Payday 2 Dev Apologizes for Microtransaction Debacle

[Schadrach]

As someone who has played too many Bethesda titles and also plays Payday 2, let me suggest the solution employed in every Bethesda title: mod it.

There's a small BLT mod (A_Squared's Skin Unlocker) that gives access to using all the skins out of the box, mint condition, with stat/team boosts where appropriate. Give OVERKILL not a dime from MTX.

Seriously though, statted skins have made the rounds too many times on the market for OVERKILL to change it now without making things worse for themselves. The best you can do in protest is to refuse to participate.

 

[RJ 17]

This video represents their fauxpology in a nutshell. Though I don't play the game, I absolutely hate empty apologies. Oh, and Overkill's brainless e-defenders are even worse than the apology. I don't like questioning peoples' intelligence, but stuff like this makes me reconsider:

I knew I couldn't be the first one to think of posting that video for this topic.

Apologies are easy, fixing the problem is harder. What's the point of apologizing if you're not regretting the decision and have no intention to go back on it?

Because if they apologize it at least looks like they're admitting fault and thus give a damn about what their player base thinks. They really don't, of course, but at least now it sounds like they do. Did they come out and say "We understand that the addition of microtransactions after we expressly stated that there would never be any in our game has upset our fanbase and we're looking into alternatives"? Nope. All Listo has done is point out that people are pissed at Overkill right now...something that was blatantly obvious.

 

[Bindal]

Apologies are easy, fixing the problem is harder. What's the point of apologizing if you're not regretting the decision and have no intention to go back on it?

Because at this point it's not POSSIBLE to remove them anymore? Nor would they hurt if they're done right (which, right now, they aren't. At all.)

Yes it is possible. Just take them away and refund the money to all the bloody morons who bought them. Problem solved.

Well, if you think that refunding people purchases on Steam and the Community Market done in the past SIX MONTHS is ever going to happen, I would like to know what fantasy world you live in.

Microtransactions have no business being in paid games.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Team Fortress 2 (before it went F2P)
You were saying?

Did they come out and say "We understand that the addition of microtransactions after we expressly stated that there would never be any in our game has upset our fanbase and we're looking into alternatives"? Nope.

Except yes.

 

[dreng3]

The "no microtransactions"-statement was indeed stupid, but let's be honest with ourselves for a moment; how was Overkill supposed to keep a game over 2 years old fresh without getting money in? Back in the "Good Old Days" you bought a game once and then you had it, true, but nothing was added later, probably not because there wasn't anybody who said "gee, I sure love this game, wish there was more of the same.", but because the companies wouldn't, or couldn't, work for free. Then came the microtransaction, sometimes badly used, I agree, but it can also be used to keep games fresh, interesting, and a number of developers, testers, and designers in work.

I'd say that the apology is kinda sad, if nothing else then because I don't think they have anything to apologize for. We, as players, demand entertainment, replayability, fun, and that we be catered to in a very specific way, so we have to make a choice, either we shell out a couple of bucks, or we just don't get that, it's our choice.

 

[Thyunda]

So they apologised, but aren't going to do anything about it? I guess we know what their apology is worth.

Except they are, by removing the stat-boosts and replace them with a cosmetic or semi-cosmetic alternative (right now, StatTrak is the primary alternative), which they hope to be able to replace existing skins but will replace in any future safes. If they can do it, of course.

But you're still receiving safes instead of loot you would normally get, and you need to pay to open the safes. Sure, what's in there is only cosmetic stuff, but now you have useless boxes cluttering your inventory when really your reward should've been an item you could use.

 

[Benpasko]

Yes it is possible. Just take them away and refund the money to all the bloody morons who bought them. Problem solved.

Well, if you think that refunding people purchases on Steam and the Community Market done in the past SIX MONTHS is ever going to happen, I would like to know what fantasy world you live in.

It has been one month. While I agree it's too late for refunds, I have no idea what you hope to accomplish by straight-up lying like that.

Microtransactions have no business being in paid games.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Team Fortress 2 (before it went F2P)
You were saying?

