Microtransactions Come to Call of Duty

[Andy Chalk]

Microtransactions Come to Call of Duty

Activision announced today that gamers will soon be able to spend a few dollars more on the Call of Duty franchise.

Activision is about to follow EA's lead into the realm of microtransactions as it brings small payments for small things to the very big world of Call of Duty. The publisher announced today that starting tomorrow, gamers will be able to blow a buck or two (or more) on a few in-game upgrades.

On the micro-menu are Personalization Packs, which will sell for 160 Microsoft points (that translates into $2 in real money), each with a unique weapon camo scheme, three targeting reticules and a custom Calling Card. For the same price, you can also score the Extra Slots Pack, which provides ten more custom classes, 20 emblem archive spaces, 32 more film slots and 40 extra slots for screenshots in Theater Mode.

Can't afford $2? For 80 Microsoft points - that would be $1 - you can pick up the Flags of the World Calling Card Packs to use as your identifier. And although I don't think people generally consider map packs to be microtransactions (it's kind of a blurry line), Activision will also start selling the "Nuketown Zombies" map on the same day for 400 Microsoft points - that's $5 - for gamers who didn't get it free by preordering Black Ops 2.

Remember when Electronic Arts found itself the target of much anger and derision over the inclusion of microtransactions in Dead Space 3 and the follow-up claim that gamers actually like them [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/122396-EA-Asserts-Customers-Enjoy-Microtransactions] and are "embracing that way of business?" I suspect that conversation is about to get a whole lot more interesting, and it'll be hard to argue that EA is wrong if millions of Call of Duty fans start forking over for this stuff.

Source: VentureBeat [http://venturebeat.com/2013/03/12/activision-adding-microtransactions-to-call-of-duty-black-ops-ii-with-personalization-packs/]


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[burningdragoon]

This wonderful news. WONDERFUL.

At least these are more cosmetic I guess. Other than the map, but that's old news I guess :/

 

[Pandalisk]

Couldn't you already unlock custom slots through the "Prestige" system? Why add this? why not just increase the prestige cap? And you know..Encourage play and shit? or at least grinding because..thats..fun?

Shame there are no concrete statistics for the age demographics who play CoD. Because if the jokes have a grain of truth in them and the servers are basically populated by young teenagers like my little brother then yes, this micro transaction scheme will be a hit, because he's all over cosmetic things like this.

I don't think I've ever embraced micro-transactions in any shape or form, especially not for superficial cosmetics. I did it once when i bought a new Avatar for my PS3 ID and then felt that my S.V.E.R avatar, while cool, was still completely not worth the money. Am i just an old dog for not enjoying it? Why do i have to pay to look like a swagdelic baller? I. AM. A. BALLER. Its my god given right!

 

[hazabaza1]

At least it's not selling power. That's... well, it's not good, but it's better than it would be.

 

[Fappy]

It's way better than how EA's implemented it, but it still rubs me the wrong way to have micro-transactions in a game that you already paid for. Yeah, yeah I know... DLC is nothing new and they should be compensated for making extra content, but that's not really where my issue with it comes from. Back in the good ol' days developers would include extras/bonus content like this (extra costumes, character models, etc.) in the base game. You didn't have to pay for this stuff, you just unlocked it through gameplay. Now that publishers know they can make a few extra bucks adding this content later and selling it at a premium... well, goodbye practical bonus content

The only example of a franchise that's kept to the old ways is Batman Arkham Asylum/City. Yes, a lot of the costumes are micro-transaction based, but there are still quite a few that aren't. However, if you compare that to a game like Spider-Man 2 which had tons of costume unlocks at no additional cost... I think I know which I'd prefer.

 

[Longstreet]

And thus, the downfall of Call of Duty begins.

At least these are purely cosmetic things. In the future the only way to get a nuke / moab / swarm is to get them through micro transactions. 2 bucks each and you can only use them once.

 

[Andy Shandy]

Well they don't see to affect gameplay all that much, so that's fine with me.

It should also be said, they are now opening Nuketown 2025 to everyone for free as well, which is a nice touch.

