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Mention AAA games that incorporate microtransactions


Harvey
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So the trend of AAA games having microtransactions is starting to act as a trend in games these days.

But as of now, just how many of the games incorporate microtransactions?

Conditions are simple.

  • Microtransactions should come only on AAA games that are charged whatever amount to buy the game and still charge microtransactions despite that.
  • It can be mentioned in any system as long as the game requires payment to play it first. 

So yeah, that's pretty much it. Personally, I haven't seen much of AAA games with microtransactions although I might be wrong. Also, general rant towards microtransactions can also be allowed here to some extent.

 

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18 minutes ago, Harvey said:

So the trend of AAA games having microtransactions is starting to act as a trend in games these days.

'These days'? It feels like I've been seeing complaints about micro-transactions in AAA games for as long as I've been in that particular circle of the internet, but eh...

To be honest though, my only response to this issue is thus;

So what?

It's one of those things were the disconnect between what you see on the internet and what you see in the trends are massive. The way the internet bangs on about it, micro-transactions are the most 'anti-consumer' thing to emerge from the industry since DRM and every company that includes them should have each individual employee drawn-and-quartered. The phrase 'vote with your wallets' comes up a lot, but what people in these communities fail to realise is that people have been voting with their wallets. It's why micro-transactions have become more common rather than dying.

But back to my original point, so what if micro-transactions are a thing? If you don't want them, then nobody's holding a gun to your head forcing you to buy them.

As for AAA games that include them, Destiny 2 and Shadows of War seem to the current lighting rods, but I don't follow AAA gaming too closely.

Edited by Mortarion
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1 hour ago, Mortarion said:

But back to my original point, so what if micro-transactions are a thing? If you don't want them, then nobody's holding a gun to your head forcing you to buy them.

No, but it's very similar to in-game cheat codes, given that it cheapens the experience of getting unique skins and upgrades the same way cheat codes and passwords do. Those that get the rare loot just by being good players are open to be accused of pay to win, which causes muting, griefing, teamkilling, and other nasty online gaming problems.

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3 hours ago, Mortarion said:

So what?

It's one of those things were the disconnect between what you see on the internet and what you see in the trends are massive. The way the internet bangs on about it, micro-transactions are the most 'anti-consumer' thing to emerge from the industry since DRM and every company that includes them should have each individual employee drawn-and-quartered. The phrase 'vote with your wallets' comes up a lot, but what people in these communities fail to realise is that people have been voting with their wallets. It's why micro-transactions have become more common rather than dying.

But back to my original point, so what if micro-transactions are a thing? If you don't want them, then nobody's holding a gun to your head forcing you to buy them.

My reasoning is, when I buy a full priced game ($80 up here in The Great White North) I expect to get a full game. I don't think that's an unreasonable demand, when you buy a book or pay for a movie ticket it's the same idea. What I don't want however, is for a portion of that game's content no matter how minuscule or irreverent to gameplay to be locked behind a paywall. Content that already exists at launch shouldn't cost extra, it should come with the game you literally just bought. You are correct about nobody forcing you to buy them, that much is true. In fact, nobody is forcing anyone to fall for any anti-consumer business practices, doesn't make it any less scummy though.

Free to Play games are different story however, and I don't have too much of a problem if they have Micro-Transactions. It's just that you can't be a full priced game and have a Free to Play model which is what the "AAA" games industry tries to do because they want all of your money.

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Remember how Dead Space 3 courted controversy by adding ingame microtransactions to a series that had been praised for its immersion before that point? And how that series got forgotten after that title? Sometimes it can backfire, and people decide to put 0 instead of the ~60 they might have otherwise. That being said, the people who will complain about them are usually a vocal minority of sorts, and wouldn't reflect the whole market anyway, especially with the increase in the FTP mobile market.

I'm not someone who would pay for them, but a while ago I would be a bit angrier about them than I would be now. I blame FEH for that to some extent, even if I spent nothing as of this point.

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Yeah, micro-transactions used to be relegated to mobile or otherwise free-to-play titles. Most of what I know about AAA games that do this are the sort of deals I hear about on the Jimquisition. According to his source, an anonymous developer of Eidos Interactive for Deus Ex Mankind Divided, that game was wrapping up development when their publisher, Square Enix, demanded a system of micro-transactions be put into the game. The game was already designed perfectly with it's in-game resources, and I'm told is an honest-to-goodness great game in it's own right. The micro transactions were totally unnecessary for a single player game. And this was the same game that already created a media firestorm with its Augment Your Pre-Order campaign that was later scrapped due to consumer backlash.

I'm not really sure how I feel about micro-transactions for a single player game. On the one hand, they remind me of cheat codes. Developers used to take valuable time and resources designing and programming these codes that can break their game because it's fun to play the game that way. Sometimes the codes are made for play testers to get around and glitch hunt the game more efficiently. Then some designers looked at the code and said "playing the game like this is fun, let's leave it as an unlockable or something". The Konami Code got its start similarly, put there for the benefit of a programmer testing the game who wanted it to be easier, but he never took the time to remove the code. On the other hand, I can't imagine such micro transactions showing up in beloved single player games. Like if you were playing Dark Souls and could spend a dollar to refill your estus flasks or summon an AI phantom to help with a boss. I'm certain that From Software would have had such ideas pitched to them at least once.

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8 hours ago, Hylian Air Force said:

No, but it's very similar to in-game cheat codes, given that it cheapens the experience of getting unique skins and upgrades the same way cheat codes and passwords do. Those that get the rare loot just by being good players are open to be accused of pay to win, which causes muting, griefing, teamkilling, and other nasty online gaming problems.

