Poll: Microtransaction confessions, And a call to arms

[Flatfrog]

Just to repeat something I wrote in a different thread, I've come up with what I think is a pretty good rule of thumb of what separates 'good' or 'justifiable' microtransactions / DLC and what constitutes exploitative or extortive DLC.

1) Anything which has only a cosmetic effect on the game is acceptable and to be encouraged. Bonus costumes, decorations etc. (Although I do miss the days when such things were unlockable through gameplay achievements)

2) Anything which constitutes a permanent upgrade to the game is acceptable in single-player games *only*. In multi-player games this constitutes pay-to-win and is wrong - with the exception of upgrades that benefit all players equally, eg hosting services or exclusive maps available to paying customers.

3) Paid-for consumables are on the wrong side of the line. If I pay money for something, that should be a permanent upgrade, not something I use up quickly and go back to the bad old version.

Obviously it's only a rule of thumb and the dividing line isn't always obvious (eg - I pay to speed up a brick mine on Dungeon Keeper - this is a consumable but in a limited sense it also 'upgrades' my dungeon permanently). But I think it's still a pretty useful starting point for discussion.

 

[Gunner 51]

I can understand your frustration, OP. But I've never really done micro-transactions. (Unless you include that Horse Armour, because I wanted to find out just how awful it was.)

I can't say that I'm boycotting micro-transactions, but that I'm just not paying them because I know what I'll receive won't be worth it. Come to think of it, I'm not a firm fan of downloadable content for the same reason. (But that's another story for another time.)

 

[barbzilla]

I've been doing this for quite a while now, and unfortunately I am not in the majority (apparently, since this is still happening). Soon there will be another one to add to the list, and that is ESO. Full price of a AAA game, full priced sub cost (15/m), and they are now adding in a cash shop as well. I suppose in all fairness I shouldn't judge it until I've seen it, but the fact that they have locked one of the races to the $100 pre-order set, I don't have high hopes.

 

[Fdzzaigl]

I think microtransactions can be a good way to monetise things, IF

a) Those microtransactions remain MICRO and don't become macrotransactions as in the case of some games. I'm looking at games asking $10-20 for some recycled player model of flying pony mount. Or even worse, all the MMO's that require you to spend hundreds of dollars in their cash shop before your character becomes viable.

b) You get what you pay for, no frekkin lottery systems as is the case in Mass Effect 3 multiplayer. To my shame I have to say I fell for that a couple of times too, never again though. It's total bullshit that developers ask you to pay money for something that might end up giving you nothing or something you really don't want.

Microtransactions can be a good way for devs to keep churning out content and extras or to hybridize payment models that are otherwise very rigid. Like subsciption MMO's. They're only worth having if they give you more choice though, not if they chip away parts of the product to monetize them and eat away at your choice.

 

[Ymbirtt]

I don't think I should feel guilty about spending some money on the games I like, even if they are ultimately fruitless. I've spent money on Steam trading cards and I'm quite happy with the entirely cosmetic benefits of them. I bought the DotA2 Bastion Announcer because he sounds really cool [http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/dota2.gamepedia.com/5/5a/Dlc_bastion_announcer_pick_abaddon_follow.mp3]. I bought the Elite Soldier Pack for XCOM because I want to have a pastel-coloured laser gun squadron. Microtransactions aren't necessarily bad, and it's silly to call for a mass boycott of games which use microtransactions badly on this website because, I would conjecture that, the sorts of games that include crappy micropayments aren't usually the sorts of games that people on this website would play.

 

[barbzilla]

I don't think I should feel guilty about spending some money on the games I like, even if they are ultimately fruitless. I've spent money on Steam trading cards and I'm quite happy with the entirely cosmetic benefits of them. I bought the DotA2 Bastion Announcer because he sounds really cool [http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/dota2.gamepedia.com/5/5a/Dlc_bastion_announcer_pick_abaddon_follow.mp3]. I bought the Elite Soldier Pack for XCOM because I want to have a pastel-coloured laser gun squadron. Microtransactions aren't necessarily bad, and it's silly to call for a mass boycott of games which use microtransactions badly on this website because, I would conjecture that, the sorts of games that include crappy micropayments aren't usually the sorts of games that people on this website would play.

I don't think this is intended to make you feel guilty for spending money, but more so that you should feel upset that developers are taking advantage of you with 5000% markups (in some cases). And if you are playing one of the games that doesn't abuse its customers, then that isn't what the OP was on about.

