetic – but this doesn’t stop players from craving them.
While you can’t really sell your in-game items (only trading in works at the RL Garage), this seems to be another in-game economy in the making.
Is it the thrill of customizing your in-game persona? Or perhaps an innate instinct to trade what you have? Whichever the case, these in-game items are treated like commodities and traded more seriously than some real-life goods.