1. Skins, perhaps not. But I rarely, if ever, seen games sell 'upgrades' outside of temporary loot/EXP boosts for a period of time, which really isn't that big of a deal.

2. Again, if you find it cheapens the experience, then don't buy them.

3. If you're going to get pissy at other people for buying them, then not only is that more than a little immature, you're also being just as toxic as the people in your hypothetical example.

4. Muting, griefing, team-killing and 'other nasty online gaming problems' are always a problem with gaming, because gaming subculture is overall extremely cancerous. Just look at LoL and Overwatch if you want examples.

6 hours ago, The Baroness of Blainswal said:

My reasoning is, when I buy a full priced game ($80 up here in The Great White North) I expect to get a full game. I don't think that's an unreasonable demand, when you buy a book or pay for a movie ticket it's the same idea. What I don't want however, is for a portion of that game's content no matter how minuscule or irreverent to gameplay to be locked behind a paywall. Content that already exists at launch shouldn't cost extra, it should come with the game you literally just bought. You are correct about nobody forcing you to buy them, that much is true. In fact, nobody is forcing anyone to fall for any anti-consumer business practices, doesn't make it any less scummy though.

To start with, I'm gonna draw a distinction between micro-transactions and day-one DLC; micro-transactions typically involve the 'in-game store' that has become very common, often focused on spending small amounts of money on small, temporary upgrades (like to EXP or loot drop rates) and sometimes unique skins, although most things can be acquired in-game. Day-one DLC, is when things like side-quests or, in the extreme cases, entire expansions are cut-out at release.

In the case of day-one DLC, yes, I will agree that is a pretty shitty thing to do. In the case of micro-transactions? No, absolutely not. To use a similar analogy, complaining about micro-transactions is like buying a ticket to a sports event and complaining that the items at the concession stand and merchandise booths aren't free.

As for whether or not micro-transactions are 'anti-consumer', let me put it this way; it's about as anti-consumer as the option to pay extra for express delivery/overnight shipping, paying for merchandise and/or concessions and all other things of that nature. In fact, micro-transactions are, if anything, pro-consumer, because they give options with which to customise the gaming experience to whatever degree the player sees fit within the options of the on-line store. In the same way a person can pay for overnight shipping so that a product reaches their door faster, a player can buy an experience boost to make the grinding less tedious.

6 hours ago, The Baroness of Blainswal said:

Free to Play games are different story however, and I don't have too much of a problem if they have Micro-Transactions. It's just that you can't be a full priced game and have a Free to Play model which is what the "AAA" games industry tries to do because they want all of your money.

As opposed to all those other industries that don't want all your money? As I detailed above, micro-transaction-esque businesses are the standard, as opposed to the exception.

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The only thing that I've played would be the Bravely games, where you can spend $$$$ for SP Potions. SP is used to perform actions in (the semi-confusingly named) Bravely Second mode- which when activated freezes time and allows you do whatever actions you want without the enemy interfering. Boss just wiped out 3 of your characters? Bravely Second! and pop a few Phoenix Downs. Bravely Second also lets you break the 9999 damage cap, the only thing that does.

You can earn SP in both BD and BS by letting time pass in both games (8 hours of Sleep Mode in Default = 1 SP; Second I think makes it easier to build up SP). However, you can only store like 3 SP at a time, so spamming Bravely Second mode within one fight or without hours of waiting requires buying SP Potions.

Fortunately, the games are built around the 9999 damage cap, so not being able to break it isn't a problem. And with 3 difficulty settings being able to be changed at any time outside a battle, plus 24/30 Jobs worth of strategic options (Resurrect Mist was my lord and savior in BS), you never need to ever buy SP Potions. 

I do like the little bit of artwork they included for advertising SP Potions when you go to buy one- Tiz as a professional bicyclist is a keeper.

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Microtransactions in a full priced retail game can do nothing but cheapen the quality of the game. That is why they are bad. For consumers, anyways, not so much the people selling the game. Back in the olden days (what, 15 years ago?), when you bought a console game you got The Whole Thing. And it was good.

Support developers that love you, like PlatinumGames. I'm doing it, now you should too.

Edited by Zera
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Because it will come to a time when it's impossible to get "gud" without paying for microtransaction, similar to what happened to the garbage mobile game. The most notable incident is the old Two Worlds game decided to get an update then adding microtransaction. They took out the console code to stop people from using it and use microtransaction instead. Except that the console code was the only way to fix the broken games due to unfinishable quests, missing items and such. There are times when you are stuck in a place and there's no way to get out except loading the game (hopefully you saved it before getting stuck). Of course, people are furious because it's bullshit so the studio added console code again. But damage has been done and I am pretty sure this will be the last time people gonna support this greedy company.

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10 hours ago, Harvey said:

Wait...Bravely has microtransactions? 

Only SP Potions- there is absolutely nothing else. It's tacked on, as if to exist wholly for existing. Which is quite true, as the original Japanese release of Bravely Default (the Flying Fairy version) didn't even have Bravely Second, so no SP or SP Potions- it was only added in the enhanced For the Sequel version (which is how the Bravely Second feature gets its name). The International release was based on the FtS update so it has them as well.

SP is actually given an ingame explanation in the game Bravely Second, but the feature is once again totally optional and unnecessary. The game gives you plenty of ways of surviving and inflicting massive damage alike outside of having to freeze time. SP Potions are really only for rich JRPG novices (of course you'd have to be a pretty novice player if Easy mode wasn't easy enough for you).

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