Microtransactions | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Sun, 24 Mar 2024 11:13:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png Microtransactions | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 KitGuru Games: Dragon’s Dogma 2 launch squandered by greed https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/kitguru-games-dragons-dogma-2-launch-squandered-by-greed/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/kitguru-games-dragons-dogma-2-launch-squandered-by-greed/#respond Sun, 24 Mar 2024 10:00:30 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=652404 Hardcore RPG mechanics are undermined at every turn by paid-for items that simply don't belong, bringing an end to Capcom's long-running streak of top-tier releases...

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While I'm typically more positive when it comes to discussing games, today we're going to be diving into a very unexpected controversy. This week, Capcom officially launched Dragon's Dogma 2, a game that was getting rave reviews ahead of its release and was hyped up by many who loved the original game from a decade ago. Unfortunately, Capcom was keeping a few things quiet, with an atrocious list of microtransactions dropping alongside the game. 

Dragon's Dogma 2 was set to be another hit in a long-running line of solid releases from Capcom in recent years. Unfortunately, the launch-day excitement has been absolutely squandered, with Capcom launching a list of 21 purchasable microtransactions for the game, many of which spit in the face of the game's deep RPG design.

In a game like Dragon's Dogma, players spend a ton of time crafting not only their main character, but their ‘Pawn' as well, a secondary character that joins you in your party and will mould its playstyle around the things you do in battle. Want to reset your Pawn to act differently? That will cost you £1.70.

There is a particular quote now doing the rounds on social media from Dragon's Dogma 2 director, Hideaki Itsuno, where he explains that fast travel wouldn't be necessary in games if the ‘travelling' part of the game was actually fun. In direct contrast to this, Capcom thought it would be prudent to sell ‘Portcrystals', an item that costs £2.49 and allows you to fast travel to a location of your choice.

Dragon's Dogma 2 does not include a New Game button, so once you've created your character and committed to it, there is a sense that you are stuck with it. To get around this, Capcom is selling a Character Editor item for £1.70, allowing you to tweak your character's appearance should you want to make any adjustments after starting the game. Getting around this is a convoluted process that involves making sure your Steam Cloud Saves are switched off, finding your original save files hiding in a folder and then deleting them. Sure it's not the end of the world to have to go through this workaround, but the fact that Capcom is obscuring the ability to start a fresh new character and instead selling you an item to make any appearance changes, is nothing short of bad practise.

With these two examples alone, Capcom has already undermined core pillars of the game. Dragon's Dogma 2 was designed to be played and explored without fast travel – so why sell pricey single-use fast-travel ‘crystals'? The character creator is one of the most detailed in the industry – so why lock adjustments behind a ridiculous paywall and intentionally make it difficult to start a new character?

As a hardcore RPG, Dragon's Dogma 2 players also have to grapple with limited inventory space and weight management, a good chunk of which is taken up by your camping gear. Don't like this? Well you will be pleased to learn that you can spend £2.49 for an upgraded camping kit that weighs less and takes up less inventory space. Running low on revive potions? Just buy some more at the low price of £0.89 each. Want to hire some new Pawns to join your party and aid you in battle? You can top up on Rift currency to do exactly that. You can even pay for a special key to escape jail should you be arrested in-game – which is an issue, as Dragon's Dogma 2 has save policies in place to make it harder for players to ‘save scum' to avoid things like ending up in jail when trying to steal valuable items or sneak into closed off areas.

It is just baffling to see how each and every microtransaction directly counters deliberate design decisions made for the game. What we could have had here was a deep, rewarding and challenging RPG, but it has all been cast aside in favour of penny pinching.

Imagine being able to buy revive stones as a microtransaction in a game like Elden Ring? The game would be nowhere near as popular as it is if its mechanics and design were undermined at every turn by paid-for items, so Capcom's decision to go down this route with Dragon's Dogma 2 is all the more baffling.

Now the ‘good' news is that you can buy many of these ‘time saving' items in a cheaper bundle, rather than buying them all individually, but it still doesn't change the fact that the very existence of these items damages the perception of the game and casts doubt on the design decisions made to make the game more challenging. Something like not being able to save scum to avoid going to jail would be easily forgiven if Capcom wasn't also turning around and trying to sell you a ‘get out of jail free' card.

Turning inventory and weight management into a core mechanic is usually commendable for a serious RPG, but the ‘seriousness' of the game is immediately called into question when you can just spend £2.50 to buy a magic camping set that gives you back inventory space. This contradiction between developer-intent and monetisation hurts nearly every aspect of the game. I could even look past the ‘one save slot' rule if we could freely make adjustments to our characters in-game, but you can't, you need to  buy an item for that, or delete your save and start over.

Now, what should have been a fantastic launch weekend for Capcom, and a big boon for the popularity of Dragon's Dogma as a franchise, has been utterly wasted. The high critic scores don't mean much when word of mouth amongst paying customers has turned overwhelmingly negative. Over on Steam, the game has already dropped to a ‘Mostly Negative' score based on over 11,000 user reviews. The subreddit for the game is also filled with complaints, as well as memes about how bad the game is. When the meme-makers turn against you, it tarnishes your reputation in ways that are not easy to fix – just look at Cyberpunk 2077. Even now, three years on and after a renewed wave of critical acclaim, there are still people who talk down on the game due to its launch troubles.

The worst part about this is if sales are hurt, which they very likely will be, the chances of Dragon's Dogma becoming a mainstay franchise start to get very slim. It already took over a decade to get a sequel to the original. After this debacle, Capcom may need to put the series on ice once again.

The main saving grace here is that most of these items and currencies are earnable in-game, and the critics that did review it for launch all played it without knowledge of the incoming microtransactions, which does suggest that they can be ignored for the most part, but the fact is, many are now going to be put off upon visiting the store page for the game. Prior to this, Capcom had a lot of goodwill built up amongst gamers but the fact is, that has now been traded off for overly pervasive monetisation.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru Says: Have any of you picked up Dragon's Dogma 2 already? Are you enjoying the game? Have the newly announced microtransactions soured your opinion or desire to pick it up at all? 

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Assassin’s Creed Mirage will once again include microtransactions https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/assassins-creed-mirage-will-once-again-include-microtransactions/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/assassins-creed-mirage-will-once-again-include-microtransactions/#respond Tue, 08 Aug 2023 08:45:05 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=625710 Assassin’s Creed Mirage is the latest and upcoming title in the stealth-action series, taking players back to the roots of the franchise with an emphasis on smaller worlds and more stealthy gameplay. Unfortunately, it seems as though the game will still feature some of its more modern influences – namely with the inclusion of microtransactions. …

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Assassin’s Creed Mirage is the latest and upcoming title in the stealth-action series, taking players back to the roots of the franchise with an emphasis on smaller worlds and more stealthy gameplay. Unfortunately, it seems as though the game will still feature some of its more modern influences – namely with the inclusion of microtransactions.

As reported by known AC Mirage leaker ‘j0hnathan’ Assassin’s Creed Mirage will include microtransactions of some kind. While the screenshot released by the leaker has since been taken down, the picture featured details on a supposed ‘Fire Demon Pack’ which will include a set of armour for protagonist Basim, a mask for the mounts and a flaming sword.

Previous leaks claimed that there were no plans for any microtransactions in Mirage and so the reveal that this is not the case is somewhat disappointing. That said, it does not come as a surprise, especially as pretty much every Ubisoft-published game in the past decade or so has featured some form of microtransactions.

All that said, it would have been a pretty major boon for both Ubisoft and AC Mirage if the game had not featured any microtransactions. Hopefully the rest of the game at least ends up being  good. We will have to wait and see.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you surprised by the microtransactions? Have you ever paid for Ubisoft Helix Credits? Is this a bad sign for the game? Let us know down below.

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Diablo 4 season pass doesn’t give enough in-game currency to buy cheapest in-store item https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/diablo-4-season-pass-doesnt-give-enough-in-game-currency-to-buy-cheapest-in-store-item/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/diablo-4-season-pass-doesnt-give-enough-in-game-currency-to-buy-cheapest-in-store-item/#respond Tue, 25 Jul 2023 14:00:32 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=624250 At this point, most popular online games rely on a seasonal battle pass model for recurring income. Diablo 4 is no exception, but while other battle passes give players enough in-game currency to purchase the next season's battle pass, the Diablo 4 battle pass doesn't even give players enough currency to buy the cheapest cosmetic …

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At this point, most popular online games rely on a seasonal battle pass model for recurring income. Diablo 4 is no exception, but while other battle passes give players enough in-game currency to purchase the next season's battle pass, the Diablo 4 battle pass doesn't even give players enough currency to buy the cheapest cosmetic item in the store. 

