Why microtransactions, IAPs and LootBoxes are here to stay thread

[Digfox]

Lol, was literally about to post that. Tbf you could swap out Madden for FIFA, the points are the same. Again nothing we haven't said before.

Only point I would pick up on, is that Madden (or FIFA) aren't the only freemium mobile games masquerading as £80+ games. A number of games could go f2p as per Angry Joes point.

[Cassius_Smoke]

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-08-26-2k-makes-changes-to-nba-2k-microtransactions-to-comply-with-belgium-and-dutch-gambling-laws

I'd be interested to hear if the Belgium version is generally a better experience than the original version.

[Dogg Thang]

Seems unlikely. Because the game was designed to sell those things. This is why "you don't have to buy them" doesn't ever make them okay - their existence as part of the business model affects the entire design of the game. So I can't imagine just removing access makes the game better unless it was turning them off and then rebalancing the game the way it would be had they never existed.

[Digfox]

The in-game currency grind rate will probably be the same. It seems unlikely 2K would make the Belgium version better and have just done the bare minimum by removing the microtransaction in-game store and auction house.

[Digfox]

Following reading all the bad press the pre-order of The Division 2 has been getting (just check reddit or Youtube out) I thought I'd take a look at the prices.

It's £87.99 for the Ultimate Edition on Xbox Live, which is the only version to include all the content and the additional stash space. Although the descriptions are very unclear and include no explanation of what you are actually getting (i.e. how much stash space for starters). I would imagine it's bare bones content and probably a waste of money and will be dwarfed by what they sell in their in-game cash shop.

However the pre-order tat, expensive full versions, inevitable microtransactions and lootboxes, along with Year 2 passes is seriously dampening my enthusiasm for this. I'm put off RDR2 for similar reasons, but certainly because it is so expensive for the full version. Given that I regretted dropping £90 on Destiny 2 and I didn't really start playing the first game in earnest until patch 1.4 hit the sensible thing to do would be wait for the inevitable price drops or when I'm ready to play.

But as ever this means not crumbling when the 'new' game allure hits and everyone on the 'net is playing.

[MartyG]

I did have Red Dead Redemption 2 pre-ordered but after watching Jim Sterling's latest video on microtransactions and seeing how Take-Two Interactive have been installing their loot boxes in their published titles I've cancelled it.

Whilst I think the probability is that the single player side of things will be okay, I'm not prepared to put £50 down on it before seeing the reviews any more. Screw Take-Two.

[fishbowlhead]

I did have Red Dead Redemption 2 pre-ordered but after watching Jim Sterling's latest video on microtransactions and seeing how Take-Two Interactive have been installing their loot boxes in their published titles I've cancelled it.

Whilst I think the probability is that the single player side of things will be okay, I'm not prepared to put £50 down on it before seeing the reviews any more. Screw Take-Two.

Just buy the standard game on launch and enjoy it. You know RDR2 will be spectacular, just don’t buy into pre order nonsense with any game whatsoever, ever.

This isn’t an EA Star Wars pew pew we’re going to rob you for every dime with cheap nasty tricks job, your going to get probably the game of the year out the box with RDR2.

[Asura]

Just buy the standard game on launch and enjoy it. You know RDR2 will be spectacular, just don’t buy into pre order nonsense with any game whatsoever, ever.

This isn’t an EA Star Wars pew pew we’re going to rob you for every dime with cheap nasty tricks job, your going to get probably the game of the year out the box with RDR2.

I think he should wait; the game's not going to "run out" and doesn't need to be bought on launch, and in the few days after we'll hear if the game is aggressively carved up to get you to pay more.

seeing how Take-Two Interactive have been installing their loot boxes in their published titles I've cancelled it.

You can only vote with your wallet, right?

The disheartening thing is that I've been doing that since the start of this generation, and so far it hasn't seemed to make much of a dent.

[MartyG]

It's very rare for me to pre-order games these days, but RDR2 looked good from the gameplay trailer and Rockstar normally deliver, so it would be nice to have the game on release day.

I will definitely pick it up soon after release if it isn't compromised (the fact is Take-Two are being more aggressive in this area, so we just don't know at the moment) - as you say, it's not like they're going to run out.

Would prefer it on PC though

[Digfox]

I'd say you are doing the right thing by waiting, particularly as the single player component is not going anywhere even if they have mixed in online (unlikely).

One negative with buying standard editions is that obtaining some of the paywalled content might be more expensive or impossible if they don't offer it up for sale later on.

I triple dipped on GTAV and whilst I really enjoyed it, I never actually completed it until a number of years later on the PC. So in reality all I did was just help increase T2's profits and promote thier false delays. I would like to try and buy RDR2 once and once only this time.

[fishbowlhead]

EA sticks its middle finger up at Belgium gambling laws, insisting its randomised gambling cards aren't in-fact gambling.

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/09/ea-defies-belgian-loot-box-decision-setting-up-potential-gambling-lawsuit/

I suspect they are earning so much money from their loot boxes they can afford to keep any country tied in litigation and courts forever more on the matter.

[Asura]

EA sticks its middle finger up at Belgium gambling laws, insisting its randomised gambling cards aren't in-fact gambling.

The thing is, they think they might overturn the law - they're probably just going to get Magic: The Gathering and football stickers banned too.

[fishbowlhead]

The thing is, they think they might overturn the law - they're probably just going to get Magic: The Gathering and football stickers banned too.

Like i said, they will simply keep it in the courts forever more and carry on as normal game wise, meanwhile it will just keep them earning more than enough in that region to justify the lawyers bills and them some.

[Asura]

Like i said, they will simply keep it in the courts forever more and carry on as normal game wise, meanwhile it will just keep them earning more than enough in that region to justify the lawyers bills.

This reminds me of when the EU slapped a fine on Microsoft for including IE with Windows (an anti-competitive move designed to assassinate Netscape). MS just paid the fine; it was something like a million a month.

[MartyG]

Fighting a legal battle to defend screwing your customers over by have gambling in your game. What a hill to die on.