Editing Theme (computing) (section)

== Video gaming ==
[[File:Ittle Dew alt costumes in Slap City.png|500px|thumb|A set of alternate recolors for a single character in ''Slap City''.]]
In [[video games]], the term "skin" is similarly used to refer to an in-game character or cosmetic options for a player's character and other in-game items, which can range from different color schemes, to more elaborate designs and [[Costume|costumes]]. Skins are often awarded as [[Unlockable (gaming)|unlockable]] content for completing specific in-game goals or milestones. Skins can sometimes include historical incarnations of the player character (such as [[Insomniac Games]]' ''[[Spider-Man (2018 video game)|Spider-Man]]'', which includes unlockable skins based on [[Spider-Man]]'s past comic book and film appearances),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/9/8/17831834/spider-man-game-ps4-costumes-comics|title=A guide to Spider-Man PS4's many costumes, and their comic roots|last=Carter|first=Justin|date=2018-09-08|website=Polygon|language=en|access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref> as well as crossovers with other video games (such as ''[[Final Fantasy XIII-2]]'' offering a costume based on [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]] from the ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' franchise, and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' offering costume items based on other video game characters for its customizable [[Mii]] Fighter characters).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-04-11-final-fantasy-13-2-assassins-creed-costume-dlc-released|title=Final Fantasy 13-2 Assassin's Creed costume DLC released|last=Phillips|first=Tom|date=2012-04-11|website=[[Eurogamer]]|language=en|access-date=2020-01-24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/9/4/20850211/sans-undertale-smash-bros-ultimate|title=Sans from Undertale joins Smash Bros. Ultimate as a Mii Fighter costume|last=Lee|first=Julia|date=2019-09-04|website=Polygon|language=en|access-date=2020-01-24}}</ref> ''[[Fortnite Battle Royale]]'' has similarly featured extensive uses of licensed properties as the basis for skins,<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://skycoach.gg/blog/fortnite/articles/fortnite-beginner-guide| title=Fortnite basis skins| accessdate=2023-02-19}}</ref> also including non-gaming properties such as comic book characters,<ref>{{cite web|last=Goslin|first=Austen|date=February 6, 2020|title=Harley Quinn is officially coming to Fortnite|url=https://www.polygon.com/fortnite/2020/2/6/21126183/harley-quinn-fortnite-skins-birds-of-prey-challenges|access-date=February 6, 2020|work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]}}</ref><ref name="ew thanos">{{cite magazine|last=Romano|first=Nick|date=May 7, 2018|title=Thanos is coming to Fortnite for epic Avengers: Infinity War crossover|url=http://ew.com/gaming/2018/05/07/thanos-fortnite-avengers-infinity-war/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507155418/http://ew.com/gaming/2018/05/07/thanos-fortnite-avengers-infinity-war/|archive-date=May 7, 2018|access-date=May 7, 2018|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref> the [[National Football League]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hernandez|first=Patricia|date=2018-11-05|title=Fortnite will start selling NFL skins this week|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/5/18064380/fortnite-nfl-skins-football|access-date=2021-11-06|website=The Verge|language=en}}</ref> and musicians.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Webster|first=Andrew|date=2020-04-20|title=Travis Scott is touring inside Fortnite this week|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/20/21227852/fortnite-concert-travis-scott-astronomical-schedule-date|access-date=2021-11-06|website=The Verge|language=en}}</ref>

