Upcoming zombie survival game The War Z is offering players a greater incentive to stay alive by destroying items bought with real money upon death.

In most free-to-play MMOs you can purchase items that last for a certain number of hours and then wear off, and also items that you can keep forever, however if you die in The War Z you will lose everything including any items you bought from the cash shop.

Hammerpoint Interactive’s PR rep, Alex Josef, told Cinemablend, “Yes, you’ll lose what you have in your backpack when you die – both in Normal and Hardcore modes. And yes, if you bought something using real money, you’ll lose that item as well. This is a price you’ll have to pay.”

“This will provide a pretty good incentive for players to either be extra cautious while playing, or just not spend too much money in the game,” he added.

I don’t really agree with this approach, if I’ve paid for something using my own money then I should get to keep it no matter what, if it’s bought with in-game currency then losing it is perfectly fine. This approach could put some players off buying anything from the cash shop through fear of losing it.

Is this approach a little too harsh or does it add to the realism of the game? Share your thoughts below.