Doom Eternal adds paid skins after previously promising no microtransations

[Dirty Hipsters]

Doom Eternal has added paid skins, despite previous assurances it wouldn’t | VGC

A lead dev told players before launch that the game would have no microtransactions…

www.videogameschronicle.com

The move will come as a surprise to some because it was made clear before the game was released that cosmetic items for the title wouldn’t be sold.

As Forbes reported at the time, creative director Hugo Martin told a player on Facebook before launch that the game would have “no store”, adding: “Eternal is a $60 game, not a free to play game or mobile game – we are giving you a complete experience with no store just like you’d expect.

“Unlocking skins with XP is a part of the experience if you care about that stuff or you can completely ignore it and it will have no impact on your experience AT ALL and it’s all free.”

Looks like I'm never buying another Doom game again, which means I now have zero Bethesda owned franchises I care about. Shame on Bethesda and ID Software.

Last time something like this happened for me was with Payday 2 adding lootboxes after promising they never would. I dropped that game immediately and never touched it again after previously having put 300 hours into the game. Won't be buying Payday 3 either.

Lying to your customers is how you burn bridges.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Doom Eternal has added paid skins, despite previous assurances it wouldn’t | VGC

A lead dev told players before launch that the game would have no microtransactions…

www.videogameschronicle.com

Looks like I'm never buying another Doom game again, which means I now have zero Bethesda owned franchises I care about. Shame on Bethesda and ID Software.

Last time something like this happened for me was with Payday 2 adding lootboxes after promising they never would. I dropped that game immediately and never touched it again after previously having put 300 hours into the game. Won't be buying Payday 3 either.

Lying to your customers is how you burn bridges.

Hey that makes it easier for me. Not sure where else they could really take the franchise anyways without bastardizing it (anymore than they've now done with MTX's).

 

[laggyteabag]

In practical terms, this doesn't really bother me, because I play DOOM as a singleplayer experience, and Im not really interested in having the Doom Slayer running around as a big, pink, unicorn.

But on principle, this sucks. You should not proudly announce that your game does not have microtransactions, and will not have microtransactions, and then backpedal that decision after the game launches.

I know that interviews aren't exactly binding contracts or anything, but this is a big breach of trust.

I do wonder who the decision-maker behind this, was? Bethesda leadership? Daddy Microsoft?

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

In practical terms, this doesn't really bother me, because I play DOOM as a singleplayer experience, and Im not really interested in having the Doom Slayer running around as a big, pink, unicorn.

But on principle, this sucks. You should not proudly announce that your game does not have microtransactions, and will not have microtransactions, and then backpedal that decision after the game launches.

I know that interviews aren't exactly binding contracts or anything, but this is a big breach of trust.

I do wonder who the decision-maker behind this, was? Bethesda leadership? Daddy Microsoft?

Microsoft would have the excuse that previous statements are rendered null and void now that Bethesda is with them.

 

[BrawlMan]

But on principle, this sucks. You should not proudly announce that your game does not have microtransactions, and will not have microtransactions, and then backpedal that decision after the game launches.

Don't you know? They're only optional! (weeny kiss ass gamer with no backbone.)

 

[Samtemdo8]

Don't you know? They're only optional! (weeny kiss ass gamer with no backbone.)

Because it is optional and only cosmetic stuff and something you can't even seen since the game is in first person.

This exaggerated hardline response to never buy anything again because of this is ridiculous.

 

[laggyteabag]

Because it is optional and only cosmetic stuff and something you can't even seen since the game is in first person.

This exaggerated hardline response to never buy anything again because of this is ridiculous.

I mean, this isn't necessarily an issue with all cosmetic items, because it is really down to each developer as to how these are implemented, but arguments along the linse of "its just cosmetic! Don't like it, don't wear it", are just really weak.

In some isolated cases, some cosmetic items have a pretty severe impact on the gameplay. In Call of Duty right now, there is a pretty big controversy over an all-black player skin, which makes it super easy to hide in dark corners, without being spotted.