As we saw with Overwatch 2's store, Blizzard is once again selling new cosmetic skins at pretty ridiculous prices, with armour sets costing as much as $25 in real-world currency. Completing all tiers of the battle pass in Diablo 4's first season will net you 666 Platinum, which is very on-brand for a Diablo game, but unfortunately, that amount is not enough to pick up even the cheapest item in the cosmetic store, as the lowest price is for an item is 800 Platinum.

Platinum is sold as a microtransaction currency in Diablo 4, with packs starting at 200 Platinum for £1.79, or 500 Platinum for £4.39, neither of which is enough to buy anything. For 1000 Platinum, you're looking at £8.39 and from there, things take a big jump, with the next pack being 2800 Platinum for £20.99.

As much as I have enjoyed Diablo 4 since launch and still enjoy the game to this day, the prices of in-game currency and skins, on top of the battle pass, is a bit much. The free tier cosmetics in the season pass are very low effort to boot.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Have many of you been playing Diablo 4 during the new season? 

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WB is shutting down MultiVersus claiming the ‘open beta’ is over https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/wb-is-shutting-down-multiversus-claiming-the-open-beta-is-over/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/wb-is-shutting-down-multiversus-claiming-the-open-beta-is-over/#respond Tue, 28 Mar 2023 14:52:39 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=598221 WarnerBros' platform-fighter MultiVersus has been available for months at this point, attracting millions of players, a chunk of whom have purchased DLC content and season passes. Now, seemingly out of nowhere, WB has announced that the ‘open beta' is ending and the game will be going offline until sometime next year.  While MultiVersus was technically …

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WarnerBros' platform-fighter MultiVersus has been available for months at this point, attracting millions of players, a chunk of whom have purchased DLC content and season passes. Now, seemingly out of nowhere, WB has announced that the ‘open beta' is ending and the game will be going offline until sometime next year. 

While MultiVersus was technically in open beta, many considered the game to essentially be a released product, as it had a suite of DLC purchase options, season passes and even a professional tournament with a paid prize. As it turns out, WB was just really enthusiastic about marketing and monetising its beta, and it will now be shutting down for the remainder of 2023.

During this downtime, MultiVersus will not be accessible online, but you'll still have limited offline access, allowing for local matches and the in-game training mode. WB says the open beta “has been an important learning opportunity for us and a stepping stone to the next phase”.

MultiVersus will be getting a reworked progression system and other updates during this downtime. The game will go offline on the 25th of June with plans to re-release in ‘early 2024'.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: This is the most bizarre way I've ever seen a studio handle a beta. Given that a lot of the player base had dwindled and the initial launch hype has long since died, I'm not sure the game will be able to recapture that moment with a re-launch in 2024 but crazier things have happened. 

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Redfall will not have any microtransactions nor an in-game store https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/redfall-will-not-have-any-microtransactions-nor-an-in-game-store/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/redfall-will-not-have-any-microtransactions-nor-an-in-game-store/#respond Sat, 25 Mar 2023 19:00:43 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=597887 Back in 2021 leaked screenshots from a playtest of the upcoming first-person co-op vampire hunting game Redfall seemed to suggest that the game would feature an in-game store with some form of microtransactions. Fortunately, between then and now, the team at Arkane seem to have reconsidered, as it has now been confirmed that Redfall will …

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Back in 2021 leaked screenshots from a playtest of the upcoming first-person co-op vampire hunting game Redfall seemed to suggest that the game would feature an in-game store with some form of microtransactions. Fortunately, between then and now, the team at Arkane seem to have reconsidered, as it has now been confirmed that Redfall will not feature anything of the sorts, but will still be the team’s most supported game to date.

Arkane Austin recently held a preview event for Redfall in which select publications were invited to try the game ahead of its release on the 2nd of May. The game seemingly did not feature any in-game store, with Wccftech seeking clarification from Redfall’s creative director ‘Harvey Smith’ – to which they responded:

“We try to be very clear that there are no microtransactions and there is no store in the game. We're very proud of that. If you find a costume in the game, then you can have it, as simple as that.”

In-game stores and microtransactions tend to be one of the primary ways that developers justify post-launch support for a game. Fortunately, despite there being no such inclusions in Redfall, the game is set to see a great deal of post-launch content, with Smith claiming that:

“Redfall will be our most supported game post-launch. We went with a server model, so we can update the game constantly. If we see a lot of people falling from ladders and dying, we can update the ladder code. If we see that nobody is playing this character, we can tweak this character and make them more appealing. We have plans for additional guns, costumes, monsters, characters, and more that we can't talk about right now. But we have a strong year of updates, and it's all either in the current game or it will be DLC. We try to do it as fairly as possible for people.”

Redfall may not have had the most exciting initial reveal, however as time has gone on, the game seems to be shaping up very nicely. The fact that Redfall will not have any microtransactions is highly welcome news indeed, and makes the game that much more exciting.

KitGuru says: Are you glad there are no MTX? Why do you think Arkane changed their minds? Are you looking forward to Redfall? Let us know down below.

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Ubisoft’s upcoming Avatar and Star Wars titles will likely include microtransactions https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/ubisofts-upcoming-avatar-and-star-wars-titles-will-likely-include-microtransactions/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/ubisofts-upcoming-avatar-and-star-wars-titles-will-likely-include-microtransactions/#respond Tue, 03 Jan 2023 13:50:49 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=588921 Ubisoft has been putting microtransactions into its large single-player titles for years now, often selling batches of premium currency that can be used to obtain in-game resources to accelerate your progress. In unsurprising news, Ubisoft plans to continue monetising its single-player games, including major licensed titles like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and the publisher's upcoming …

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Ubisoft has been putting microtransactions into its large single-player titles for years now, often selling batches of premium currency that can be used to obtain in-game resources to accelerate your progress. In unsurprising news, Ubisoft plans to continue monetising its single-player games, including major licensed titles like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and the publisher's upcoming Star Wars game. 

Ubisoft Massive, the studio behind The Division and the same studio now working on Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and a new open-world Star Wars game, has posted new job listings (via exputer) seeking a ‘monetisation specialist' to “contribute to the financial success” of upcoming titles and “boost profitability” while “respecting players and the essence of each game”.

While this job isn't specifically aimed at one of these projects, ‘monetisation specialists' in Ubisoft's Fast Track program are hired and set to work on potentially multiple projects while they get to grips with the job. As the listing is for Ubisoft Massive, it is likely that whoever is hired will end up working on Avatar, or the studio's upcoming Star Wars game, as well as any potential unannounced projects.

If you've played any Ubisoft game over the past decade, this shouldn't come as a surprise. Ubisoft has often engaged in microtransactions for single-player titles, billing them as ‘time-saving' options. Still, these options are usually hidden away in a separate menu and aren't heavily advertised.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is supposedly going to release this year, so we should get our first look at gameplay later this year. As for Ubisoft's Star Wars title, that one is still years away. 

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IOI’s next game will likely include microtransactions https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/iois-next-game-will-likely-include-microtransactions/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/iois-next-game-will-likely-include-microtransactions/#respond Wed, 23 Nov 2022 11:45:35 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=583722 IO Interactive have long been known for their work on the Hitman series of games. That being said, the studio is expanding its horizons with them currently developing multiple projects, including a James Bond game. One of their future titles – according to a job listing – will for the first time include microtransactions of …

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IO Interactive have long been known for their work on the Hitman series of games. That being said, the studio is expanding its horizons with them currently developing multiple projects, including a James Bond game. One of their future titles – according to a job listing – will for the first time include microtransactions of some form.

As discovered by Syed Abiyan of ‘Emopulse’, a new job listing posted by IOI reveals that the team is currently hiring for a ‘Monetisation Designer’ with the description of the role reading as follows:

“Create designs for features that support the monetization strategy. Provide ideas and improvement suggestions for monetization features.”

