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[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

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Japan's SMBC Consumer Finance has released this year's results of their annual online survey on the spending habits of Japanese people in their 20s. With exactly 1000 participants in the age range of 20 to 29, the survey, conducted in February 2025, researched the relationship young people have with spending money in many different areas of life, including gaming.

The gaming-related portion of the survey mainly focused on in-game transactions and how willing Japanese people are to spend on them. A surprising 18.8% of the participants said that "they once spent so much money on in-game purchases that they couldn't cover their living expenses," and out of all respondents, 23.9% admitted to regretting spending money on in-game transactions.​

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When the participants were asked whether they agree with the statement "I'm willing to pay to have an advantage in-game," 17.9% of them agreed. Out of all male participants, 23.8% agreed with the statement, which is 7.6% more than the last year's result – in 2024, to the same question, only 16.2% of men answered yes. As for the statement "I can't enjoy the game if I don't make in-game purchases," 20.8% of the respondents said that they agreed, which is 2.7% more compared to last year.​

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The statistics also show that women seem to be considerably less likely to spend money on in-game purchases than men. However, if we compare last year's results with the data from this year, it becomes clear that the percentage of women who spend money on in-game transactions has also risen. To give an example, this year, 18.4% of women disclosed that they can't enjoy the game if they don't make in-game purchases, which is 2.6% more compared to 2024. In the same category, the number of men with positive answers has increased by 2.8% compared to last year. Simply put, women are following the trend at almost the same pace as men, with the proportion remaining more or less as-is.​

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According to the survey results, the number of people who spend money on gacha and other games that offer microtransactions has overall risen by 5.8% – from 15.8% in 2024 to 21.6% in 2025. However, interestingly enough, while these results indicate that the popularity of in-game transactions may be increasing, the average amount of money spent on them is actually decreasing. In 2024, young people spent an average of around 5,138 yen ($35.85 USD) on microtransactions per month while this year's survey results state that the average amount of money spent on microtransactions is 4,247 yen ($29.63 USD) per month.​

Source - Automaton West
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[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

JP bros and sisters, you need to have more self-control...

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

The solution is easy.

Count gacha pulls as living expenses.

 

[Mayar]

Thick Thighs Save Lives - If you need help, write or blink, we'll think of something.
This is a complex problem, and it goes beyond Japan, things are no better in China or Korea. In Japan, the gaming culture is still at a very high level, they also love arcade machines, and the problem of the same Pachinko machines has not disappeared. They will not be able to solve this problem quickly. They have entire generations growing up on this.

 

[Peroroncino]

As a heavy-ish spender, I cannot even imagine going so far as to:

1) not put some money aside for that month
2) not have enough for normal expenses/bills

Once you do that - party/game/gacha as hard as you want, but ffs there are priorities.

 

[skneogaf]

I had to do an Internet search to what that is! Seems point to me.

 

[T4keD0wN]

Hopefully it gets better once theyll have to disclose how much pulls cost in real world currencies next to the in-game ones.

 

[Punished Miku]

Sounds like it's working as intended.

 

[AJUMP23]

Gambling addiction is real. They like Gambling like I like food. I understand the way it works, have to build the discipline. Japan also needs to get out there find a spouse and have a bunch of kids.

 

[CLW]

Now do US and Fortnite

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

When you're stressed out all the time, borderline depressed and see no positive future for yourself, yeah that's what a lot of people will resort to to numb the unbearable.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Thick Thighs Save Lives - If you need help, write or blink, we'll think of something.
This is a complex problem, and it goes beyond Japan, things are no better in China or Korea. In Japan, the gaming culture is still at a very high level, they also love arcade machines, and the problem of the same Pachinko machines has not disappeared. They will not be able to solve this problem quickly. They have entire generations growing up on this.

I'm in that ballpark with my mtx spending per month, tbh (okay, maybe I'm a bit higher than the JP bros), but I've never whaled in any of the gachas I'm playing or have played. I'd rather miss out on the character and/or sig weapon than whale since that's a slippery slope.

In 2024, young people spent an average of around 5,138 yen ($35.85 USD) on microtransactions per month while this year's survey results state that the average amount of money spent on microtransactions is 4,247 yen ($29.63 USD) per month.

 

[robor]

Holy shit, and I thought pachinko was bad....

 

[Gaiff]

Starting to think Japan isn't the utopia with anime, games, and beautiful waifus who want nothing more than a handsome gaijin to sweep them off their feet that I was led to believe.

 

[ssringo]

Another way to put it is "Almost 19% of Japanese people in their 20s have a gambling problem".

 

[poodaddy]

 

[Sakura]

I used to work with a guy in Japan who some months was spending as much as he made that month.
Fortunately I think he dialed it back after a bit.

 

[Paasei]

Idiots.

 

[mayham2199]

I like the Mihoyo gacha games. I put like 300 hours in Genshin. I only spent money once and it was really because I put so much time into Genshin I felt like I should give them $50. The funny thing is spending the money and buying wishes made the game less fun. Part of the game is doing all the objectives which get you currency to make wishes. If you just buy the wishes it seems pointless. It's like buying an SP game and then spending $50 to get to the end of the game with an OP character and fight the final boss.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

"i don't get it...those PS5 hardware sales have to be wrong. they aren't buying games. look at these famitsu physical sales numbers"

This is where Sony is making money in Japan. That's why they go after all those games.

 

[Doom85]

 

[Magic Carpet]

Baka Baka Baka

 

[Outlier]

What do you expect when you work people to the bone?
They'll k*** (metaphorically and sometimes literally) themselves for that escape.