In in most cases though, sure, whether or not the guy on the enemy team shirtless bodybuilder, with an anime gun that shoots pink lasers, doesn't really impact anything. But in terms of games looking the way that they are supposed to - the atmosphere is completely ruined, and it just puts me off.

In Call of Duty, you can dress up as the puppet from SAW. In Gears of War 5, you can literally play as Dave Batista. In Halo 5, you can run around with guns covered in food. Among countless others. None of these things impact their ability to shoot me, or my ability to shoot them, but when every game starts to look like Fortnite, its just really annoying.

 

[Hawki]

Don't you know? They're only optional! (weeny kiss ass gamer with no backbone.)

Well, yeah, they are, actually.

I can understand being peaved about them going back on their word, but optional cosmetics are, well, optional. Hard for me to get angry about that.

Because it is optional and only cosmetic stuff and something you can't even seen since the game is in first person.

You'd still see the Doom Slayer in cutscenes, not to mention multiplayer.

 

[Hawki]

In Call of Duty, you can dress up as the puppet from SAW. In Gears of War 5, you can literally play as Dave Batista. In Halo 5, you can run around with guns covered in food. Among countless others. None of these things impact their ability to shoot me, or my ability to shoot them, but when every game starts to look like Fortnite, its just really annoying.

I agree that some skins can be jarring (I've never seen a 'food skin' in Halo 5 though), but that's more a question of skins, and not a question of paying for them.

There's already silly skins in Doom Eternal, such as the Doomicorn skin for the Doom Slayer, and the trombone skin for the revenant. However one feels about those skins, they're incidental to the question of paid skins.

 

[laggyteabag]

I've never seen a 'food skin' in Halo 5 though

Spoiler: Feast your eyes (aha)

However one feels about those skins, they're incidental to the question of paid skins.

You are right that these are two separate arguments.

I have no issues with the concept of optional paid customisations.

I do have issues with customisation options that completely break the way games look. I want a game set in modern-day conflict, to actually look like a game set in modern day conflict. I don't want my SAS Operator character to be jumping out of a helicopter with a man with golden guns, and a marshmallow for a head.

 

[BrawlMan]

Because it is optional and only cosmetic stuff and something you can't even seen since the game is in first person.

This exaggerated hardline response to never buy anything again because of this is ridiculous.

Congratulations, you're part of the problem. Making pathetic excuses or dumb defenses for scummy practices. Remember that you have no one to blame but yourself for this. The consumer keeps letting it happen. The same reason crap like this keeps happening where Nintendo makes Force scarcity with their NES classics or Mario 3D all stars. We've already had a similar conversation to this, so you already know my stance at this point. I don't know why you're surprised by this. They do this to people who know they buy on in the whole, have a fear missing out, or have addicted spending habits. We are not the target audience. That's why I have a set of my own principles and standards.

 

[BrawlMan]

Well, yeah, they are, actually.

I can understand being peaved about them going back on their word, but optional cosmetics are, well, optional. Hard for me to get angry about that.

Doesn't justify them nor make them good. There's a reason why we had loot boxes, even scummier microtransactions, and season pass DLC bullcrap.

 

[Samtemdo8]

Congratulations, you're part of the problem. Making pathetic excuses or dumb defenses for scummy practices. Remember that you have no one to blame but yourself for this. The consumer keeps letting it happen. The same reason crap like this keeps happening where Nintendo makes Force scarcity with their NES classics or Mario 3D all stars. We've already had a similar conversation to this, so you already know my stance at this point. I don't know why you're surprised by this. They do this to people who know they buy on in the whole, have a fear missing out, or have addicted spending habits. We are not the target audience. That's why I have a set of my own principles and standards.

Scummy practice my ass. Its just a service that offers neat little content, nothing more. We have yet to reach the point where they are putting bullets ammunition behind a paywall in a first person shooter that prevents you from even progress in the game at all without paying extra. And you may point to some obscure chinese/korean Online game or something, but if that shit was pushed into all shooters in the mainstream, everyone will rebel against it, heck it may even trigger a government response, it will be an even worse scenario then the loot box of Star Wars Battlefront 2!