Those systems, to me at least, are terrible and add nothing to the game (for CS:GO, for TF2 it's fine since it's free to play now.) I get mad when a crate drops in either of those games. "Instead of real loot, here's a chance to pay us money!" Fuck off.

I played a lot of Payday 2, and wanted weapon skins for a long time. When they added them like this, I uninstalled the game. I would have gladly bought a "gage skin courier" pack or something, but OVK got greedy with it.

 

[RealRT]

Well, if you think that refunding people purchases on Steam and the Community Market done in the past SIX MONTHS is ever going to happen, I would like to know what fantasy world you live in.

What in the bloody fuck are you talking about? It has been *ONE* month since they added them. Makes me wonder if you're from the future. Did they finally get around to making those damn hoverboards when you are from?

Microtransactions have no business being in paid games.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Team Fortress 2 (before it went F2P)
You were saying?

Still am. CSGO should've went F2P the moment they introduced this crap.

 

[kajinking]

The beatings will continue until morale improves.

If only Venom Snake beating the hell out of people truly did solve all company problems...

 

[Micah Weil]

Despite the fact that they now understand that not talking to us isn't going to get the problems fixed, and that they're going to actually TALK to the community now, most former fans of the game have already made up their minds. The damage is done. This is "da wurst thin EVAR!" (no, I'm not bitter with the severe overreaction, justified or not. Why do you ask?) and nothing short of making this game free-to-play, with all DLC free, the microtransactions removed, and free on-demand blowjobs (apologies for the crudeness) is going to change that.

Best thing they can do is build up a new fan base at this point...you know, provided we gamers stop being the Gamers old media paints us out to be...

 

[Rednog]

I still don't understand why Overkill went down this path.
Outside events the game's population is abysmal. On average its about 5-10k, that's a fairly small player base.
So why try to bleed a stone?
People were already unhappy with their currently DLC, so why make it worse? All this does is drive away veterans, alienate the community, and crap on future releases.
Seriously who is going to be hyped for Payday 3 when they look up Payday and see this nonsense? I wonder if they've just come to some sort of decision that Payday 3 isn't coming and they might as well just pillage the community until there isn't a single dollar left.
I have 405 hours in the game and I will probably never touch it again.

 

[Bindal]

Well, if you think that refunding people purchases on Steam and the Community Market done in the past SIX MONTHS is ever going to happen, I would like to know what fantasy world you live in.

What in the bloody fuck are you talking about? It has been *ONE* month since they added them. Makes me wonder if you're from the future. Did they finally get around to making those damn hoverboards when you are from?

A place where being awake 30 hours without sleep can easily cause someone to write "month" when he intended to say "week" - still doesn't change the fact that it's still way too late to remove them or that you didn't bother talking about it (got nothing to say against it, I presume?)

Microtransactions have no business being in paid games.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Team Fortress 2 (before it went F2P)
You were saying?

Still am. CSGO should've went F2P the moment they introduced this crap.[/quote]
The CS:GO Community certainly doesn't mind (and in fact, that whole system actually caused a lot more people to play the game in the first place). And the TF2 Community also quickly accepted the MannConomy Update.

I still don't understand why Overkill went down this path.
Outside events the game's population is abysmal. On average its about 5-10k, that's a fairly small player base.

It was twice as much - easily 20k at times. And even if it would be just 10k, that's hardly abysmal, that's quite health, especially considering how old the game is by now (over two years)

So they apologised, but aren't going to do anything about it? I guess we know what their apology is worth.

Except they are, by removing the stat-boosts and replace them with a cosmetic or semi-cosmetic alternative (right now, StatTrak is the primary alternative), which they hope to be able to replace existing skins but will replace in any future safes. If they can do it, of course.

But you're still receiving safes instead of loot you would normally get, and you need to pay to open the safes. Sure, what's in there is only cosmetic stuff, but now you have useless boxes cluttering your inventory when really your reward should've been an item you could use.

As someone who has all weaponmods already, getting a safe once every five days or so (which I then can delete and/or sell) wasn't much of a deal. Not to mention that I did say the system is far from perfect and that could be one of the things that could be improved upon.

