Hero Bank

[Mystic Monkey]

Okay, so my question is, how the hell does the economy in Hero Bank work?
Hero Bank
What is Hero Bank? It's a Sega game for the N3DS around the concept of these devices called Bankfon Gs that allow players to parttake in "Hero Battles" which is combat between virtual avatars called Heroes... however while players own and keep their Bankfon Gs when it comes to heroes they can only rent them, as far as I'm aware no one owns their Hero avatars, all players must spend money regularly to keep their prefered Heroes.

Never heard of this Sega game? Neither did I until I watched the anime (spoiler alert, it ends with golden poop!)

Thing is in Hero Battles, money isn't just spent on digital content you can't even keep. Hero Battles have live spectators where viewers can donate money to empower the competitor they want to win, so it's kinda like betting only the money goes into rigging the battle and instead of the money distributed to the winners it all goes to the company.

So yeah, it's like if Ed, Edd 'n Eddy made a super high tech japanese video game. Also Hero Battles is like the "Duel Monsters" of that world, as in it's one of those trending games that become a pillar of society.  I've watched the anime years a go, but to this day I always wonder, how the hell does the fictional economy of the world of Hero Bank work? I've heard cases of individuals who become so addicted to premium mobile gaming that they spend hundreds to thousands of pounds/dollars on a weekly basis and require help from these addictions... but imagine if a whole country was doing it and glorified it! Especially Japan's actual economy which is the third largest in GDP but they have strict business practices.
I might watch it again sometime in hopes second time around I might get more sense to this question.

[Berto]

Watched few episodes of the anime and I still don't get it either.
It's as silly as Pokemon or Shin Megami Tensei.
I remember the games were success in Japan, also the Famitsu score is quite good too :

Hero Bank (3DS) – 9/9/8/9 [35/40]
Hero Bank 2 (3DS) – 9/9/8/8 [34/40]

But still I understand the decision of SEGA of America for not wanting to localize the game.
The game feels targeted only for Japan market.
Without the anime and manga accompany it, it's kinda hard to make us hype about the game.

[Mystic Monkey]

I've only found out about Hero Bank when I was looking up "Anime by Sega" and found it. I decided to binge watch the whole thing but it had one of those stories that had an answer for the immediate questions of the lore but never answers for smaller yet just as important questions. And I hate it when anime and games does this.

I forgot the name of the Bankfon Gs manufacturers but they became like the Microsoft of Japan in Hero Bank. The show glorifies monetary gain which honestly I find a refreshing concept. Usually characters who are all about making excessive wealth are usually depicted as villains, such as those who are willing to pave concrete over the rainforest for profit. But characters like Scrooge McDuck prooves a protagonist can still be honest, just and noble and still have straight-up greed and wealth as part of their personality traits. Making profit isn't a bad thing and honestly should be more encouraged. A rich person doesn't mean they're evil by some nature.

But the thing is the reason why the group (the protagonist, the nerd, the bully-like jock, I forgot their names but remember their tropes) are all about making money is because they're in debt over some sort of super Avatar and they need to spend some of their earnings on rental avatars and other fights.

So it's like a "House Always Wins" thing but there is no gambling involved. It's straight up giving money to the Bankfon Gs manufacturers in order to feel a sense of empowerment in a video game. It's like "premium accounts" but with a higher price and without the free standard accounts.
It's like, the ultimate Ed, Edd 'n Eddy scam.