According to IOI, this role is needed due to the studio “embarking on a new journey – into the world of emergent multi-player on a unique unannounced project that we believe will shape the future for years to come of both our studio and the relationships we’ve built with our players.”

One title which the studio is working on currently is only known as Project Dragon, and with the claims made by leaker Jez Corden (who believes the game will be supported for the next decade), there is a high chance that the ‘Monetisation Designer’ is being hired for this game specifically.

While IOI have not made traditional live service titles, the studio has offered great levels of support for its games, stretching their lifespan far beyond launch. It will be interesting to see how the team approaches this new unannounced game.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of microtransactions? Are they okay in some instances? What do you hope Project Dragon is? Let us know down below.

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Blizzard claims it isn’t actually going to charge $45 for skins in Overwatch 2 https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/blizzard-claims-it-isnt-actually-going-to-charge-45-for-skins-in-overwatch-2/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/blizzard-claims-it-isnt-actually-going-to-charge-45-for-skins-in-overwatch-2/#respond Mon, 08 Aug 2022 11:00:12 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=570274 We're just a couple of months away from Overwatch 2 becoming available in Early Access. The new game will have free to play multiplayer and introduce new monetisation methods, with plans to sell skins directly through a store, rather than through lootboxes. A recent survey suggested that some skins could end up being very expensive, …

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We're just a couple of months away from Overwatch 2 becoming available in Early Access. The new game will have free to play multiplayer and introduce new monetisation methods, with plans to sell skins directly through a store, rather than through lootboxes. A recent survey suggested that some skins could end up being very expensive, causing concern and forcing Blizzard to respond. 

As pointed out by Porterguage on Twitter, recently Activision Blizzard has been surveying for feedback ahead of Overwatch 2's launch. The survey suggests that a legendary skin would sell for $24.99 and a ‘Mythic' skin would cost $44.99, weapon charms would be $9.99 each and a pack of three sprays would be $4.99.

These prices quickly sparked up concern across the community. The prices are high, but given Activision Blizzard's track record with microtransactions, we wouldn't be surprised to see vastly overpriced skins and cosmetics in a new game. However, Blizzard did respond to IGN, claiming that prices shown in the survey are “not indicative of final pricing”.

Specific pricing for Overwatch 2's cosmetics store has not been revealed. Blizzard has plans to reveal more about the store and battle pass system in the lead-up to launch on the 4th of October.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: We all balked at the drop rates for legendary gear in Diablo Immortal, but that game is still making hundreds of millions. With that in mind, we wouldn't be surprised to see Activision Blizzard try to push the line further with higher pricing in Overwatch 2. How much should a ‘legendary' or a ‘mythic' skin really be worth as a standalone purchase? 

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Skate will be free to play with microtransactions https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/skate-will-be-free-to-play-with-microtransactions/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/skate-will-be-free-to-play-with-microtransactions/#respond Sun, 17 Jul 2022 08:23:23 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=568229 July has been an unexpectedly big month for EA’s Skate game. The first public alpha test took place last week, and now EA has revealed further details, including the fact that the game will be free to play.  Officially titled ‘skate.’, the new game in the series will be free to play with “cosmetic and …

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July has been an unexpectedly big month for EA’s Skate game. The first public alpha test took place last week, and now EA has revealed further details, including the fact that the game will be free to play. 

Officially titled ‘skate.’, the new game in the series will be free to play with “cosmetic and convenience items”, which likely equates to some kind of XP boost in addition to different deck designs in the game. The developers claim there would be no ‘pay to win’ items, but, well, it’s not exactly easy to trust EA at its word given its past history with microtransaction systems.

With this new Skate game, EA will be going in a ‘live service’ direction, with this title expected to act as a platform for future content updates for years post-release. With that in mind, there may well be a battle pass system in place too when the game eventually releases.

Skate does not have a release date at this time, but the game is expected to arrive sometime in 2023.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I would have preferred a smaller single-player experience like the recent Tony Hawk Pro Skater remake, but we should have anticipated this kind of direction from EA. The company is always looking to try and hit big revenue targets with multiplayer, open-worlds and baked in monetisation systems. 

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343i is “internally exploring” adding microtransactions to Halo: MCC https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/mustafa-mahmoud/343i-is-internally-exploring-adding-microtransactions-to-halo-mcc/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/mustafa-mahmoud/343i-is-internally-exploring-adding-microtransactions-to-halo-mcc/#respond Fri, 24 Jun 2022 18:15:33 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=565634 Ever since Bungie parted ways with Microsoft to work on Destiny, 343 Industries have been in charge of the Halo franchise – to varying levels of success. The latest controversy comes from the team’s most recent community update, where they announced that the team is “internally exploring” the notion of adding microtransactions into Halo: The …

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Ever since Bungie parted ways with Microsoft to work on Destiny, 343 Industries have been in charge of the Halo franchise – to varying levels of success. The latest controversy comes from the team’s most recent community update, where they announced that the team is “internally exploring” the notion of adding microtransactions into Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

As part of the latest Halo community update blog, Alex Wakeford of 343i discussed the team’s move away from Seasons, saying “what has previously been named “Season Points”—points earned by completing challenges and levelling up to unlock items—will eventually be renamed “Spartan Points” in a future update.”

Explaining this change further, Wakeford claimed that “For players who are new to the [Halo Master chief Collection], or who may not have dedicated much time specifically to unlocking items during the seasonal updates, or are simply completionists looking to catch the last outstanding items they need, we are internally exploring a potential new feature for the future in the form of purchasable Spartan Points.”

343i did make an attempt to calm any concerns from fans, saying “It is prudent to note here that we are happy with the current system of how players earn Spartan Points, by completing challenges and levelling up through play. This would be an optional, additive alternative for players who might find the vast scope of content to be an intimidating amount of playtime and want to get ahead on (or skip) the grind, or maybe want to grab specific items they want.”

It is interesting to see the team specifically talk about skipping the grind, especially as The Master Chief Collection itself has suffered from progression issues as a consequence of 343i intentionally slowing down the rate of Season Points acquisitions over time. It will be interesting to see whether the team does indeed end up adding these new purchasable Spartan Points. The full blog post can be found HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this announcement? Are there any merits to the inclusion of microtransactions? Do you think 343i will reverse this decision? Let us know your thoughts down below.

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Blizzard responds to fan concerns over microtransactions in Diablo IV https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/blizzard-responds-to-fan-concerns-over-microtransactions-in-diablo-iv/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/blizzard-responds-to-fan-concerns-over-microtransactions-in-diablo-iv/#respond Tue, 14 Jun 2022 14:38:55 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=564352 Diablo IV had a pretty good showing at the Xbox and Bethesda showcase a few days ago, but due to Diablo Immortal's recent microtransaction controversies, fans have been worried about Blizzard's monetisation plans for the new game, something that the studio has now responded to. While Blizzard still hasn't really acknowledged the disappointment in Diablo …

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Diablo IV had a pretty good showing at the Xbox and Bethesda showcase a few days ago, but due to Diablo Immortal's recent microtransaction controversies, fans have been worried about Blizzard's monetisation plans for the new game, something that the studio has now responded to.

While Blizzard still hasn't really acknowledged the disappointment in Diablo Immortal's monetisation systems and hidden gameplay caps, the company does seem to want to establish that Diablo IV is an unrelated project, developed for a different market. While Diablo Immortal is geared towards casual players and catching the few whales with pockets deep enough to be truly competitive, Diablo IV is being developed as “a full price game” designed for PC and consoles, rather than the mobile gaming market.

In response to concerns on Twitter, Diablo franchise lead, Rod Fergusson, said: “To be clear, D4 is a full price game built for PC/PS/Xbox audiences. We are committed to delivering an incredible breadth of content after launch, for years to come, anchored around optional cosmetic items & full story driven expansions.”

The response confirms that while Diablo IV may have microtransactions in the form of cosmetic items, it won't be going in the Diablo Immortal direction, with paid dungeon rewards and weird balancing quirks to push people towards paying rather than grinding.

Diablo IV does not have an exact release date just yet, but it will be heading to Xbox Series X/S consoles and PC in 2023.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: What did you all think of the recent Diablo IV gameplay reveal? Will you be giving this one a chance when it comes out? 