And that one of the personalization packs apparently allows you to coat your gun in bacon. Although whether or not it's proper bacon, or the American kind is still unknown (at least to me)

 

[Falterfire]

Eh, if it's pure cosmetic as others have pointed out it's not a problem. With cosmetics you can legitimately say 'If you don't want it, don't buy it.'

So no, there's not really a shitstorm abrewin' here.

 

[Something Amyss]

At least it's not selling power. That's... well, it's not good, but it's better than it would be.

Arguably, more custom slots is essentially selling power through more capacity. The ability to switch loadouts in mid-game can be invaluable.

Still, arguable.

 

[Pandalisk]

Eh, if it's pure cosmetic as others have pointed out it's not a problem. With cosmetics you can legitimately say 'If you don't want it, don't buy it.'

So no, there's not really a shitstorm abrewin' here.

My only issue is how they will implement this in future CoD releases, will they develop the cosmetic changes after the main product has been completed and shipped? Fine. But will they side-line material created during the main development of the product purely to withhold it as an incentive to pre-order the game or for the micro-transaction store?. Because then its not a matter of me being willing to give money for new material, its them twisting my arm for material that i feel should've really been in the game in the first place.

 

[shintakie10]

As long as you can unlock it in game without money usin the already used prestige system, I'm down with it.

Personally I wasn't really all that pissy about the Dead Space 3 garbage either. It was pretty easy to get through without spendin money, plus there was that lovely exploit that they outright stated wasn't actually an exploit and was "intended" to allow people to get an unlimited amount of parts anyway.

Was I goin to use it at all? Hell no, I didn't need it and felt it wasn't necessary. Am I disgruntled at it bein in game and bein used? Nope, not at all. If someone else wants to spend money on it, fine by me.

Hell, I've spent about 100 dollars in the Blizzard Pet Store between mounts and companion pets for WoW, a game I pay a box fee for and 15 bucks a month for. I don't see a lot of people goin all bat shit crazy about that stuff, why should they care if they add non pay2win options in console releases?

 

[Pandalisk]

As long as you can unlock it in game without money usin the already used prestige system, I'm down with it.

Personally I wasn't really all that pissy about the Dead Space 3 garbage either. It was pretty easy to get through without spendin money, plus there was that lovely exploit that they outright stated wasn't actually an exploit and was "intended" to allow people to get an unlimited amount of parts anyway.

Was I goin to use it at all? Hell no, I didn't need it and felt it wasn't necessary. Am I disgruntled at it bein in game and bein used? Nope, not at all. If someone else wants to spend money on it, fine by me.

Hell, I've spent about 100 dollars in the Blizzard Pet Store between mounts and companion pets for WoW, a game I pay a box fee for and 15 bucks a month for. I don't see a lot of people goin all bat shit crazy about that stuff, why should they care if they add non pay2win options in console releases?

I didn't mind DS 3's system either. There was the exploit but there was also those coupon things (i can't remember the name they given) you could find in game usually from those goodie boxes (again, forgot the name of them) from doing side missions and the like. And those coupons let you buy all the resource and weapon packs you wanted. Only thing you couldn't buy by just playing the game was extra suits but i don't really care about them to be honest, i got the original DS suit so i couldn't care less

 

[The White Hunter]

At least it's not selling power. That's... well, it's not good, but it's better than it would be.

I dunno I can see this as kind of a positive thing, I know a lot of people went ape for the customisation stuff introduced in black ops so it makes sense to monetise it a bit and $2 for a few skins and reticules seems reasonable. I personally won't be buying into any of this but it's a pretty inoffensive and reasonable thing.

Not to mention we've seen this kind of stuff sold as DLC for fighting games and the like for years now at much less reasonable prices. It's just cosmetic DLC under a different name.

Now activision: make the next CoD a next gen gigantic WW2 game with 256 players at once online and a long and meaty co-op (optional!) campaign.

 

[VanQ]

CoD players are gonna eat this up like crazy. At least they aren't selling power but I still think this is pretty scummy considering they charge for entry and then charge for this kind of thing. Oh well, just when we thought EA might get the idea that MTs don't make people happy, Acti had to go and screw it all up.

Is this stuff still unlockable through gameplay? If so then maybe it's not all that bad after all.