 

[RealRT]

Well, if you think that refunding people purchases on Steam and the Community Market done in the past SIX MONTHS is ever going to happen, I would like to know what fantasy world you live in.

What in the bloody fuck are you talking about? It has been *ONE* month since they added them. Makes me wonder if you're from the future. Did they finally get around to making those damn hoverboards when you are from?

A place where being awake 30 hours without sleep can easily cause someone to write "month" when he intended to say "week" - still doesn't change the fact that it's still way too late to remove them or that you didn't bother talking about it (got nothing to say against it, I presume?)

And here I thought the very fact that I said it was a month and not six implies that no, I don't think it's too late.

Microtransactions have no business being in paid games.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Team Fortress 2 (before it went F2P)
You were saying?

Still am. CSGO should've went F2P the moment they introduced this crap.

The CS:GO Community certainly doesn't mind (and in fact, that whole system actually caused a lot more people to play the game in the first place). And the TF2 Community also quickly accepted the MannConomy Update.

A lot of horrible things were accepted in their time. Besides, why should it matter to me anyway?

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

When Bush the First was voted into Office, he did so on a campaign that everyone loved.

Read My Lips: No new Taxes [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Read_my_lips:_no_new_taxes].

He lost his re-election bid.

Just like there are people who still supported Bush come re-election day, you'll have people who will stick with Overkill no matter what. But those who feel betrayed will still feel betrayed. No matter the reason. All you have in this world is your word. That's why love disappears after someone cheats, that's why business relationships fail when money isn't handled right, that's why peace treaties can't withstand a mistake. It's human nature.

The internet never forgets, Overkill. I wish you well.

 

[thewatergamer]

Uh huh, another day another game dev shilling out a hollow apology, look Overkill I'll give a shit about your game when you actually decide to do something about your terrible anti-consumer system

 

[IamLEAM1983]

"Players have been angry with us, media have written about us en masse and our volunteer moderators went on strike. For all the distress we've caused the past few weeks, I'd just like to take the time to say that you can purchase an official apology for only $4.99. You may also purchase the Apology Season Pass for $40, to gurantee access to our latest updated apologies as they come out, including 'I'm Sorry You're Upset' and 'I'm Sorry You're Too Greedy To Pay'."

Gotta love those developers!

The irony of this post is that I don't even mind microtransactions, provided they're not blocking off stuff critical to the game's completion or enjoyment, I just despise this kind of spinelessness.

Same.

I've been playing Loadout since its public beta, and the only premium items in the entire shop are cosmetic in nature. Boosters are on offer, but the nature of the game (it's a third-person multi-mode FPS) makes it so they're actually detrimental to optimal play. Maps need to be learned and skill and confidence need to be gained, but gaining resources to customize your guns faster than you can learn to handle what you've crafted does you no favors. Why bother unlocking thirty gun parts prematurely if you're never taking the time to appreciate what you've crafted, to grow comfortable with the role and playstyle that emerges out of your choice of firearms?

After sixty hours, I figured they'd earned twenty bucks from me. I decked our my guy in the style of Vincent Vega and haven't had the need or desire to spend more than that.

 

[Hawk eye1466]

Yeah the fact that you've decided to apologize and then do nothing means you don't care, I heard at least part of the interview with alimr and it was truly spectacular at how he dodged every question the moderators asked him, and the whole oh we know everyone hates this further separating of the player base into who's shelled out the money for everything and the people who haven't, is real nice.

Fuck you overkill I'm done with you.

 

[weirdee]

Their only regret is they aren't as good as shoveling shit sandwiches as AAA.

 

[Glaice]

Faux apology, that's all it is and let's not forget Update 90 made the flames reignite when they were starting to weaken.

 

[FirstNameLastName]

This apology makes me feel somewhat conflicted over whether it's right to give some credit to a developer who is willing to right their wrongs, even if they've already shown they'd be willing to screw us all over if they could get away with it. After all, if there is no mercy then what incentive is there to change your ways? Despite not liking what they've done I still think there could still be some pragmatic value to letting companies know that -- wait, what's this? They're not removing the microtransactions but are instead just apologising for them? Well never fucking mind then ...