Why microtransactions, IAPs and LootBoxes are here to stay thread

[Asura]

I'm not sure I believe their reasons of it being trade secrets or for anti cheat reasons.

Actually, this is the reason. Or at least, it's combination of this and that nothing was forcing them to make those figures public.

In our present society, with online services being such a big part of people's lives, data is like the new crude oil. It's difficult to get but extremely valuable if you know what to do with it, and services like EA, Google, Amazon, Apple, they keep their cards very close to their chest.

If EA had to share that sort of data en masse, other publishers could copy their approach, and EA only has that data because they invested in creating the services to harvest it.

Regardless of what your opinions on the ethics of all this is, it's a pretty simple business. If you're selling something at a weekly market - say you have an ice cream van at a car boot sale - and you discover that painting your van blue gets more people to come over to it, and to buy ice cream, vs your opponents who have red vans, you don't typically make public that the blue paint is why you're making so much money.

EA just previously had no reason to make the data public.

[Digfox]

Actually, this is the reason. Or at least, it's combination of this and that nothing was forcing them to make those figures public.

Of course your point is valid. Although ultimately it's what the laws (GDPR) requires them to disclose above all else. EA's interpretation for these new laws is that they don't have to supply that data but given how new these rules are, that may or may not be legally correct. Although the article notes that 'too much money' Michael is going to keep going after the data, so maybe it'll just take people to test the new laws.

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-07-26-loot-boxes-to-be-removed-from-forza-motorsport-7

Turn 10 are to strip back the loot crate aspects from Forza 7 and Horizon 4

[Family Fry]

Right decision on both accounts, anything lootbox related since WB-Mordor/EA-Star Wars is now seen as a bad tactic and will give you NOTHING more than bad press. Think publisher have finally exhausted people’s good will about these things being in games.

I saw in Forza Horizon 4 there is now clothing for your character and dance emotes to unlock, wheel spins now have the chance to unlock these.

[Cassius_Smoke]

What has happened to the world were people are putting in time designing, programming and spending hard earned money on effing dance emotes!

[cutmymilk]

I THINK that was a Fortnite joke. But yeah, idiots have taken over gaming and I have to stop now before I'm called an old man again 😅

[Family Fry]

No joke, there really are dance emotes & special clothes for your driver on Forza Horizon 4.
After you win a race, no doubt, it will zoom in to your avatar standing next to your car, flossing in a Santa costume.
Least if they are removing actual paid micro-transactions then these will only be unlocked via playing the game.

Ah here we go.

[Digfox]

Hmmm... Where I think it would be cool is if you could actually walk around in the world or interact with others. For Forza MS 7 I largely have ignored the avatar. I just don't see the point. Obviously good news they removed the lootboxes and MTX which they had obviously planned to monetize at some point.

As an aside I think a year off Forza so it's a more developed launch title for the next Xbox is a good thing personally. It's a series that could probably do with the break and more dev time.

[MartyG]

I decided to take advantage of people's idiocy and sold four PUBG skins for a total of £10 on Steam marketplace and bought a game instead. I honestly can't believe someone is prepared to pay £7.50 for a pixel balaclava. I wouldn't pay that much for a real one.

Glad to see lootboxes gone from Forza - shame that Forza 5 still nags you on every screen to press Y to speed up levelling (for cash).

[Cassius_Smoke]

If you want to run around dressed as a chicken in Fortnight and do a little dance after you kill someone, fine. It when that crap starts to invade other games, like Forza, when I think gaming is in its death throws. Whats next? Shadow of the Tomb Raider?

[Family Fry]

I decided to take advantage of people's idiocy and sold four PUBG skins for a total of £10 on Steam marketplace and bought a game instead. I honestly can't believe someone is prepared to pay £7.50 for a pixel balaclava. I wouldn't pay that much for a real one.

Glad to see lootboxes gone from Forza - shame that Forza 5 still nags you on every screen to press Y to speed up levelling (for cash).

Dare I say much of it has been normalised now and made desirable by the like of KSI, Ninja, Angry Joe and co. They all stream themselves buying loot boxes, whilst people watch them being paid to open loot boxes and play games. I saw some Overwatch players, as soon as a new update hits, buy x100 lootboxes (£70) so they could open them and get EVERY new skin and emote, whilst in stream they are also collecting donations and subscriptions for doing this.
They are basically marketing these items to people.

[Asura]

I decided to take advantage of people's idiocy

[MartyG]

I was ambivalent on it - selling them meant become the thing I hate. On the other hand, it's a 100% pure profit as the skins cost me absolutely nothing. The price for these has reduced over time, if I'd had sold them at their peak it'd have fetched over £20.

[Cassius_Smoke]

http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2018/07/ea_is_considering_free-to-play_games_after_fortnites_success

... Oh...

[MartyG]

So Madden's microtransactions are pretty obnoxious: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tqvlcd7G1Gg