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Diablo Immortal player discovers hidden gameplay caps for free players https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/diablo-immortal-player-discovers-hidden-gameplay-caps-for-free-players/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/diablo-immortal-player-discovers-hidden-gameplay-caps-for-free-players/#respond Sun, 12 Jun 2022 08:34:41 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=564034 We've heard plenty about Diablo Immortal's microtransactions recently and the caps in place to ensure you have to spend money to get high-grade gems for your gear. As it turns out, there are other hidden gameplay caps in place that players are now beginning to discover.  Echohack, a player with an impressive number of hours …

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We've heard plenty about Diablo Immortal's microtransactions recently and the caps in place to ensure you have to spend money to get high-grade gems for your gear. As it turns out, there are other hidden gameplay caps in place that players are now beginning to discover. 

Echohack, a player with an impressive number of hours in Diablo Immortal spread across alpha/beta tests and the final release, has been able to uncover additional areas of the game that squeeze free players and aim to push them towards spending money. These caps put limits on the number of legendary drops a free player can earn in a day, as well as other rewards.

As pointed out by Forbes, free players are limited to six legendary drops per day, after which drop rates will decrease severely. Your gem drop rate will also take a big hit after collecting six in a day. Side quests and purple bosses stop giving rewards after completing 5 in a day, and random map events are limited to 5 a day too. Finally, you can only visit the Zoltan Kule treasure rooms five times a day and the Hidden Lair dungeons stop giving gem rewards after a few runs too.

Blizzard has not acknowledged or responded to any of the criticism around Diablo Immortal's in-game systems yet. However, the company did go out of its way to celebrate the game's ‘record-setting' launch.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Have many of you played Diablo Immortal since launch? 

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KitGuru Games: Diablo Immortal is great… until Blizzard asks you for $100,000 https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/kitguru-games-diablo-immortal-is-great-until-blizzard-asks-you-for-100000/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/kitguru-games-diablo-immortal-is-great-until-blizzard-asks-you-for-100000/#respond Thu, 09 Jun 2022 11:00:04 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=563116 Four years on from its infamous reveal, Diablo Immortal is officially out on both mobile and PC. Initially, there was a flurry of positivity around the game's launch, but once players began getting more familiar with the store and hitting end-game, major issues became apparent. Want a fully maxed out character? That'll be $100,000 please.

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Blizzard first announced Diablo Immortal at BlizzCon 2018 and as many of you will remember, the announcement was not received well. After playtests, some positive impressions of the game began to surface and ultimately, Blizzard decided to release the game across mobile and PC this month. To my surprise, I was having a lot of fun running through the campaign and the game didn't seem hampered by the jump to mobile at all. Unfortunately, things quickly go down hill once you reach end-game content. Remember the Diablo 3 Auction House? Immortal's end-game gear system has somehow managed to be much, much worse than that. 

Let's start with the good – I actually like Diablo Immortal. I've spent about 12 hours playing the game over the last few days on my iPad with an Xbox controller, as well as on my iPhone using touch-screen controls. The game runs at a perfect 60FPS – it looks and feels like Diablo, and I've been having a blast levelling up my Monk and grinding the main campaign, bounties and Rifts.

The game starts off fast-paced, levelling up to 30 doesn't take that long, but after that, you will notice that your progress slows and you'll need to do more grinding between major campaign missions, just like most MMOs and online RPGs. Currently, my Monk is level 40 and I noticed myself needing to grind at around level 32. Grinding in this case means doing all eight daily bounties and several Rift runs. I have also begun levelling up a Wizard and I'll probably end up doing a Demon Hunter or Necromancer run in the future too.

I didn't go into Diablo Immortal expecting much, but I was surprised to find that the game wasn't held back by being on mobile. There are lots of enemies on screen, plenty of visual effects and the frame rate is steady. It just felt good to be playing new Diablo content after all these years and the touch controls are surprisingly good too. If you hate touch controls, you can hook up a controller instead, and the game plays equally well that way too. Alternatively, you can install the game on PC and play with a keyboard and mouse. I have not tried the PC version yet, which I think is a testament to how good the mobile version looks and how well it runs.

So Diablo Immortal offers a decent campaign with no time gates or progression blockers – what's the catch? Well the first negative point is that you will get a ‘special bundle' advertisement the first time you clear each major dungeon. However, the game is currently set up in such a way that you don't need to engage with these microtransactions at all while levelling. You are going to be powerful enough just playing the content normally. The real issue kicks in once you hit max-level, and you want to start min-maxing your build to become as powerful as possible.

In traditional Diablo games, you reach the level cap, and then you grind activities at harder difficulties to obtain more powerful gear and upgrades. These legendary items and gems are rare and a lot of players enjoy running end-game Diablo content in search of gear that will perfect their build and enable them to climb the leaderboards.

In Diablo Immortal, you are capped to 1-star or 2-star gems while running Rifts. To get a chance at 3 to 5-star rated gear, the best gear in the game, you will need to purchase Legendary Crests from the store. You will get a couple of free crests as part of the free-tier Battle Pass in the game, (yes there is one of those too), but after that, you'll need to buy crests and if you are really determined to get the best gear in the game, it is going to be very costly.

In Diablo Immortal, you purchase legendary crests from the shop using premium currency that you can't earn in-game. You then apply those crests to a Rift before entering and that will enable the chance at higher-tier loot drops once you complete the level. The drop rates are as follows:

  • 1 star capped – 75%
  • 2 star capped – 20%
  • 2/5 star – 3.75%
  • 3/5 star – 1%
  • 4/5 star – 0.20%
  • 5/5 star – 0.05%

As you can see, even after buying expensive crests, your chances of obtaining the gear you really want are incredibly slim. Like other gacha systems, there is a pity timer in place. If you use 50 legendary crests without getting a single 5-star drop, the next time you apply one, you will get a guaranteed drop. The most expensive premium currency pack in the game costs £89.99 and that will only get you 45 legendary crests.

It is an incredibly greedy system that manages to out-do other infamous gacha games, like Genshin Impact, or Arknights. By some calculations, creating a full 5-star gear build in Diablo Immortal will cost you over $100,000, which is absolutely insane.

When Blizzard removed the auction house from Diablo 3, it did so specifically because its existence compromised the game, particularly end-game content. Now a decade later, Blizzard has run into the same problem and somehow made it much, much worse. Not only are the drop rates abysmal, but the system in place also ensures that you have to spend money. There is no way to be a free player and save up on in-game earnables to eventually unlock a piece of gear you would typically have to pay for – at least, not without major lottery-winning luck on your side. Once you finish the campaign, the façade is completely dropped and Diablo Immortal devolves into nothing more than a net to catch whales.

Ultimately, this is a free to play game and you do get a lot of good content for free. If you don't care about min-maxing your build or obtaining the best gear possible, then you will have a fun time just running through the campaign. When you consider that there are six classes for you to play, you'll get a lot of playtime here without ever needing to spend a penny. However, I think it is clear that Diablo Immortal's end-game experience needs to be reworked to be more rewarding to the average player, rather than exclusively catering to those with big pockets. As it stands, Diablo Immortal is indeed a ‘pay to win' game.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Have many of you played Diablo Immortal over the weekend? Did you play it on PC or mobile? 

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Rockstar wants you to subscribe to GTA Online now https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/rockstar-wants-you-to-subscribe-to-play-gta-online-now/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/rockstar-wants-you-to-subscribe-to-play-gta-online-now/#respond Fri, 25 Mar 2022 16:48:48 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=554822 Today in an unexpected announcement, Rockstar announced GTA+, a new subscription program for Grand Theft Auto Online. The announcement comes shortly after the latest Grand Theft Auto V re-release, with the game now available on Xbox Series X/S and PS5.  GTA+ will be available starting from the 29th of March and will provide members with …

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Today in an unexpected announcement, Rockstar announced GTA+, a new subscription program for Grand Theft Auto Online. The announcement comes shortly after the latest Grand Theft Auto V re-release, with the game now available on Xbox Series X/S and PS5. 

GTA+ will be available starting from the 29th of March and will provide members with access to $500,000 monthly in-game cash, plus other unlockables, like special vehicle upgrades, and bonuses for completing missions.

