Machine Games

Paidic Money and Ludic Gambling Currencies in Novel Slot Machine Games

This theoretical paper by Jani Kinnunen examines how money functions within novel slot machine games that incorporate in-game currencies capable of being converted into real-money bets.

• The paper argues that money in hybrid gambling-gaming products sits on a continuum from paidic potential to ludic, context-specific currency, drawing on Simmel, Zelizer, and Caillois' paidia/ludus distinction.
• Convergence of gambling and digital gaming, especially via social casino games and free-to-play mechanics, has produced a double currency system in which soft and hard in-game currencies blur the boundary between real money and game-specific value.
• Hard in-game currencies are positioned closer to the paidic end because they can be exchanged for game items or back into real money, while soft currencies are more clearly tied to a game's internal value.