 

[Branindain]

See, even though I don't have that much money, I always pay my way in free-to-play games that respect me, because I feel like a freeloader otherwise. I bought stuff in Path of Exile even though I didn't really want anything, and I've dropped a triple figure sum into League of Legends, which I don't regret at all because I've received hundreds of hours of entertainment from Riot, and they never tried to strongarm me.

On the other hand, my youngest child is a fan of Temple run-style "endless runner" games and I get him a new one every couple of weeks. Yesterday I downloaded Sonic Dash, thinking Sonic would be a natural fit for that genre, and yeah, the gameplay was solid, if you could get to it. Two minutes into the tutorial, they "teach" you how to buy currency, and when you don't immediately buy some, the ad bombardment starts. But they can be disabled for just $7.49! So, off the iPad forever went that game. You could have had my money in time, Sega, but you came on too strong.

When I see games like Sonic Dash and Dungeon Keeper (both from AAA publishers, naturally) it seems to me that, for all their data, the people running the show there don't trust free-to-play, because they're so greedy they just can't believe that people will pay for things without being forced to. You know, the same reason they're so fixated on DRM. So you get games which aren't even good scams because they won't lay enough bait on the hook in case the filthy freeloading fish get a free worm.

Anyhow... like other people have said, I'm theoretically happy to boycott microtransaction scams but it wouldn't mean much because I already don't give them the time of day. My boycott of EA is much more meaningful.

 

[WouldYouKindly]

How about we just refuse to use the micro transaction system in games we actually paid for? They know where their money comes from and when they see that no one is buying their micro transaction bullshit, they should stop doing it.

I don't have any problems with micro transactions in most free to play games provided you can actually play without paying( not free to wait), even if it's a bit grindy.

 

[WindKnight]

I've played a number of games where the micro-transactions are generally fair, and at worst they encourage you to invest rather than pummel you into having to play. (whether the prices are fair or not can be an entirely different kettle of fish)

Its not micro-transactions themselves, its the way that some publishers are treating them as a way to FORCE more money from the customers, and essentially treating a game as something to earn them the maximum amount of money, and not something to entertain the people who bought it.

 

[mindfaQ]

Not every game that has micro transactions is bad. Examples: Dota 2, PoE.
So instead of generally boycotting this principle, how about you only play games with fair/good models? If noone would play titles with bad implementations, we wouldn't see them. Sadly the more casual oriented a game is, the more people are okay with putting up with stuff like this, so yeah... if you like casual games, you will see a lot of games plagued by bad models but I'm sure there will also be a few good developers out there.

 

[krazykidd]

No. No I will not join your "boycott".

A game having micro-transactions does not make it "evil" or "bad" or "greedy". If someone wishes to use real life money to pay for virtual shit, what do I care? If a game is literally broken unless you pay for micros, I simply won't play that game.

As for my "shameful" uses:

None. I have never purchased any micro-transactions.

I won't join the boycott, but i disagree with your point. Not caring is a very negative attitude to have ( kinda like caring TOO much). OP is right in the sense that i will continue ( and get worst) if nothing is done or said about the practice. It started with cosmetic dlc, then horse armor dlc (lol) then weapon dlc, then map dlc , then character dlc, then Faction dlc, the disc lock content, now microtransactions. It will just get worst. Next we'll have pay to win console pvp items for 60$ retail games.

At first people were saying " well it's only cosmetic why should i care?" And look how far we have come. So you should care, i'm not saying to boycott anything, but have an opinion and voice it.

 

[bug_of_war]

*snip*

First off, Boycotting a game for having micro transactions is dumb. Secondly, I have yet to see a AAA game come with Micro transactions that are required to finish the game. Thirdly, micro transactions are not inherently bad and neither are their incorporation into games that are not free to play, it's HOW they're incorporated that sways the pendulum.

 

[Jamash]

No. No I will not join your "boycott".

A game having micro-transactions does not make it "evil" or "bad" or "greedy". If someone wishes to use real life money to pay for virtual shit, what do I care? If a game is literally broken unless you pay for micros, I simply won't play that game.

As for my "shameful" uses:

None. I have never purchased any micro-transactions.

would you consider games akin to forza to be greedy for selling a full price game, then withholding cars withen the game for additional costs?

Exactly what cars are in the game but withheld for additional costs?

I've actually got the game and as far as my experience has been, there have been no cars withheld until you pay up more money, so I'd be interest to hear what you're basing this on.

