In some cases, it's working.
In news that will make you say “huh,” TouchArcade found a bizarre trend that’s popped up on GoFundMe, a crowdfunding website typically reserved for raising donations to pay medical bills and other important expenses.
Confounding Fortnite players are creating GoFundMe campaigns begging people to donate money so they can buy V-Bucks, Fortnite’s premium currency (100 V-Bucks cost $1). V-Bucks can be spent on optional in-game items, such as skins that change the appearance of the player’s in-game character.
TouchArcade found that if you search GoFundMe for “I need vbucks,” you get thousands of results. A few have actually received donations, but most haven’t.
While spending V-Bucks isn’t required to play and enjoy Fortnite, the community tends to look down upon “no skins” – players who compete in the battle royale game using a default skin that everyone gets for free.
If nothing else, these GoFundMe campaigns show off players’ collective ingenuity. If your teens are considering creating one though, remind them why GoFundMe actually exists. Encourage them to earn V-Bucks from you by creating tasks for them to complete around the house. That way, you’ll feel better about letting them use your credit card since they will have earned their fancy new skin.
Brandy Berthelson has been writing about video games and technology since 2006, with her work appearing on sites including AOL Games, Digital Spy, and Adweek. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.
