It’s not all fun and games when it comes to gaming. Sometimes we have to get our hands dirty with raw, unadulterated economics if we want to ensure that our gaming buys are being justified. And, out of all the ways you could choose to pay for video games, peripherals, and in-game content, Razer hopes that you’ll want to use its freshly revealed method.
Dubbed zVault, the green snake-embroidered hardware and software company has launched a “virtual currency platform” based on what it calls zGold units. Razer describes the service as a digital wallet that specifically caters to gamers, with points earned by using zGold being redeemable toward actual Razer products.
“The introduction of zVault is all about giving value to gamers with secure payment convenience and a great rewards program,” said Min-Liang Tan, CEO and co-founder of Razer. “This is much more than a club or credit card perks program or micro-transaction solution.”
zGold’s value is reminiscent of Microsoft’s points system from the Xbox 360, that is, 100 zGold is worth $1 in cash. Razer zVault customers can use zGold to make purchases in-game while earning what is known as zSilver as a reward. Put simply, zGold is purchased with PayPal, Openbucks, Paysafecard, or any major credit card. zGold can be purchased in 3,000 ($30), 5,000 ($50), and 10,000 ($100) portions.
The currency is then used to safely purchase digital content initially within games developed by Hi-Rez Studios such as Smite and Paladins, as well as those from Smilegate West, creators of CrossFire and LostSaga. We’ll also see zVault supported in online game shops IndieGala and GamersGate. At a later date, Trion Worlds also plans to implement zGold compatibility into its six-title catalog.
“Our ultimate vision is a complete gamer economy expanding from the zVault ecosystem,” Min-Lian Tang continued. “It’s social, interactive and truly useful, opening the doors to a safer way of doing business and an expansive rewards market for our fans.”
zVault was originally seeded exclusively to a limited selection of Razer’s community fanbase. Within the first six weeks of its initial run, zVault amassed well over 1.4 million unique page views. Over 770,000 wallets have been registered to date by users donning Razer IDs. The average amount of zGold spent on each transaction? 5,198 zGold (or $51.98).