In the first month, running from March 29th to April 27th, GTA+ members will receive:

  • GTA$500,000 delivered automatically to your Maze Bank Account.
  • The Principe Deveste Eight — along with a complimentary Hao’s Special Works upgrade for it before it is made available to purchase by the general public — plus the HSW Orange Trip and HSW CMYK Glitch Liveries.
  • The Auto Shop located in La Mesa, introduces an assortment of gameplay updates from Los Santos Tuners. Current Auto Shop owners can relocate to La Mesa at no additional cost.
  • Waived LS Car Meet Membership fees. Current LS Car Meet members with GTA+ will be reimbursed GTA$50,000 during this event period.
  • Yacht owners can upgrade to the Aquarius Super Yacht at no additional cost.
  • The Gussét Frog Tee and Broker Prolaps Basketball Top and Shorts automatically added to your wardrobe.
  • The Conveyor Livery for the Mammoth Avenger, HVY APC, and TM-02 Khanjali.
  • A selection of free paints and emblems for the Auto Shop.
  • 3X GTA$ and RP on Hao’s Special Works Race Series.
  • 2X Car Meet Rep on the Street Race Series.

Based on the wording of the blog post, it sounds like membership rewards could change on a month to month basis. Currently, GTA+ is only available for the new PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of Grand Theft Auto Online. The subscription will cost you $5.99 USD per month, or regional equivalent.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: GTA Online is almost ten years old and Rockstar has impressively found a new way to monetise the game. Is GTA+ something that you would subscribe to? 

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Gran Turismo 7 devs promise increased rewards and free credits following backlash https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/gran-turismo-7-devs-promise-increased-rewards-and-free-credits-following-backlash/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/gran-turismo-7-devs-promise-increased-rewards-and-free-credits-following-backlash/#respond Fri, 25 Mar 2022 15:50:56 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=554775 Sony has been in the hotseat this month, with Gran Turismo fans growing increasingly frustrated with the latest entry to the franchise. Most complaints centre around the always-online requirement, microtransactions and low in-game rewards. After becoming the lowest user-rated PlayStation game ever, the team behind GT 7 has promised changes.  In a PlayStation blog post, …

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Sony has been in the hotseat this month, with Gran Turismo fans growing increasingly frustrated with the latest entry to the franchise. Most complaints centre around the always-online requirement, microtransactions and low in-game rewards. After becoming the lowest user-rated PlayStation game ever, the team behind GT 7 has promised changes. 

In a PlayStation blog post, Kazunori Yamauchi, head of Polyphony Digital, apologised for the “frustration and confusion” caused last week, when a patch for Gran Turismo 7 lowered race rewards, followed by extended downtime for the game's servers. In order to begin turning things around, the developers will be gifting 1 million Cr to all Gran Turismo 7 players who log into the game before the 25th of April.

Aside from the in-game currency, Polyphony also has a plan to increase in-game rewards so that players no longer feel pushed towards spending money on microtransactions. This will include doubling the rewards earned by completing World Circuits, as well as offering additional in-game rewards for completing the Circuit Experience with high results.

Additionally, the team is increasing the number of used and Legend cards on offer at any one time, and increasing the amount of non-paid credits users can have in their wallets. Previously, you were limited to 20M Cr for non-paid credits, but this has now been bumped up to 100M Cr, so players can save vast amounts of in-game currency for future car purchases.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: These changes seem positively received so far, but many still take issue with the game's lack of offline single-player option. 

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Gran Turismo 7 now has the lowest user score of any PlayStation game ever https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/gran-turismo-7-now-has-the-lowest-user-score-of-any-playstation-game-ever/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/gran-turismo-7-now-has-the-lowest-user-score-of-any-playstation-game-ever/#respond Mon, 21 Mar 2022 11:25:14 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=554174 Gran Turismo 7 hasn't had the best reception from fans, with many taking issue with the game's rewards system, microtransactions and always-online requirement. As a result, user reviews for the game have been growing more negative, and now, GT 7 has the lowest user score on Metacritic for any Sony-published game ever.  The troubles really …

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Gran Turismo 7 hasn't had the best reception from fans, with many taking issue with the game's rewards system, microtransactions and always-online requirement. As a result, user reviews for the game have been growing more negative, and now, GT 7 has the lowest user score on Metacritic for any Sony-published game ever. 

The troubles really ramped up last week, when Gran Turismo 7 servers were taken offline for over 24 hours. Unlike previous games in the series, Gran Turismo 7 requires users to be connected to the internet in order to play, and with the online servers taken offline, nobody could access the game – this was particularly annoying to those who purchased a physical copy of the game.

To make matters worse, the game's latest patch reduced in-game rewards, increasing the grind players need to go through to earn in-game currency to purchase new cars. This has been seen as a way to push players towards paying for in-game currency, with some cars costing as much as $40 USD.

While the critic score for Gran Turismo 7 sits at a respectable 87, the user score for the game has dropped dramatically on Metacritic. As reported by Eurogamer, the game has the lowest user score of any title published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation Studios, or Sony's other publishing units, like SCEA, SCEE or SCEJ.

At the time of writing, Gran Turismo 7 has a 2.0 overall user score, with some of the top rated reviews pointing out the high prices for cars, the increased focus on microtransactions, online-only gameplay and low in-game rewards.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Have any of you picked up GT 7 since release? Do you agree with the current criticisms? 

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EA says “Kids should not be spending in FIFA full stop” – despite allowing them to https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/ea-says-kids-should-not-be-spending-in-fifa-full-stop-despite-allowing-them-to/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/ea-says-kids-should-not-be-spending-in-fifa-full-stop-despite-allowing-them-to/#respond Tue, 12 Oct 2021 08:00:16 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=535132 While most video game companies have stopped the dangerous trend of offering loot boxes in their games, EA’s sports titles continue to be rife with them. Instead of following others and revoking the predatory practice from their titles, the publisher has simply claimed that “Kids should not be spending in FIFA full stop.” FIFA Ultimate …

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While most video game companies have stopped the dangerous trend of offering loot boxes in their games, EA’s sports titles continue to be rife with them. Instead of following others and revoking the predatory practice from their titles, the publisher has simply claimed that “Kids should not be spending in FIFA full stop.”

FIFA Ultimate Team serves as one of the biggest money makers for EA thanks to its nature as a loot box-focused game mode. Despite the controversy surrounding the gacha mechanics in a full-priced game, EA continues to include the mode as is every single year.

While loot boxes have been linked to gambling addictions in people of all agesleading some countries to outright ban them – EA has taken on a much more defensive approach with FUT. As part of this, Chris Bruzzo, the chief experience officer at EA spoke to Eurogamer in an interview, addressing those who play FIFA Ultimate Team.

Bruzzo said “Kids should not be spending in our game. Children should not be spending in FIFA. When we look at account signups we see a very low percentage of accounts of people under the age of 18. But more importantly, our default is set to no spending for accounts under 18. And we work with Sony and we work with Microsoft to also institute spending controls as a default for children. Kids should not be spending in FIFA full stop.”

Of course one way to prevent children from spending money in FIFA is to remove the loot boxes entirely, however it seems the publisher is not willing to do so. While the discourse surrounding loot boxes has quieted down drastically from its peak, governments still appear to be keeping a close eye on the practice. It will be interesting to see whether the predatory mechanic is ever fully removed. The full interview can be found HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of loot boxes? Should they be removed from FUT? How much have you spent on loot boxes in total? Let us know down below.

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Lawsuit claims EA uses dynamic difficulty to push loot box purchases https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/lawsuit-claims-ea-uses-dynamic-difficulty-to-push-loot-box-purchases/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/lawsuit-claims-ea-uses-dynamic-difficulty-to-push-loot-box-purchases/#respond Thu, 12 Nov 2020 18:00:45 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=493922 EA is no stranger to lawsuits, particularly in the wake of the Battlefront II loot box controversy. Since then, folks have been taking a harder look at FIFA Ultimate Team, one of EA's biggest sources of income each quarter. The latest class-action lawsuit claims EA uses Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment to incentivise microtransaction purchases. As reported …

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EA is no stranger to lawsuits, particularly in the wake of the Battlefront II loot box controversy. Since then, folks have been taking a harder look at FIFA Ultimate Team, one of EA's biggest sources of income each quarter. The latest class-action lawsuit claims EA uses Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment to incentivise microtransaction purchases.

