(GTA Online) Micro-transactions aren't inherently bad.

Aparrently, one Reddit user posted a list of prices for GTA Online ($3 for in-game $100k up to $22 for in-game $1.25m).  And there were a crap-storm of anger comments.

IMO, it's a good choice for players to have.  Some people have more time than money, and others have more money than time.  Why assume every single person to be a high school student who has 30+ hours of free time a week to play games but only has $10 in their pocket?

There's nothing wrong with micro-transactions as long as they don't affect core aspects of gameplay.  TF2 is a good example: Most of the items you can buy are purely cosmetic, and the in-game weapons (which mostly drop for free anyway) you can buy have no significant advantages over the stock weapons.  Plants vs. Zombie 2 is a bad example: You must pay $3 per plant you want, many of which were free in the previous PvZ game.

In GTA Online, microtransactions are perfectly fine as long as they don't give you advantages in deathmatches, races and so on.  For example, if you want to buy a luxurious apartment or a sports car with your own money rather than playing for hours to get it, that's fine.  As long as it doesn't HURT other players, microtranscations are perfectly fine.

A good argument. I agree.

As long as it's not pay2win it's all good for me. I prefer to play in order to unlock things, tho.

Wah wah, Dead space 3 had microtransactions. Wah Wah so many games have microtransactions.

Wah...Wait.... GTA V has microtransactions? Alright this could possibly work.

It's okay R*, Cows are used to being milked. :)bbkkristian

I disagree.

Any pay2win model shouldn't be encourajed. You mention that PvZ 2 is a poorly designed f2p but isn't that game single player as well? So it's wrong to buy plants but it's ok to buy apartments in GTA with real money?

Sure, you can grind, but isn't money the currency which you use to buy everything? I suppose you unlock weapons faster as well?

As much as i dislike the new Lightning Returns, at least the Lightning costumes packs are just that... costumes. I think GTA should do that instead of giving you the option to buy everything with real money.

Good for you if you have so much money you can afford to spend it in the game, but remember that everytime a thing like this works devs will try something else even worse to reach our pockets.

[QUOTE="bbkkristian"]It's okay R*, Cows are used to being milked. :)Trail_Mix

Wah wah, Dead space 3 had microtransactions. Wah Wah so many games have microtransactions.

Wah...Wait.... GTA V has microtransactions? Alright this could possibly work.

Animal-Mother

No, they are inherently bad and there is no defense.  

No, they are inherently bad and there is no defense.  

1080pOnly

Wah wah, Dead space 3 had microtransactions. Wah Wah so many games have microtransactions.

Wah...Wait.... GTA V has microtransactions? Alright this could possibly work.

Animal-Mother

:lol: 

Rockstar fanboys are even worse than cows. 

[QUOTE="Animal-Mother"]

Wah wah, Dead space 3 had microtransactions. Wah Wah so many games have microtransactions.

Wah...Wait.... GTA V has microtransactions? Alright this could possibly work.

jhonMalcovich

:lol: 

Rockstar fanboys are even worse than cows. 

I made that argument in the other thread. As long as you can grind to get the same items its fine by me.blue_hazy_basic

To those who think microtransaction won't affect the gameplay: Have fun playing a race game with fully max customized vehicles.

i'm cool with however they want to make money as long as it is not a pay to win situation.

if people that spend money get an advantage though gta online will be bullshyt and it will mos def keep me from playing it for any length of time.

[QUOTE="1080pOnly"]

No, they are inherently bad and there is no defense.  

blue_hazy_basic

if it is not a p2w thing though and really is just cosmetics then there is no problem.

Well assuming this is true, I don't necessarily mind if it's cosmetic unlocks, but if it ends up unlocking weapons and cars, then I'm going to have a problem. I can't think of a single game where unlocking equipment with real money did not negatively affect balance in some way.

Well assuming this is true, I don't necessarily mind if it's cosmetic unlocks, but if it ends up unlocking weapons and cars, then I'm going to have a problem. I can't think of a single game where unlocking equipment with real money did not negatively affect balance in some way.

Vaasman

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"][QUOTE="1080pOnly"]

No, they are inherently bad and there is no defense.  

Riverwolf007

$22 for $1.25m? Hm... Not bad. I must just take 'em up on that offer. Get me some real firepower early on.

