Endowment Effect
The tendency to overvalue things we already own, once a player possesses an item or character, they perceive it as more valuable than before they had it.
In games, this means
Free starter characters, trial weapons, and temporary item loans exploit the endowment effect, giving players something before asking them to pay to keep it. Once owned, the item feels more valuable than its purchase price. This is why free trials convert better than discount offers of equivalent economic value.
Tags
Psychology
Monetization
Ethics