As reported by GI.biz, a lawsuit was filed in the US District Court of Northern California. The lawsuit alleges that EA uses its patented Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment technology in Madden NFL, FIFA and NHL games. By using this system, AI difficulty can be adjusted on the fly to keep players engaged with the game.

The lawsuit claims that EA is using this system to push players into purchasing more loot boxes/player packs to remain competitive: “This is a self-perpetuating cycle that benefits EA to the detriment of EA Sports gamers, since Difficulty Adjusting Mechanisms make gamers believe their teams are less skilled than they actually are, leading them to purchase additional Player Packs in hopes of receiving better players and being more competitive”, the lawsuit reads.

EA has of course commented on this already, saying that it believes “the claims are baseless and misrepresent our games”. EA will be challenging this lawsuit in court.

KitGuru Says: There doesn't appear to be concrete evidence that EA does use this dynamic difficulty system in the ways suggested here. Still, I'm sure this will draw more critical eyes to the business practices of sports games.

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Activision Blizzard made $1.2 Billion on microtransactions in three months https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/activision-blizzard-made-1-2-billion-on-microtransactions-in-three-months/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/activision-blizzard-made-1-2-billion-on-microtransactions-in-three-months/#respond Wed, 04 Nov 2020 12:11:47 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=492894 When microtransactions were first introduced, many video game players expressed their dissatisfaction with the implementation of this new form of monetisation. Despite the narrative mostly remaining the same in the years since, it appears as though microtransactions are here to stay. According to Activision Blizzard, the company made $1.2 Billion from microtransactions alone in the …

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When microtransactions were first introduced, many video game players expressed their dissatisfaction with the implementation of this new form of monetisation. Despite the narrative mostly remaining the same in the years since, it appears as though microtransactions are here to stay. According to Activision Blizzard, the company made $1.2 Billion from microtransactions alone in the 3 month period between July-September.

As part of its Q3 financial reports, Activision Blizzard revealed that between the months of July and September, the publisher made $1.2 Billion via microtransactions alone. This represents a 69% improvement over the same period last year (which according to GameSpot saw them make $709 Million).

According to the report, one of the main contributors was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and its free-to-play Warzone Battle Royale mode. Of course, Activision Blizzard also owns King, the makers of the popular mobile game series Candy Crush – which likely also helped contribute to this figure.

Most interestingly however is the fact that Activision Blizzard’s total revenue for the three month period rested at $1.95 Billion, meaning that over 60% of its total revenue came from microtransactions.

Though many had hoped that the general increase in video game prices from $60 to $70 during the upcoming generation of consoles would mean that microtransactions would become less prevalent, it is highly likely that this will not be the case.

Of course, including microtransactions in free titles such as Warzone is much less egregious than Overwatch’s lootboxes for example, the monetisation model can still be in many ways predatory, and so it's disappointing to know that it will not be going away any time soon.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of microtransactions? Are you surprised by these numbers? Have you ever spent money on microtransactions? Let us know down below.

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Microtransactions in Cyberpunk 2077’s multiplayer spin-off will “create a feeling of value” https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/microtransactions-in-cyberpunk-2077s-multiplayer-spin-off-will-create-a-feeling-of-value/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/microtransactions-in-cyberpunk-2077s-multiplayer-spin-off-will-create-a-feeling-of-value/#respond Tue, 08 Sep 2020 08:27:48 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=484778 While Cyberpunk 2077 will soon be upon us, the upcoming RPG from CD Projekt Red will later be joined by a standalone multiplayer title set in the same universe. While the developers have confirmed that the multiplayer game will include microtransactions, they have stressed that “the goal is to get people to spend extra money …

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While Cyberpunk 2077 will soon be upon us, the upcoming RPG from CD Projekt Red will later be joined by a standalone multiplayer title set in the same universe. While the developers have confirmed that the multiplayer game will include microtransactions, they have stressed that “the goal is to get people to spend extra money and be happy about it.”

In its latest earnings report, CD Projekt Red’s president, Adam Kicinski, spoke on the standalone multiplayer title that will follow up from the soon-to-be -be-released Cyberpunk 2077. Commenting on the implementation of microtransactions, Kicinski said “we're never aggressive towards our fans! [monetarily]. We treat them fairly and we're friendly. So of course not–we won't be aggressive–but you can expect great things to be bought. The goal is to design monetization in a way that makes people happy to spend money. I'm not trying to be cynical or hide something; it's about creating a feeling of value.”

He continued, comparing the implementation to other examples in CDPR’s single-player titles, saying “same as with our single-player games: we want gamers to be happy while spending money on our products. The same is true for microtransactions: you can expect them, of course, and [Cyberpunk 2077] is a great setting for selling things, but it won't be aggressive; it won't upset gamers but it'll make them happy–that's our goal at least.”

Microtransactions have proven to be controversial historically. That being said, CD Projekt Red has gained a reputation for being fair and offering great value for money with its single-player releases. Hopefully what Kicinski says is true, and that this value is also transferred to their multiplayer games.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of microtransactions? Can they be implemented fairly? Do you trust CD Projekt Red to do right by its fans when it comes to microtransactions? Let us know down below.

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MTX and DLC made PlayStation more money than everything else https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/mtx-and-dlc-made-playstation-more-money-than-everything-else/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/mtx-and-dlc-made-playstation-more-money-than-everything-else/#respond Wed, 05 Aug 2020 16:00:07 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=480394 Sony recently released its fiscal report for the first Quarter of 2020 (April-July), bringing lots of new and interesting information. Alongside the fact that PlayStation had the best Quarter ever in its history when it comes to revenue, the console manufacturer also revealed that “add on content” made the company more money (net revenue) than …

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Sony recently released its fiscal report for the first Quarter of 2020 (April-July), bringing lots of new and interesting information. Alongside the fact that PlayStation had the best Quarter ever in its history when it comes to revenue, the console manufacturer also revealed that “add on content” made the company more money (net revenue) than console hardware sales, and both physical and digital software sales combined.

With regards to net revenue, PlayStation console hardware sales amounted to $0.52bn (9%); Packaged Software made $0.35bn (6%); Digital Software made $1.37bn (24%); with add on content (meaning microtransactions and DLC) making $2.29bn (41%). Network services – meaning PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now – meanwhile made $0.87bn (16%), with the rest netting $0.23bn (4%).

For as much as people often criticise microtransactions, there’s no denying that the practice has made Sony (and other gaming companies) a great deal of money. That being said, it is worth noting that two of PlayStation’s biggest titles in 2020 – The Last of Us Part II and Ghost of Tsushima – don’t factor too much into these figures; with revenue only accounting for the first 11 days of TLOU2 sales, and Ghost of Tsushima missing the cutoff period.

Furthermore, with one-fifth of all PlayStation software sales being first-party titles in Q1 2020, it’ll be interesting to see how much these figures are affected during the second Quarter. Regardless, while many people take issue with the practice, DLC and microtransactions make console manufacturers too much money for it to go away any time soon.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of these figures? Do you buy microtransactions? What is your opinion on DLC? Let us know down below.

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Crash Bandicoot 4 won’t include microtransactions, claims developer https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/crash-bandicoot-4-wont-include-microtransactions-claims-developer/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/crash-bandicoot-4-wont-include-microtransactions-claims-developer/#respond Thu, 02 Jul 2020 12:16:21 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=474989 Recently we reported that Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time would include some form of in-app purchases. This was due to the fact that the Microsoft store listed the game as including them. Now however, the studio behind the 4th numbered entry in the Crash Bandicoot series – Toys for Bob – took to Twitter …

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Recently we reported that Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time would include some form of in-app purchases. This was due to the fact that the Microsoft store listed the game as including them. Now however, the studio behind the 4th numbered entry in the Crash Bandicoot series – Toys for Bob – took to Twitter to clear up the confusion.

In a statement released on Twitter, the studio in charge of developing Crash Bandicoot 4 said “We're seeing confusion about [microtransactions]  in @CrashBandicoot 4 and want to be [crystal] clear: There are NO MICROTRANSACTIONS in #Crash4. As a bonus, the Totally Tubular skins are included in all digital versions of the game.”

