Are Microtransaction the norm now?

As someone who is currently playing Total War: Attila, I gotta say... it's not over yet, but holy shit, the end must be pretty fucking close.

unfortunately consumers were stupid enough to support it so it has become the norm. If developers were not making money off of them, they would not have become the norm.

Microsoft had a huge push for them end of last gen/start of this one. Forza Horizon 1, Forza 5, and many of the launch Xbone games had them.

I think they've gotten rid now though, Forza 6 seems to lack them, though not 100% sure.

I think it's settled into an uneasy peace where we gamers accept them in FTP games or for optional costumes etc, but go apeshit if actual content in paid games is locked.

Well, yeah. When it first started people warned if ya buy it it will become commonplace. People bought the stuff and now it's commonplace and will remain so until people stop. But I'm not just talking about microstransactions but all extra fees involved with games, DLC, etc.

Yes, feels more so on consoles though. Partly because on the PC lots of games don't have it and partly because of all the constant sales with the games that do.

On consoles, it feels like you pay loads for a game and then buy expensive season passes. It's crazy.

I got milked hard as a X360 gamer last gen.

How can you say that?

You lot brag about how you have all the games now , and yet consoles are more rampant with microtransactions games?

And what did you play on the 360 that had microtransactions?

Outside of GOTY editions that came bundled with all the DLCs, the only game I have ever bought DLC for is Arma III.

i would prefer optional cosmetic microtransactions over the disgusting shit Bungie is doing right now.

This

Developers should make finished products (that includes not relying on patches) and only then should they think about expansions. Digital BS has gotten so prevalent that some retail games are missing entire games from the disc (rare replay) or when you open a box there's nothing but a download code.

@Ant_17: This DLC business, started last gen on the 360.

Don't know why anyone bought that. The word was out right away that half of the content had been removed prior to launch. What was coming next was obvious.

Actually there was DLC on the Dreamcast.

As well as the original xbox.

@Chozofication: But as a serious business model, it started last gen.

Oh DLC , i was thinking like the booster stuff that costs 1$.

Fair enought.

Yeah, and it's sad.

Get out! What was it?

What do you mean serious? Remember the halo 2 map packs? Not a lot of content for the money. That's the same business model COD has today.

Skies of arcadia on DC had dlc, then they made a sort of goty edition for gamecube.

Of course it was much more prevalent last gen compared to the 6th though.

Here's a list

@Ant_17: Shouldn't they be classed in the way?

They're both bad for gaming though. When developers do them, they abuse them more often than not.

Also, anyone notice how a lot of the Games With Gold games, tend to have lots of DLC. Coincidence or cheeky? ;-)

@Chozofication: Serious as in constantly and consistently as a standard on most games on the platform.

"Here guys, have gears 3."

"Btw, the season pass is on sale right now!"

Sadly, yes.

I remember reading in PC gamer magazine back in 2004 that microtransactions were going to play a huge role in the future of video games. I laughed at the article because the premise sounded absurd, paying for a product and then also having paywalls inside the game. Turns out people were willing to do that and I'm the fool for thinking otherwise.

yes, and people bitching about them are equally as just the norm

it's like, hey, here's this thing you can earn in game, but you can pay with real world money to earn it instead, you don't have to spend money, but you could if you wanted, but if you don't want to you don't have to and you won't be missing anything because you can still earn it all in game gratis... still, people bitch, and it's like this every time

Haven't bought a single DLC in my life, and never purchased in-game items with real money. I only pay for base game and big expansion packs. For me it's not over and I am hopeful that people will stop being brainwashed by marketing. Not over yet.

Yup and people are even beginning to defend the companies doing this. Quite incredible.

Yes and you can thank mobile games for that gem... $1 for 20.

Microtransactions in AAA games seems to be dying off, the % of new games shipping with microtransactions seems to be going down. I think publishers are finally starting to realize that we don't want them. I do think onerous DLC is here to stay, though.

Yep and you can thank the idiotic gamers for it.

You actually defending this? Holy shit...

First of all it's just distasteful. It shows how little companies think of their customers.

The second issue is, developers can make these items harder to get in game than they would have been without microtransactions, as an incentive to pay for them instead.

No one other than gamers are to blame. Publishers are delivering more of what the majority wants. If micro transactions were truly terrible, they would not sell. And you are getting more of them, because they sell.

Marketing is the main culprit here but there will always be fools willing to buy DLC and spend $0.99 on weapons etc.