This is why the 1st world nations are hitting the wall.

 

[Deerock71]

 

[Fbh]

Pretty insane a big percentage gambles so much of their income and it's not even on the chance of actually making money but on a chance for some virtual waifu in a game.

What do you expect when you work people to the bone?
They'll k*** (metaphorically and sometimes literally) themselves for that escape.

I'm pretty sure we are allowed to write the word Kill here lol

 

[Sub_Level]

Dishonerabu.

 

[Holammer]

Thank the stars for my stubborn refusal to "game" on the phone.

 

[kiphalfton]

That's what happens when women only put out for like 5% of the male population.

 

[Outlier]

Pretty insane a big percentage gambles so much of their income and it's not even on the chance of actually making money but on a chance for some virtual waifu in a game.



I'm pretty sure we are allowed to write the word Kill here lol

I'm trying give a veil of reduced negative posting.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Spending your last dollars on food or rent = Survival

Spending your last dollars on mtx or gacha = Dumbassery

 

[Setsuna Mudou]

That's what happens when women only put out for like 5% of the male population.

you forgot the /s at the end there... at least I hope you did

 

[Nankatsu]

This shit is scary.

I've whaled a bit back in the day, not gonna deny that, when responsibilities where more soft in life and I was going through a bad phase.

Learned my lesson.

Still play a gacha game here and there but in a much more controllable, responsible and healthier way.

 

[kiphalfton]

you forgot the /s at the end there... at least I hope you did

Nope. It's one of the leading cause of death for attractive people.

 

[Kerotan]

They should rename it "Gotcha".

 

[Tajaz2426]

Because they are fucking morons, just like anyone else who spends money in storefronts. Peak "Idiocracy".

 

[StreetsofBeige]

I'll never experience the mentality of blowing money on mtx/gacha stuff. I can understand people who have money to blow can afford it and not really care, but for people down to their last dimes you'd think it'd be time to hang up the spending.

Only mtx I ever bought were COD map packs during the 360 era, and I think I bought one Gears map pack for 800 Xbox pts. Memory is hazy on the Gears one. I think I bought it, unless it was a free download for all. That's it.

Any time I see mtx I balk at buying it, but will still play the game if it's good. If it's a mtx heavy game you can tell you got to do it in order to progress well or I tried a F2P demo and e-store pop screens are all over, I ignore playing it totally.

If you want to cut back on the itch to buy stuff, just dont have your credit card on file in your profile. It should curb your spending if you got to enter the info for every purchase. I never have mine on file. I just buy $50 Xbox cards when I get around to shop at Costco and those are a bitch to enter the code! Not having your credit card info on file also prevents the small chance you get hacked and a thief has your info.

 

[mèx]

Odd Taxi Episode 4 is real.

 

[Gonzito]

Imagine spending all your money in anime cartoons characters and you cant even eat. Man...

 

[Minsc]

Making bad financial decisions sounds pretty on par for 20-year olds.

 

[N0S]

Should spend it on pachinko slots

 

[Utamaru1706]

I'd say vtubers are a much bigger problem than gacha, because people can easily spend thousands on super chats very frequently, all because they wanted the vtuber to notice them.

Like, take a look at the biggest ones out there like Korone, Fubuki, etc, you'd be surprised when you saw people just throwing money via super chats non-stop throughout their stream...

 

[Hector Hall]

On the way to ludopaty.

I wonder at what point all that gacha and white whales extracting will be recognized as gamble/ludopaty.

 

[Hawk The Slayer]

Never get those huge spending either for all those "waifu trash" especially when most of those gacha designed them like little girls.

 

[realcool]

That's what happens when women only put out for like 5% of the male population.

Even so, the birth rate over there is far below replacement level. If they're putting out, it's for recreation or their occupation, but not procreation.

 

[apple_of_enlightenment]

Ah, a survey, must be true.

 

[SegaSnatcher]

They would rather waste money playing some waifu garbage than actually socialize with each other. Very Sad.

 

[Doom85]

Even so, the birth rate over there is far below replacement level. If they're putting out, it's for recreation or their occupation, but not procreation.

Considering how their intense work culture absorbs so many of their lives that they have little to no time or energy to socialize, it's not surprising.

 

[Crayon]

You know, physical gatcha capsules are really expensive. My friend's daughter was playing a mobile game featuring those, and didn't know they were real. So I picked up a bunch of them for her while I was there and those little bastards are 2-10usd each. Most around $3-4. For her brother, I could get little tamiya motorized cars for like $5-7.

 

[Icymanipulator]

I enjoy f2p and gacha games but I always put a hard cap on how much I'll spend on these games. Never more than the price of a new game, so around $70.

There have been a couple cases where I have continued to played the game for more then 2 years in which case I allow myself a "dlc" purchase and allow another $30 or so but this rarely happens as most games I drop before the 2 year mark.

I think part of the fun of these games lies in not having everything which makes each account unique. And then just doing the best you can with what you have. Also being smart and saving for either meta characters or characters you just really like helps. You can't go in as a mostly f2p player expecting to obtain every character and/or weapon. Only way to do that is to spend constantly. And it's absolutely unnecessary in the vast majority of these kinds of games even for end game content.

 

[Zacfoldor]

F2P GAAS is all predatory.

I'm okay with it because freedom is scary and I generally try not to look towards the government for help, but if I did this would be the first fucking thing I'd want eradicated.

Truth is, f2p is bait and switch to the weakest and poorest in our society and allows the darkest part of the money grubbing greed world we live in into the most secure place in your home. The less well off you are the more this will hurt you and I don't like things that prey on the weak.