Aparrently, one Reddit user posted a list of prices for GTA Online ($3 for in-game $100k up to $22 for in-game $1.25m).  And there were a crap-storm of anger comments.

IMO, it's a good choice for players to have.  Some people have more time than money, and others have more money than time.  Why assume every single person to be a high school student who has 30+ hours of free time a week to play games but only has $10 in their pocket?

There's nothing wrong with micro-transactions as long as they don't affect core aspects of gameplay.  TF2 is a good example: Most of the items you can buy are purely cosmetic, and the in-game weapons (which mostly drop for free anyway) you can buy have no significant advantages over the stock weapons.  Plants vs. Zombie 2 is a bad example: You must pay $3 per plant you want, many of which were free in the previous PvZ game.

In GTA Online, microtransactions are perfectly fine as long as they don't give you advantages in deathmatches, races and so on.  For example, if you want to buy a luxurious apartment or a sports car with your own money rather than playing for hours to get it, that's fine.  As long as it doesn't HURT other players, microtranscations are perfectly fine.

drekula2

[QUOTE="1080pOnly"]

No, they are inherently bad and there is no defense.  

blue_hazy_basic

They design games around them.  You could grind but they often artificially inflate the grind (to silly levels on boring things) to make you want to pay.  I refuse to do boring things for longer in games because the devs want me to pay them again after I've bought the product.

Most of the games I've played that have micro-transactions built into the game like to remind you that they are there every step of the way.  Did you just die? Why not buy a pack that allows you to skip to the next level.  Did you run out of ammo? Why not buy our ammo pack for only $19.99.  I find it immersion breaking and annoying. Sleeping dogs was awful for this....really really bad.

Can you name me one game series that has been made better by micro-transactions?

[QUOTE="Vaasman"]

Well assuming this is true, I don't necessarily mind if it's cosmetic unlocks, but if it ends up unlocking weapons and cars, then I'm going to have a problem. I can't think of a single game where unlocking equipment with real money did not negatively affect balance in some way.

rjdofu

[QUOTE="rjdofu"][QUOTE="Vaasman"]

Well assuming this is true, I don't necessarily mind if it's cosmetic unlocks, but if it ends up unlocking weapons and cars, then I'm going to have a problem. I can't think of a single game where unlocking equipment with real money did not negatively affect balance in some way.

Vaasman

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"][QUOTE="1080pOnly"]

No, they are inherently bad and there is no defense.  

1080pOnly

They design games around them.  You could grind but they often artificially inflate the grind (to silly levels on boring things) to make you want to pay.  I refuse to do boring things for longer in games because the devs want me to pay them again after I've bought the product.

Most of the games I've played that have micro-transactions built into the game like to remind you that they are there every step of the way.  Did you just die? Why not buy a pack that allows you to skip to the next level.  Did you run out of ammo? Why not buy our ammo pack for only $19.99.  I find it immersion breaking and annoying. Sleeping dogs was awful for this....really really bad.

Can you name me one game series that has been made better by micro-transactions?

I see the micro-transactions in GTA as a way for people to skip to the top instead of actually playing the game. Most of the fun of GTA is progressing your character and making money. Why would you want to take that away from yourself? Winning isn't that important in a GTA game. Having fun in the moment is.

[QUOTE="Riverwolf007"]

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"] Why?blue_hazy_basic

They used to call them cheat codes for single player games and they were free.  If you are talking about online play then the game shouldn't be designed to give someone who plays 100hrs a week any advantage over a new player other than knowing the game better.  

If you can buy a 'better' weapon/gear/vehicle etc in an online, competitive game then how is that fair on the people that can only play a couple of hours and can't afford to buy it?

I see the micro-transactions in GTA as a way for people to skip to the top instead of actually playing the game. Most of the fun of GTA is progressing your character and making money. Why would you want to take that away from yourself? Winning isn't that important in a GTA game. Having fun in the moment is.

Wasdie

Mass Effect 3 off the top of my head. How was it harmed by them?blue_hazy_basic

How was it improved?

I just hate it when they take something that was free (cheats) and turn them into 'micro-transactions' and sell it to you as an improvement.  My mind boggles.

*Edit* I don't see DLC as micro-transactions btw, that is another debate.

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"][QUOTE="Riverwolf007"]pay to win.

1080pOnly

They used to call them cheat codes for single player games and they were free.  If you are talking about online play then the game shouldn't be designed to give someone who plays 100hrs a week any advantage over a new player other than knowing the game better.  