I think the fight is over. Microtransactions appear in all the big AAA games and have made companies SOOO much more money that it is unlikely to ever go away. I just hope they remain optional and never ever have to be A MUST to 100% a game.

@Netret0120: Yeah man... It's sad.

This.

Companies will continue to milk their customers for as much as they possibly can until people wise up and stop buying into the BS business practices.

Are we still pretending games are as cheap as they use to be to make? or do we all want to keep blaming these problems on "Greedy corperations" ... more like user-expectations and entitlement. There are pleanty of companies that do acceptable levels of microtransactions now... ofcourse there are terrible examples too.

But all in all... if you want more complex, prettier games ... that standardised price point isn't going to keep cutting it forever.

It's not over yet. If consumers stop supporting it.....and that might mean not buying some games not just the micro transactions themselves then it will end. But the consumers have to stand up and say NO. Unfortunately consumers are too stupid. In general.

This is true Candy Crush cost around 100000 yen to make with very sophisticated mechanics almost on the level of Assassins Creed, with even morer complex.

They are just too profitable. How many assets are in a game like AC:Unity? There must be thousands of them. Once the technology is in place it's probably pretty cheap to produce more. The game costs sixty bucks. Now imagine you can sell a single asset like a hat for like what a few dollars. It's easy to see why this is happening.

At the same time it's a very negative thing imo. The "it's optional" argument doesn't hold as it affects the structure of the game. Just to name another thing: It seems like R* canceled the SP DLC for GTA V because of how profitable MT for the multiplayer is.

Casuals ruining gaming again

@uninspiredcup said:

@MBirdy88 said:

Are we still pretending games are as cheap as they use to be to make? or do we all want to keep blaming these problems on "Greedy corperations" ... more like user-expectations and entitlement. There are pleanty of companies that do acceptable levels of microtransactions now... ofcourse there are terrible examples too.

But all in all... if you want more complex, prettier games ... that standardised price point isn't going to keep cutting it forever.

This is true Candy Crush cost around 100000 yen to make with very sophisticated mechanics almost on the level of Assassins Creed, with even morer complex.

Your point is bad... really bad.

@MBirdy88 said:

@uninspiredcup said:

@MBirdy88 said:

Are we still pretending games are as cheap as they use to be to make? or do we all want to keep blaming these problems on "Greedy corperations" ... more like user-expectations and entitlement. There are pleanty of companies that do acceptable levels of microtransactions now... ofcourse there are terrible examples too.

But all in all... if you want more complex, prettier games ... that standardised price point isn't going to keep cutting it forever.

This is true Candy Crush cost around 100000 yen to make with very sophisticated mechanics almost on the level of Assassins Creed, with even morer complex.

Your point is bad... really bad.

But I haven't disregarded people as entitled then went on to make a personal statement of fact as to what is acceptable.

Shocking.

@MBirdy88 said:

@uninspiredcup said:

@MBirdy88 said:

Are we still pretending games are as cheap as they use to be to make? or do we all want to keep blaming these problems on "Greedy corperations" ... more like user-expectations and entitlement. There are pleanty of companies that do acceptable levels of microtransactions now... ofcourse there are terrible examples too.

But all in all... if you want more complex, prettier games ... that standardised price point isn't going to keep cutting it forever.

This is true Candy Crush cost around 100000 yen to make with very sophisticated mechanics almost on the level of Assassins Creed, with even morer complex.

Your point is bad... really bad.

He never has a point. He's a useless troll.

@clone01 said:

@MBirdy88 said:

@uninspiredcup said:

@MBirdy88 said:

Are we still pretending games are as cheap as they use to be to make? or do we all want to keep blaming these problems on "Greedy corperations" ... more like user-expectations and entitlement. There are pleanty of companies that do acceptable levels of microtransactions now... ofcourse there are terrible examples too.

But all in all... if you want more complex, prettier games ... that standardised price point isn't going to keep cutting it forever.

This is true Candy Crush cost around 100000 yen to make with very sophisticated mechanics almost on the level of Assassins Creed, with even morer complex.

Your point is bad... really bad.

He never has a point. He's a useless troll.

True .

They were victorious ages ago.

Casuals ruin everything. Not saying everyone should be "Hardcore" but most people just don't care and buy the next big thing and spend money on DLCs every year, so they can play it with their friends for some time.

People who have been gaming for a long time want something new but since casual market is bigger, it becomes main focus of publishers. Thank God for smaller studios.

Microtransactions have been the norm for a long time.

And they will continue to be while people happily cough up for them.