As for the Nintendo thing, it is sad and we can all just hope they re-release them individually without that limited time offer nonsense. But don't shame people that does buy the product, especially since there was a MASSIVE amount of time between when Mario 3D All Stars Released and when it was pulled away.

 

[BrawlMan]

Scummy practice my ass. Its just a service that offers neat little content, nothing more. We have yet to reach the point where they are putting bullets ammunition behind a paywall in a first person shooter that prevents you from even progress in the game at all without paying extra. And you may point to some obscure chinese/korean Online game or something, but if that shit was pushed into all shooters in the mainstream, everyone will rebel against it, heck it may even trigger a government response!

As for the Nintendo thing, it is sad and we can all just hope they re-release them individually without that limited time offer nonsense. But don't shame people that does buy the product, especially since there was a MASSIVE amount of time between when Mario 3D All Stars Released and when it was pulled away.

And when all that crap happens, don't go blaming me. We haven't gotten to that level yet, but it wouldn't surprise me if Activision or EA tried to pull that crap off with the bullets. A scummy practice is a scummy practice. No matter how you try to spend or justify it. Even if it is something minor. If you're afraid to call it out that's a you problem and you are part of the bigger problem. What Doom Eternal doing ain't much of a bonus. This is how you do a bonus!



And Nintendo: screw them even harder in some regards. There's no reason for them to do a limited release other than the make their bottom line look good. If they were really smart, they would continually sell those instead of doing the whole Disney vault thing. We shouldn't have to hope for bullshit like that. I'm glad I got my copy a few weeks before they stopped doing physical, and I got it at a nice discount. Because the scalpers are also a big part of that problem. The moment they stop putting them online and stop selling them at most stores physical comment Bill scalpers already sell them at over a thousand dollars or more. So Nintendo can go fuck themselves! You fuckity fucks!

Finally, I'm not hating on the consumer. They may not take the full blame, but still take partial blame for keep falling for the same crap, over and over again. Thinking, "oh it's going to be different this time". When it's not. The same dumb stuff that happens, they keep enabling. Especially the ones that know better. I do have more sympathy for the ones that have uncontrollably gambling or spending habits. Or young kids that don't know any better nor the values spending/saving. They are the ones that need help, but AAA companies know how to use, abuse, and exploit them.

 

[sXeth]

Well..... Microsofts got make up that extra 5.5 billion they overpaid for Beth somehow.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

A lot of it is most people just don’t care about principles. They see something and want it, regardless of how it’s offered or at what price.

Well..... Microsofts got make up that extra 5.5 billion they overpaid for Beth somehow.

And whatever they’re losing through Game Pass.

 

[Samtemdo8]

Well..... Microsofts got make up that extra 5.5 billion they overpaid for Beth somehow.

You know, I think you hit the nail on the head here. Especially no new Bethesda product has come out yet.

It makes me wonder though.....if Microsoft will force Bethesda to begin and focus development on Elder Scrolls 6 now instead of working on a new IP that Todd Howard claimed to be developed and released first before ES 6.

Because to Microsoft, an Elder Scrolls 6 would make far more money then a New Untested IP.

 

[Piscian]

I would put myself more in the basket of being against "egregious abuse" of dlc. When studios plan a whole game around dlc and make it difficult to enjoy the game without it. This bothers me less. They put out a game then a while later puts out skins or something to help keep money flowing while working on another project. That doesn't grind my gears.

 

[Worgen]

In practical terms, this doesn't really bother me, because I play DOOM as a singleplayer experience, and Im not really interested in having the Doom Slayer running around as a big, pink, unicorn.

Then you are playing the game very wrong and I weep for your lack of a soul.

On topic. It depends on how they roll this out, if they keep it rather easy to get the skins when they first show up but only do the paid for skins you missed. Then its annoying but whatever I suppose. Really thought this is just a bad idea since it will just piss off people.

 

[SilentPony]