Match-making to boost micro-transactions

[MKJ]

EA seems to agree

A new blog post announced that the price of heroes will be reduced by 75 percent, allowing players to run around as their favorite characters much sooner. Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader used to cost 60,000 in-game credits to unlock but will now cost 15,000 instead. Emperor Palpatine, Chewbacca, and Leia Organa will have their costs reduced from 40,000 to 10,000 credits. The game’s protagonist Iden Versio will have her cost reduced to 5,000 credits.

[Transient]

Fuck microtransactions altogether.

*buys another 50-pack of loot boxes in Overwatch*

[Eraser]

The new Need for Speed game on iOS and Android has a rather ironic name: Need for Speed - No Limits.

It's ironic because, like Dungeon Keeper, the game tells you to wait for extended periods of time before you can continue playing. This time supposedly in order to refuel your car. Want to speed up the proces? Sure you can, for three in-game bars of gold. How do you acquire these bars of gold? Well, you buy them for real money of course! (note: the screenshots are actually in Dutch)

[lvlshot]http://www.androidpolice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/nexus2cee_B8HALuFIYAAlFsi.png[/lvlshot]

You'll notice it says 1m25s here. Skipping costs 3 bars of gold. How much does a bar of gold cost you then? 10 cents? 15 cents? Nope, about $1.03 (that is, assuming you buy 290 gold bars at once at a low-low price of $300)

[lvlshot]http://www.androidpolice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/nexus2cee_no-limits-gold.jpg[/lvlshot]

Kind of a limiting factor for a game called "No Limits"

[Mat Linnett]

EA seems to agree

It's a cynical bait-and-switch, and the MMO industry have perfected this over years.

Release something that really shouldn't have a price associated with it at all, at a massively inflated price.
Wait for the public outcry, then lower the price to make it look like you're doing the userbase a favour.

Works every time.

[MKJ]

Agreed.

[Mat Linnett]

Weirdly, this actually breeds brand loyalty too, as those who've been hoodwinked by such behaviour honestly think the big, faceless corporation has done them a favour.

It doesn't help that even on the best gaming news sites, the companies that do this are never called out on it. They report the outrageous initial price, then the subsequent drop, but never tell their audience they've been duped.

[Transient]

Jim Sterling does a good job of holding publishers and developers accountable.

[Mat Linnett]

That he does, but I get the feeling his approach means people don't take him seriously.

[Eraser]

As much as I like Jim Sterling, he's making it a habit to make 15 minute videos while he made his point well and clear at the 2 minute mark and then just continues to say the same thing over and over using synonyms for whatever he said before.

[Eraser]

lol
[lvlshot]https://i.redditmedia.com/sEhr-mhzBleBnuIZtVL-MnhIrfMQvqYuN5A420iLISg.jpg?w=576&s=cedd383ffd30cf7572199f6771bf6732[/lvlshot]

[Don Carlos]

Heh...

[phantasmagoria]

I think the games media is overegging this one a bit, frankly. The 60k credit unlock for Luke and Vader was a steep, yes, but at least there's no fucking season pass. EA's quarterly DLC releases have totally fucked the Battlefield and Battlefront communities these past years and they've FINALLY removed the paid DLC aspect of their release schedule. This is big, and good news

[Eraser]

I think the games media is overegging this one a bit, frankly. The 60k credit unlock for Luke and Vader was a steep, yes, but at least there's no fucking season pass. EA's quarterly DLC releases have totally fucked the Battlefield and Battlefront communities these past years and they've FINALLY removed the paid DLC aspect of their release schedule. This is big, and good news

It's a cynical bait-and-switch, and the MMO industry have perfected this over years.

Release something that really shouldn't have a price associated with it at all, at a massively inflated price.
Wait for the public outcry, then lower the price to make it look like you're doing the userbase a favour.

Works every time.

[Eraser]

I feel kind of bad for the actual developers though. You know, the coders, artists, voice actors and everyone who actually built the game. They poured their hearts and souls into this, only to have it slammed by everyone because of its "micro"-transactions. From what I've seen, the game itself looks absolutely superb.

[Mat Linnett]

Yeah, I feel for the devs in these situations. I mean, the level of expertise required just for the modelling and animation these days is phenomenal. I can only hope they end up in better companies.

But even so, I'm not stupid enough to throw money at these games to "support the devs", which is often the other argument those in denial throw out to justify their purchase.
You're not supporting the devs. You're supporting the shareholders.

[shaft]

This micro transaction stuff isn't going away. People want it and they voted for it with their money and 99% of the people buying it don't give a shit what reddit is crying about. Look at the bright side, micro transactions will probably go away when the majority of games become subscription based in a few years. *play the first level free!*

I bought the game and logged in last night just to check out the heroes and I already had 17k credits and could unlock Skywalker just from letting my kids play the 10hr trail over the weekend...ezpz.

[Doombrain]

This made the national news in the UK.

[seremtan]

beats talking about Brexit

[MKJ]

[Eraser]

There's cooldowns in Battlefront II as well. This is ridiculous.

[vid]https://clips-media-assets.twitch.tv/151032519-1280x720.mp4[/vid]

[losCHUNK]

[lvlshot]https://i.redd.it/ttoj40nrfwxz.png[/lvlshot]

[Transient]

Not just the UK.
https://kotaku.com/battlefront-overwatc ... 1820486239

Belgian website VTM is reporting that the country’s Gaming Commission is currently taking a look at loot boxes in video games, with particular focus on EA’s inclusion of them in Star Wars: Battlefront II and Blizzard’s use in Overwatch.

Peter Naessens, General Director of the commission, says that the practice of buying the add-on boxes—where you don’t know what you’re paying for until you open it—may constitute gambling.

It’s a particular concern for the Commission when the game is available for and marketed towards children, like Overwatch and Battlefront II are (in Europe both titles have a PEGI rating of 12).

Naessens says loot box systems can be a particular danger to minors because of the societal pressure to spend more money to (in Battlefront’s case, at least) boost their strength. VTM reports that if loot boxes were indeed found to be a form of gambling then the Gaming Commission would need to provide a permit (it’s illegal to operate a gambling business in Belgium without one).

[Eraser]

Jim Sterling asking the right questions. Deafening silence on DICE's part though (in their own AmA):

https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsBattle ... attlefront

[Κracus]

Yeah I thought of getting that but passed when I found out you basically have to buy crates to advance in the game or replay the same levels over and over.

[shaft]

I guess they shut off real money purchases in Battlefront.