If you can buy a 'better' weapon/gear/vehicle etc in an online, competitive game then how is that fair on the people that can only play a couple of hours and can't afford to buy it?

If you want money just cheese the BAWSAQ during the Lester missions.

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"][QUOTE="Riverwolf007"]pay to win.

1080pOnly

They used to call them cheat codes for single player games and they were free.  If you are talking about online play then the game shouldn't be designed to give someone who plays 100hrs a week any advantage over a new player other than knowing the game better.  

If you can buy a 'better' weapon/gear/vehicle etc in an online, competitive game then how is that fair on the people that can only play a couple of hours and can't afford to buy it?

That, and add another case: someone who play 100 of hours AND still use microtransaction.

There is a reputation system in the game, so I assume there's gonna be a leaderboard, consider it obsolete then.

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"] Mass Effect 3 off the top of my head. How was it harmed by them?1080pOnly

How was it improved?

I just hate it when they take something that was free (cheats) and turn them into 'micro-transactions' and sell it to you as an improvement.  My mind boggles.

[QUOTE="1080pOnly"]

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"] But that is not at all necessarily the case. Microtransactions can let someone who works 40+ hrs a week, has a family and other obligations, compete with someone who doesn't work and dumps a 100hrs a week into the game. There's nothing wrong with that. What is wrong is when you can spend $20 to buy a game breakingly powerful item that can't be obtained via gameplay.rjdofu

They used to call them cheat codes for single player games and they were free.  If you are talking about online play then the game shouldn't be designed to give someone who plays 100hrs a week any advantage over a new player other than knowing the game better.  

If you can buy a 'better' weapon/gear/vehicle etc in an online, competitive game then how is that fair on the people that can only play a couple of hours and can't afford to buy it?

That, and add another case: someone who play 100 of hours AND still use microtransaction.

There is a reputation system in the game, so I assume there's gonna be a leaderboard, consider it obsolete then.

[QUOTE="Wasdie"]

I see the micro-transactions in GTA as a way for people to skip to the top instead of actually playing the game. Most of the fun of GTA is progressing your character and making money. Why would you want to take that away from yourself? Winning isn't that important in a GTA game. Having fun in the moment is.

rjdofu

Well they are building GTA Online to last a long time. I expect the highest teir items to be very grindy. It's not necessarily about the reward, but rather playing the game. 

Yea talking about online games, microtransactions in SP are daft. If people can only play a couple of hrs and can't afford that sucks for them, what about the people who can't afford games, is it ok to pirate them? Developers have a right to make money and as long as it doesn't effect game balance I have no problems with it.blue_hazy_basic

Yes they are, yet they are right there and shoved in your face all the time while you play. Annoying.

They do effect game balance though and that's my point.  In order to make something really attractive to players it usually has to give you some advantage. Now obvisouly there are things like hats and costumes but they don't rake in the money like the 'Super-Gun-Face- pack'.

[QUOTE="1080pOnly"]

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"] Mass Effect 3 off the top of my head. How was it harmed by them?blue_hazy_basic

How was it improved?

I just hate it when they take something that was free (cheats) and turn them into 'micro-transactions' and sell it to you as an improvement. My mind boggles.

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"] Yea talking about online games, microtransactions in SP are daft. If people can only play a couple of hrs and can't afford that sucks for them, what about the people who can't afford games, is it ok to pirate them? Developers have a right to make money and as long as it doesn't effect game balance I have no problems with it.1080pOnly

Yes they are, yet they are right there and shoved in your face all the time while you play. Annoying.

They do effect game balance though and that's my point.  In order to make something really attractive to players it usually has to give you some advantage. Now obvisouly there are things like hats and costumes but they don't rake in the money like the 'Super-Gun-Face- pack'.

It meant that friends who don't play the same amount of time can viably play together on similar footings. There you go. Now, how was it harmed?blue_hazy_basic

Yet these features used to be free.  You could do the same things with cheat codes that cost you nothing.  They exist in the game because devs use them for playtesting, it's no extra work.

It's like defending online fees.  They are there to milk you and nothing more.  

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"][QUOTE="1080pOnly"]

How was it improved?

I just hate it when they take something that was free (cheats) and turn them into 'micro-transactions' and sell it to you as an improvement. My mind boggles.

Vaasman