![]() As a self-identified introvert, one high-spender felt that Genshin fit their gaming preferences better than other live service games. Others were simply accustomed to paying top dollar for the things they wanted. Some players were very calculated about their spending. Why do they whale if the game can be played for free? “I decided I’d be a lot pickier about characters I want to get constellations for going forward, which has helped me keep my spending this year much lower.” “ didn’t cause me financial hardship, but it probably would have if I had continued,” said Jay, who had spent over $16,000. A few told me that they used leaks to plan ahead. Except for the players who wanted to pull every single character, all of the whales I spoke to would plan ahead, not spending anything until those times when a character they really wanted actually became available, often waiting months for those windows of opportunity to arise. ![]() ![]() Others were aiming to maximize their favorite character’s abilities and weaponry, but didn’t plan to whale beyond that. A few admitted that they scaled back their spending because it was negatively affecting their bank account. Within those constraints, no one I spoke to was in serious financial trouble, which means that they are more likely to have a neutral or positive view of the microtransaction system. The report is limited to high spenders who were willing to speak to a reporter, despite the stigma against microtransaction spending. There is no established, hard and fast dollar amount that defines “whaling.” Ultimately, these stories are about how big spenders perceive money differently from those who don’t buy premium currency in Genshin. Meanwhile, others identified as whales after barely hitting a single grand. I received responses from players who “only” spent around $1,000 after saving for over a year, and did not feel that they qualified as whales. “People in whale communities usually have more than one place they invest their money.”ĭolphins are gacha players who are willing to spend significant amounts of money, but are considered a step below the fabled whale. “ are people who spend money in because it’s a lesser vice,” said an anonymous player who spent $8,000. They’ve spent $3,000 on the game since it launched in 2020. “ Genshin’s whaling audience is primarily adults with enough income coming in to support their hobbies,” said Moss, an 18-year-old restaurant worker who currently attends college. These whales worked in IT, mergers and acquisitions, software, accounting, investment banking, and cybersecurity. Since it typically requires a lot of money to be able to spend thousands of dollars on a video game, the higher-end whales I spoke to had well-paying occupations. Those who were not wealthy told Kotaku that they still lived with their families. I spoke to players who worked in government, transportation, legal, food service, and retail. Some of these whales are long-term gacha players who are used to spending considerable amounts of money in pursuit of characters that they wanted. But if you want one, then you’ll have to set aside over $5,000. ![]() Not every whale goes that far, even for their favorite character.
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