Skins are sometimes distributed as part of [[downloadable content]], and as [[pre-order]] incentives for newly-released games. In the 2010s, skins were increasingly deemed a [[Virtual goods|virtual good]] as part of monetization strategies, especially within [[free-to-play]] games and those otherwise treated [[Games as a service|as a service]]. Via [[microtransaction]]s commonly known as "[[loot box]]es", a player can earn a random selection of in-game items, which may include skins and other cosmetic items of varying rarity. While often defended as being similar in practice to [[booster pack]]s for [[collectible card game]]s, researchers have deemed loot boxes to be "psychologically akin to gambling",<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Drummond|first1=Aaron|last2=Sauer|first2=James D.|date=June 18, 2018|title=Video game loot boxes are psychologically akin to gambling|journal=Nature Human Behaviour|volume=2|issue=8|pages=530–532|language=En|doi=10.1038/s41562-018-0360-1|pmid=31209310 |s2cid=205565143 |issn=2397-3374}}</ref> and their inclusion in full-priced games have faced criticism from players for being an anti-consumer practice.<ref name="kotaku oct102017">{{cite web | url = https://kotaku.com/fall-loot-box-glut-leads-to-widespread-alarm-1819328610 | title = Fall Loot Box Glut Leads To Widespread Alarm | first = Jason | last = Schreier | date = October 10, 2017 | access-date = October 10, 2017 | work = [[Kotaku]] }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/09/loot-boxes-have-reached-a-new-low-with-forza-7s-pay-to-earn-option/|title=Loot boxes have reached a new low with Forza 7's "pay to earn" option|last=Machkovech|first=Sam|date=2017-09-29|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us|access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref> They have largely been supplanted by "[[Battle pass|battle passes]]", which are collections of in-game challenges and goals that unlock reward tiers over a short- or long-term period.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Davenport|first=James|date=2018-07-05|title=Battle passes are replacing loot boxes, but they're not necessarily a better deal|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/battle-passes-are-replacing-loot-boxes-but-theyre-not-necessarily-a-better-deal/|access-date=2020-01-24|website=PC Gamer|language=en-US}}</ref>

Via the [[Steam (service)|Steam]] platform, ''[[Counter-Strike: Global Offensive]]'' and ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'' also allow players to trade these items, which has led to communities devoted to [[bartering]] them for real-world money, as well as [[skin gambling|gambling]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/counter-strike-global-offensive/how-counter-strike-global-offensive-is-turning-into-the-worlds-most-exciting-esport|title=How Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is turning into the world's most exciting eSport|website=[[PCGamesN]]|date=January 2015 |language=en-GB|access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref><ref name="trade websites">{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/features/2014/5/22/5590070/steam-valve-item-trading|title=The hidden world of Steam trading|first1=Mitch|last1=Bowman|date=May 22, 2014|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526001248/http://www.polygon.com/features/2014/5/22/5590070/steam-valve-item-trading|archive-date=May 26, 2015|access-date=January 6, 2016}}</ref><ref name="saved1">
{{cite magazine|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/how-400-virtual-knives-saved-counter-strike/|title=How $400 virtual knives saved Counter-Strike|magazine=[[PC Gamer]]|publisher=[[Future plc]]|first=Evan|last=Lahti|date=September 17, 2015|access-date=February 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170111083031/http://www.pcgamer.com/how-400-virtual-knives-saved-counter-strike/|archive-date=January 11, 2017|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}
</ref><ref name="armsdealupdate">
{{cite magazine | url = http://www.pcgamer.com/cs-go-arms-deal-update-adds-more-than-100-weapon-skins-supports-esports/ | title = CS: GO Arms Deal update adds more than 100 weapon skins, supports eSports | magazine = [[PC Gamer]] | date = August 14, 2013 | access-date = July 18, 2016 | first = Curtis | last = Coe | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160708060440/http://www.pcgamer.com/cs-go-arms-deal-update-adds-more-than-100-weapon-skins-supports-esports/ | archive-date = July 8, 2016 | url-status = live | df = mdy-all }}
</ref>

Online games from East Asia, such as Tencent's ''Honor of Kings'' and NetEase's ''Justice'', are especially famous for their commercializations and selling of skin, which more often than not changes not only a game character's audiovisual appearance but also its play feel. Being a cultural product, skin has also inccurred serious political and cultural debates in China.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sh-Chen |first=Yedong |date=2023-09-01 |title=China in the Skin: In Search of a Chinese Video Game |url=https://read.dukeupress.edu/prism/article-abstract/20/2/395/387430/China-in-the-SkinIn-Search-of-a-Chinese-Video-Game?redirectedFrom=fulltext |journal=Prism |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=395–416 |doi=10.1215/25783491-10992770 |issn=2578-3491|doi-access=free }}</ref>