The “confusion” stemmed initially from the fact that on the Crash Bandicoot store page listing for Xbox, it was listed that the game would include ‘in-app purchases’. Furthermore, the most recent Crash Bandicoot entry did indeed feature in-app purchases, setting somewhat of a precedent for future titles.

Thankfully, it seems that the Microsoft store listing was inaccurate. Of course, Activision does have a tendency to add microtransactions in updates after the fact. While we don't know whether they intend to do the same thing here or not, all we can do is trust the word of Toys for Bob when they say that the long-awaited sequel will not include microtransactions.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you glad to see that Crash Bandicoot 4 will not include microtransactions? Has this changed your opinion of the game? Do you think Activision might still add it in a future update? Let us know down below.

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Crash Bandicoot 4 will have “in-app purchases” https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/crash-bandicoot-4-will-have-in-app-purchases/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/crash-bandicoot-4-will-have-in-app-purchases/#respond Mon, 29 Jun 2020 13:01:57 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=474338 Recently, Activision revealed Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, the canonical 4th entry in the popular platformer franchise. While the original trilogy released before the concept of microtransactions, it would seem as though the 4th entry will include the functionality that has become so synonymous with the publisher’s titles – as the Microsoft store has …

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Recently, Activision revealed Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, the canonical 4th entry in the popular platformer franchise. While the original trilogy released before the concept of microtransactions, it would seem as though the 4th entry will include the functionality that has become so synonymous with the publisher’s titles – as the Microsoft store has listed that Crash Bandicoot 4 will include “in-app purchases.

By going to the Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time store page listing on the Microsoft store, you can see that the game ”Offers in-app purchases”. Currently, it is unknown exactly what form of in-app purchases the game will take. It could simply offer an in-game store where players can purchase large pieces of potential future DLC. Alternatively however, these in-app purchases could take the form of microtransactions or even loot boxes in theory.

Activision has already announced that fans who pre order the game will receive bonus skins. Therefore there is a possibility that these in-app purchases will be more cosmetic skins made available to those with the spare money to do so. The latest Crash Bandicoot game ‘Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled’ saw microtransactions added in an update after launch allowing fans to buy a number of skins. The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy however gave fans an entirely new level to purchase and play completely for free.

With previous Crash Bandicoot games offering different forms of ‘Microtransactions’, it’ll be interesting to see what model Acitvison has chosen for Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time.

KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to Crash Bandicoot 4? What do you think of microtransactions? What do you think Crash 4 will offer in that respect? Let us know down below.

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Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater could see microtransactions added https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/tony-hawks-pro-skater-could-see-microtransactions-added/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/tony-hawks-pro-skater-could-see-microtransactions-added/#respond Tue, 19 May 2020 14:54:01 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=467633 The reveal of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 being remade for current-gen hardware was certainly a pleasant surprise for many fans of the classic titles. Developed by Vicarious Visions, it is likely that the game will serve as an accurate recreation of the PS1 originals. That being said, while it has been confirmed …

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The reveal of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 being remade for current-gen hardware was certainly a pleasant surprise for many fans of the classic titles. Developed by Vicarious Visions, it is likely that the game will serve as an accurate recreation of the PS1 originals. That being said, while it has been confirmed that the game will not feature any post-launch monetisation, such unfortunate modern practices may find its way into the game at a later date.

In an interview with Gamespot, the head of Vicarious Visions, Jen Oneal stated that “everything that you see at launch is going to be unlocked with gameplay. We're not planning on having monetization at launch”. The reason for this being that Vicarious Visions wants fans to feel like they have received the “full package” upon release.

That being said, Vicarious Visions is owned by Activision, and the publisher is notorious for adding microtransactions to remakes of older games. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Remastered saw microtransactions being added to the game after it had already released. Likewise, the Crash Team Racing Remake also saw microtransactions being added post-launch.

Speaking on the matter, according to Gamespot, Oneal did clarify that “If there is demand for additional content, Vicarious Visions might consider releasing more stuff to buy with real money down the road”. Though it is currently unknown what form of paid content this might be, whether its an expansion, regular DLC, or microtransactions, it is certainly worth noting that fans who receive the game in September might end up having to pay for new content down the road.

While it is disappointing to hear that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater remake may require fans to pay for potential post-launch content, hopefully if Activision do choose to go this route, the DLC in question will be noteworthy and deemed acceptable by fans of the franchise. Time will tell what the publisher chooses to do.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What are your thoughts on paid post-launch content? Would you like to see Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater receive such content? What do you think of Activision’s remake efforts so far? Let us know down below.

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PC Gaming Wiki introduces categories for microtransactions and monetisation https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/pc-gaming-wiki-introduces-categories-for-microtransactions-and-monetisation/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/pc-gaming-wiki-introduces-categories-for-microtransactions-and-monetisation/#respond Mon, 20 Apr 2020 15:30:43 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=462928 The PC Gaming Wiki has become an essential tool these days, often gathering up quick details on new games, the resolutions/aspect ratios they support and various useful .ini tweaks and mods that can be installed to adjust things to your liking. The site is going to get more useful soon, with the tracking of microtransactions.  …

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The PC Gaming Wiki has become an essential tool these days, often gathering up quick details on new games, the resolutions/aspect ratios they support and various useful .ini tweaks and mods that can be installed to adjust things to your liking. The site is going to get more useful soon, with the tracking of microtransactions. 

While some games handle microtransaction systems well, others are predatory and sometimes warnings need to be in place to separate the two. That is partially what will be happening here, with all game listings on the PC Gaming Wiki coming with a microtransaction section listing off different categories.

Image Credit: PC Gaming Wiki

These categories will include loot boxes, cosmetics, content unlocks, XP boosts, virtual currency, pay-to-skip and ‘infinite cap'- a system in which microtransactions can be purchased indefinitely with no cap.

There will also be a selection of monetisation categories, breaking down when games are supported through advertisements, DLC, expansions, subscriptions or other means. Of course, some rare games are just free, so there is a section for that too.

You can see a breakdown of the new system and some examples of how it will impact game listings on the PC Gaming Wiki announcement post, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I regularly use the PC Gaming Wiki myself. It came in very useful last year for disabling Chromatic Aberration in The Outer Worlds. Do many of you use PC Gaming Wiki when picking up a new game? What do you think of the newly proposed changes? 

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ESRB adds new game rating for titles that contain ‘randomised’ microtransactions https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/esrb-adds-new-game-rating-for-titles-that-contain-randomised-microtransactions/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/esrb-adds-new-game-rating-for-titles-that-contain-randomised-microtransactions/#respond Mon, 13 Apr 2020 14:58:54 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=461780 Once the lootbox controversy boiled over with the release of EA's Star Wars Battlefront II, many called on the ESRB to put measures in place and for better regulation in the games industry. The ESRB did begin putting ‘in-game purchases' notices on physical game boxes but now, that will be updated to mark whether a …

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Once the lootbox controversy boiled over with the release of EA's Star Wars Battlefront II, many called on the ESRB to put measures in place and for better regulation in the games industry. The ESRB did begin putting ‘in-game purchases' notices on physical game boxes but now, that will be updated to mark whether a game sells random items or not.

Announced today, the ESRB is rolling out an “In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)” rating for physical copies of games. This is what the rating means in the ESRB's words:

“Contains in-game offers to purchase digital goods or premiums with real world currency (or with virtual coins or other forms of in-game currency that can be purchased with real world currency) for which the player doesn’t know prior to purchase the specific digital goods or premiums they will be receiving (e.g., loot boxes, item packs, mystery awards).”

Meanwhile, the standard “In-Game Purchases” notice is used in cases where you can partake in microtransactions, but items are not random games of chance.

According to the ESRB, this change is being introduced due to many requests to further inform customers of the difference between games that ship with randomised microtransactions and those that ship with season passes, DLC packs and other upfront pieces of content. The ESRB does not want to use the term ‘Loot Box' officially though, as it doesn't encompass all types of randomised in-game purchases available.

KitGuru Says: This is a change that should have happened a long time ago, especially after the Battlefront II backlash. Still, better late than never.