 

[Erttheking]

I purchased a couple back in the day, but I pretty much never do it now, occasional and very rare TF2 key aside. I just tend to ignore them.

 

[Vegosiux]

A game having micro-transactions does not make it "evil" or "bad" or "greedy". If someone wishes to use real life money to pay for virtual shit, what do I care?

You will care if it becomes the norm because enough people were wrangled into it. Boiling frogs.

This is something I consider despicable enough it needs to be nipped in the bud. I'm not even calling it a "boycott" on my end, simply rational purchasing decisions. I do wish people would make more of those, rather than "ZOMFGGGGG I MUST HAVE THIS NEXT BEST SHINY THING EVAR AND I MUST HAVE IT RIGHT NAO SO SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY" idiocy.

 

[Reasonable Atheist]

Not every game that has micro transactions is bad. Examples: Dota 2, PoE.
So instead of generally boycotting this principle, how about you only play games with fair/good models? If noone would play titles with bad implementations, we wouldn't see them. Sadly the more casual oriented a game is, the more people are okay with putting up with stuff like this, so yeah... if you like casual games, you will see a lot of games plagued by bad models but I'm sure there will also be a few good developers out there.

I fully agree with this, im a huge fan of path of exile, i happen to have bought the cold snap micro-transaction skin, because it looks super bitchin. I don't feel guilty about that one though.

 

[Lunar Templar]

You do not have my sword.

Micro-transactions aren't the problem, it's how they are being used by EA and the mobile market. Much to everyone's surprise who isn't me or actually really familiar with F2P MMOs, The 'Pay2Win' model is a rarity in the F2PMMO space, THEY actually know better now and have moved to a more fair model, for the most part.

Where as the mobile market is pretty much nothing but Pay2Win, or Pay2Doanything rather, with EA jumping in all spread eagle to cash in on it before it collapses like all of gaming did in the 80s.

As for my Micr-Transaction history

Dude, I play Warframe.

I'm a tier 3 Founder, or 'Master', I'm tier 3 on the current 'Prime Access', I have almost all the cosmetic stuff, Grabbed a few completed weapons a 'frames I didn't feel like grinding* for (Banshee, Vuaban, Necros and Zypher spring to mind), and slots for 'Frames and Weapons up the wazzu.

so, no, never dropped a dime on a game, ever >.>

*= I still do go out and shot the materials out of things faces for things though, and most of my weapons and 'Frames are farmed and crafted.

 

[Robert Marrs]

No I won't join your boycott. I just don't spend money on micro-transactions. All it takes is a little discipline and you can play free games without spending any money. The ones that put you behind a paywall every 5 minutes you can just not play. If there are micro-transactions in AAA titles they are just as easy to ignore. While they bother me to some extent its not going to stop from buying a good game and playing it. Some micro-transactions are really not that bad if you really love the game and want to add some new flavor to it. Its all about how a company implements it. Dead Space 3 was pretty bad. Limitless cool weapons that you can only get if you fork over some extra cash. Its not all bad though.

 

[tippy2k2]

snip

snip

I'll catch you both with this since you both (more or less) say the same thing about my point

I do care. I put it in my post that I don't purchase games where the core experience requires micro-transactions because I find that bullshit.

HOWEVER, that's not what the OP is calling the arms for (or at least his post didn't; he clarified that a bit later when talking with me). His opening post claimed any game with micro-transactions PERIOD. Some have said it but I'll say it again for fun; Micro-transactions themselves are not bad. Like a knife, they can be used for good (cutting up my delicious food) or evil (stabbing my face).

I have zero problem with games that give either the impatient, the busy, or the stupid the option to spend money on things. That's why I will not boycott micro-transactions. Although even then, the stuff I don't like I don't really boycott so much as I don't buy products like that (you might say I'm arguing semantics but to me, there is a huge difference).

As to the last point, I hear a lot of people who are against micro-transactions claim how they're "ruining our industry" because they're everywhere. Now maybe I'm not paying enough attention to the industry but outside of the mobile market and the "Free to buy" market, how many games can we claim are actively broken by micro-transactions?

I heard someone say Forza earlier so I'll give that one (though I don't know that for a fact since another poster is challenging it). I've heard Ryse is the same way but again, I don't know that for a fact so I'll just count it as ruined just to start it off. Every other game with Micro-transactions that I can think of are either cosmetic (horse armor, wolf in CoD, etc.) or can be earned with no problem through the game (Dead Space 3).