@j3diknightdave: Do you not think of a game in terms of the value for the money. For instance this Venba cooking game cost about the same as playing games in an arcade at $20 for less than an hour of content. When I buy a $60 game I expect about 80-100 hours of enjoyable content without purchasing anything.
Of course the game has to deliver those hours with a ton of fun, some tense battles and/or some late game comebacks but that's a prerequisite of even being considered to play. Still I have no sense of how you can't think you got your money's worth with this $60 game.
I guess this is the question would you rather they didn't have any of the additional content available at all? I think believing it should all be available, and you should get it for free as they continuously add content for the next 3 years, suggests that you're "feeling the Bern" and there isn't anything you likely believe you should have to work for.
I don't really wanna get in to another debate, So I'll answer your comment, and that will be it for me.
Value and investment are 2 separate things. Spending money on a game isn't investing, your not getting anything back from that money, besides that 'tons of fun' you mentioned, which fun doesn't have any monetary value. Time is priceless, you can always get more money, you can never get back time. The only real investment you can get from games is buying stock in the publisher/developer.
Value, in a game and the content your buying (not investing) is only worth as much as each person is willing to spend for said product. Value is different from person to person. Some people don't need 80-100 hours of content, As long as their having fun and the content is solid, how long a game is, doesn't matter.
The is also a difference between MICRO-transactions (MTX) and, downloadable content (DLC). additional content for free or paid is fine. I personally don't have a problem with that. $9.99 for a continuation of the campaign story, $14.99 for 5 new MP maps, and some new guns, okay. Season passes, battle pass ect. Fine. As long as the content delivers.
My problem (along with many other gamers) is, and has always been the cosmetic MICRO-transactions. Spending a $.99 cents for a pair of sunglasses, $19.99 for a seasonal Santa Claus outfit, $4.99 for a new gun camo "skin"... Just to make your character stand out above the others in the social space or MP, So other players take notice, and say "I want that too" and around and around we go.
^^^ That's what these companies bank on when creating THAT shit ^^^ It's not about improving the game, It's strictly about sucking every dollar and cent from the pockets of their loyal, naïve player base, while they can.
So, when some say "if you don't like it, you don't have to buy it" or "I play that game, and have never spent money on those things" isn't the point. There's content value, and the betterment of the game, and there's lazy cosmetic monetization.
It's fine for a developer to make money, but there is good and bad way of doing it.
Example:
Good way:
CDPR and The Witcher 3. Two paid DLC's that furthered the story.
Bad way:
Bethesda and Fallout 76. A shitload of overpriced cosmetic items.
@j3diknightdave: They aren't preying on me. I'm nearing level 100 with my season one character having a great time. I've not spent one red cent after the initial purchase. The game is complete in its current state and needs no extra investment to have a great time. I don't know why you care so much about them making some extras available to those who care enough to spend real world money on them. For me I rate a game based on what I get when I buy it, without putting in extra. By that measure this game is still more than adequate and a solid investment in terms of how much I spend vs how much I play.
You can't force me to narrow my view and be offended by everything. I get that's the way of the world right now but I respect the hard days work the developer put in and I think that the game is solid without added content.
I feel like too many critics never played games in the 80's and it shows because they feel so entitled to a million add ons. I spent my youth where the game that dropped was the game. If it had glitches it had them forever. If it sucked it never got better. We're living in the golden age of both video games and civilization. Every person walking around today is better off than a king 100 years ago. Only someone deeply invested in being a victim could pretend anything about their life in 2023 is unfair.
Sorry, but as soon as I read the words 'Game' and 'Investment' in your comment, Just shows me how unaware you really are, and I'm not even going to bother.
And I doubt it was the handling (as anyone buying these cards would know about the card). From what I understand, sometimes the printing press or cutter doesn't line up 100% (which could reduce the score).
I have hundreds of grading pokemon cards and, any number of things can keep it from receiving a GEM MINT 10.
Scan lines on the card (from the printing process) image centering on the card itself. Color, clarity, scratches, bends (usually from bouncing around in a booster box during shipping) even the back of the card goes thru the same grading process.
This is why it is hard to receive a GEM 10. And, since 'The One' card is just that, MINT 9 is the highest grade THIS card will ever receive.
@sgtkeebler: Sorry for the long post, i get carried away sometimes. Lol
I personally haven't played a diablo game since diablo 2. And though you didn't buy this game, doesn't mean you haven't bought a game in the past, where this mtx problem applies. Micro transaction exist in a lot of games nowadays, so the problem is universal, and even if you have never faced an issue with these companies and their predatory mtx before (that bothers you) doesn't mean you won't eventually. That was my point.
Get ahead of it, before someday it does become a problem for you too.
Always better to take action first, before there is a problem, than to wait, and deal with it head on.
@j3diknightdave: @ratchet200@sgtkeebler You're all assuming I feel like there's something missing from the game. I'm a crazy number of hours in on two characters. I really don't care what my player looks like I care what their stats are. I don't enter the wardrobe. There is no game missing and no microtransaction for a player like me. It's an excellent game and I've been enjoying it. Honestly game prices haven't gone up in a long time while everything else has, if they can keep prices from rising by selling digital content to those who want it how does that hurt anyone?
No offense, but you are the type of sheep they prey on. Though it supposedly doesn't affect you, the ones that are 'okay' with them "making a buck" if it doesn't hurt anyone, When in fact it hurts everyone eventually. (by letting it get out of control, before it starts to affect you, and everyone like you)
Game companies, like many companies hire psychologist to help them find ways of triggering that urge/dopamine in a human mind, so they can make money off it. When they see that some people (e.g you, and people like you) don't have a problem with their exploitive ways, as long as It's not "hurting" anyone. They come up with 'ideas' that can make them boat loads of money, with as little effort, and resources as possible. Next thing you know, microtransactions are born, and we have tons of clueless "gamers" and kids with their parents credit cards going wild. (already been happening for years)
The key words are 'digital' and 'hurt'
The 'hurt' is from the addictive nature of these microtransactions, whether it be 'loot boxes' or having to "make their character" stand out above the rest for just a few dollars, that sense of 'satisfaction' these people get from it, and the companies earn from that 'hurt'
Just because it doesn't affect you (or me for that matter) doesn't mean it isn't affecting others, and is bad overall for everyone. The people that say "if you don't like it, you don't have to buy it" are missing the point, It's not that easy for everyone to live by that, and It's those people these companies are banking on (literally) *hints the addiction*
The other word 'digital'. It's like a gold mine to these companies. It's something that generally cost very little to produce (man hours) and, doesn't cost anything in terms of physical material (e.g disc/cases/paper artwork) but, yet the game prices are the same, and have even started to increase. It's one of the biggest reasons why Sony doubled down on a 'digital only' ps5, and how all companies are trying to steer away, and push digital media... It's more money (profits) in their pockets.
The solution, It's better to band together with your fellow gamers, even if it doesn't affect you currently, and support the ones that are against these predatory companies and their actions, before these problems continue to get worst (and they will) and eventually make their way to YOUR doorstep, and it does start to become a problem for you (and everyone like you)
History has showed us if enough people stick together, and boycott, these companies do listen. Reverse your role, become a wolf.
@m4a5: download roms to play is illegal since your kind of stealing a copy.
downloading roms isn't illegal to play, if you already own a license to said game. It's essentially a backup, and those aren't illegal, but downloading a rom for a different platform than the one you have the license for, is illegal.
e.g:
You own Mortal Kombat for Sega genesis, You download a Mortal Kombat Sega genesis rom - LEGAL
You own Mortal Kombat for Sega genesis, You download a Mortal Kombat SNES rom - ILLEGAL
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