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Dead or Alive 6 update makes players pay money to change a character’s hair colour https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/dead-or-alive-6-update-makes-players-pay-money-to-change-a-characters-hair-colour/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/dead-or-alive-6-update-makes-players-pay-money-to-change-a-characters-hair-colour/#respond Mon, 02 Mar 2020 15:01:46 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=454657 The Dead or Alive series has never been the most consumer-friendly fighter. With an abundance of cosmetic DLC priced far above average, and multiple season passes costing more than the base game itself, the series is no stranger to post-game revenue making. A recent update to Dead or Alive 6 has taken this to the …

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The Dead or Alive series has never been the most consumer-friendly fighter. With an abundance of cosmetic DLC priced far above average, and multiple season passes costing more than the base game itself, the series is no stranger to post-game revenue making. A recent update to Dead or Alive 6 has taken this to the next level however, making players pay money to not only change a character’s hair colour, but also to change it back.

The new system which arrived in update version 1.20 introduced ‘Premium Tickets’ which cost $1 a pop. These Premium Tickets can then be used to customise characters by changing their hair colour. While DLC for such customisation is nothing new, the biggest issue comes from the fact that buying a hair colour doesn't unlock it permanently. Instead, if you wish to change the hair back to its original colour, it’ll cost a further Premium Ticket.

Surprisingly, this isn't the first game to include such a cost. NBA 2K18 featured a similar mechanic, where players were charged on a per-haircut basis. This was later changed due to the backlash that the game received as a consequence of its inclusion.

It’ll be interesting to see whether Dead or Alive 6 will also remove the feature due to backlash. Currently, the ‘feature’ is stated to be exclusive to the PlayStation 4, and while some players seem excited by the prospect of new customisation options, many agree that the update is much more problematic and sets a bad precedence during a time when developers are finally beginning to roll back on many of its less consumer-friendly practices.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this new ‘feature’? Do you think Koei Techmo will be forced to roll back on this? Would you ever pay money to change a character’s hair colour? Let us know down below.

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Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer plans still early, monetisation is possible but not definite https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/cyberpunk-2077-multiplayer-plans-still-early-monetisation-is-possible-but-not-definite/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/cyberpunk-2077-multiplayer-plans-still-early-monetisation-is-possible-but-not-definite/#respond Mon, 25 Nov 2019 17:28:53 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=438080 CD Projekt Red really ramped up the news output on Cyberpunk 2077 this year. So far, we know the main single-player game is coming in April 2020, with expansions and smaller free DLCs planned. Meanwhile, another smaller team is working on a multiplayer spin-off set to arrive after all post-launch single-player content is complete. We …

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CD Projekt Red really ramped up the news output on Cyberpunk 2077 this year. So far, we know the main single-player game is coming in April 2020, with expansions and smaller free DLCs planned. Meanwhile, another smaller team is working on a multiplayer spin-off set to arrive after all post-launch single-player content is complete. We know that the single-player game won’t contain any microtransactions, although monetisation is on the cards for multiplayer.

This week, CD Projekt Red held its Q3 earnings call, the first one since announcing that Cyberpunk 2077 would be getting its own multiplayer mode. With that in mind, there were naturally questions from investors around the game’s business plans, after all, additional post-purchase monetisation methods have gone on to become bigger earners than the main video games themselves for some publishers.

With Cyberpunk 2077’s multiplayer, it is “definitely too early to share any details” on monetisation as the game is “in a relatively early stage”.  Adam Kiciński, CD Projekt CEO, adds that there is a lot of experimentation going on with multiplayer, as it is the studio’s first multiplayer game.

So, in regard to monetisation, CD Projekt is letting investors know that it is exploring different options, but no matter what, the studio won’t change its “general policy towards deals with gamers”, meaning value for money will always be a priority. Perhaps by this time next year, we’ll have a better idea of what Cyberpunk 2077’s multiplayer will end up being like.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: There were certainly a few people running with the impression that CD Projekt confirmed microtransactions for Cyberpunk 2077’s multiplayer mode during this earnings call. While that is a future possibility, there doesn’t appear to be any definitive plan in place and given the studio’s track record, I would hope that they would be upfront about that sort of thing once the project takes shape. We should end up hearing more about Cyberpunk's multiplayer mode later next year after the single-player game has shipped. 

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Bethesda is giving Fallout 76 a premium subscription https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/bethesda-is-giving-fallout-76-a-premium-subscription/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/bethesda-is-giving-fallout-76-a-premium-subscription/#respond Wed, 23 Oct 2019 11:30:52 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=431686 Despite controversies and poor critical reception, there is still a rather large group of dedicated players remaining active on Fallout 76. With some big content updates regenerating interest in the game, Bethesda appears to be looking to capitalise with a monthly/yearly subscription service that grants in-game benefits, access to private lobbies and more. As spotted …

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Despite controversies and poor critical reception, there is still a rather large group of dedicated players remaining active on Fallout 76. With some big content updates regenerating interest in the game, Bethesda appears to be looking to capitalise with a monthly/yearly subscription service that grants in-game benefits, access to private lobbies and more.

As spotted on the PlayStation Network store this week, Fallout 76 is getting a premium membership tier known as ‘Fallout 1st’ with a monthly and yearly option. Those who subscribe will get 1650 Atoms (premium currency) per month, access to private worlds, unlimited storage for crafting components in a new scrapbox container, a survival tent to easily place a fast travel point without a full camp, an exclusive ranger armour outfit and exclusive emotes/icons.

Some of these additions will end up being more controversial. Many players had requested private worlds for the game prior to release but locking it behind a subscription paywall will raise some eyebrows- just as selling repair kits and other in-game, non-cosmetic items did.

According to the US PlayStation Network listing, there will be a $99.99 annual subscription and a $12.99 monthly one, which is on the expensive side for most videogame subscriptions. It isn’t a great value proposition in a world where Xbox Game Pass exists.

Bethesda has yet to formally announce this itself, but we should see an official statement on this soon. UPDATE: Bethesda has now posted the official announcement for Fallout 1st, which you can find HERE.

KitGuru Says: Some of these subscriber benefits seem quite fair. You get a good amount of currency, some exclusive cosmetics etc. However, private lobbies and to a lesser extent, the survival tent, do seem like major portions of the game that should be made available to everyone. What do you all think of the Fallout 1st subscription? Will this act as another notch against the game, or is it a good idea?

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Cyberpunk 2077 won’t have microtransactions, following Witcher 3’s footsteps https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/cyberpunk-2077-wont-have-microtransactions-following-witcher-3s-footsteps/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/cyberpunk-2077-wont-have-microtransactions-following-witcher-3s-footsteps/#respond Tue, 15 Oct 2019 15:37:14 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=429974 CD Projekt Red has confirmed that microtransactions won’t be present in its upcoming RPG, Cyberpunk 2077. Instead, the developer has opted to continue the DLC strategy it used with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Recently at PAX Australia, where over an hour of Cyberpunk 2077 footage was being shown off, Gamespot sat down with John …

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CD Projekt Red has confirmed that microtransactions won’t be present in its upcoming RPG, Cyberpunk 2077. Instead, the developer has opted to continue the DLC strategy it used with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Recently at PAX Australia, where over an hour of Cyberpunk 2077 footage was being shown off, Gamespot sat down with John Mamais, head of CD Projekt Red’s Krakow office. In this interview, Mamais confirmed that microtransactions would not be coming to Cyberpunk 2077, saying “I think it’s a bad idea to do microtransactions after you release a game”. While Mamais acknowledged that microtransactions are “very profitable”, the focus for CDPR is to not “lose the goodwill of our customers”.

When questioned regarding CDPR’s post-launch plans for the game, Mamais indicated that it may follow The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s model of post-launch support, claiming it to have been “a good model for us” and that “it worked pretty well for The Witcher 3”. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt launched in May 2015, and was followed up soon after with 16 pieces of free micro-DLCs. Two large expansions were later released in the year following, with the latter of the two, Blood and Wine, being over 20 hours in length.

CDPR’s commitment to giving free DLC equal in size to that of most microtransactions, is worthy of praise – especially as its inclusion in single-player games is starting to become the norm, not the exception.

KitGuru says: Cyberpunk 2077 will be releasing on the 16th of April 2020. Will you be playing it when it releases? Would the inclusion of microtransactions have affected this in any way? Lets us know down below.

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