How microtransactions effected you?

I bought MK11. I started the game and discovered that quarter of the characters were missing. Then, I had to buy the MK11 ultimate dlc to receive them. I paid more money on that DLC than the game (the price was actually what you would pay if you bought a new triple A game). MK11 is the only game that I play and will continue playing into the distant future.

I remember playing MK3 on the MegaDrive with my best friend when I was young. At the time, it was such a hit. I think back then it was considered as one of the best games that the console had to offer. I also played MK4 alone on my PSX. Both games didnt have any missing pieces that you had to purchase separately. Why are game producers doing it to us?

They don't affect me, because most of the times I sail the seven seas and those times that I do not, I buy full editions on discount years after they were released. Have spent exactly 0 units of money on any MTX.

Micro-transactions have negatively affected the whole games industry. It really took off with all the trash mobile games and now it has infected traditional PC and console games. Everywhere you look... micro-transactions, free to play, live service. Once these companies seen that people are dumb enough to spend real money on bullshit virtual items and there is crazy money to be made, the corporate greed took over and ruined most of the industry. Many genres have been infected with this virus and other types of games no longer get made in favour of games that incorporate this shit.

As someone who has been gaming since the early Atari days, it is disgusting seeing what has happened to the games industry. Now these younger generations who grew up looking at mobile phones their whole lives view this as normal. They have been brain washed at a young age and trained not to know any better. It is just sad.

I miss the days where games were complete at launch and content was not withheld. I miss additional DLC content being free. I miss the days where the only thing you could spend money on were expansion packs/add-ons that were packed with content and almost like a whole new game. I miss games that were designed to be a good game first and foremost and not around monetization. I miss... not being milked for every fucking penny!

@BassMan: I feel the same, and I was also in gaming since the Atari.

The same sad fate also infested some of the famous old brands that we know: Doom, Total War: Warhammer 3, Civilization, Counter-strike, fallout and many more!

I remember the developers of GT7 offering micro-transactions. It was an excellent game, but they ruined it. Every time you were going to buy a car with in-game currency, they presented an option to buy that car with real money. This was kind of disgusting. Furthermore, they intentionally made certain cars require a lot of grinding to buy them, thereby making their micro-transactions more appealing. Later on, they apologized and gave each player 1 million credits for free. It was a terrible thing to do, but it was nice of them to admit to doing corrupt business practices; and I forgave them.

Nintendo decided, very recently, to do micro-transactions for Fire Emblem Engage. Within the first few days of the game coming out, there was already DLC that you had to pay for. Instead of actually finishing the game they developed, they tried to milk us. It'll be a cold day in Hell before I let video game developers milk me with that BS (excuse my language).

It sucks ass. I just stay as far away from microtransactions as I can. Which means not playing a bunch of stuff I otherwise would play.

Fighting games I've basically abandoned, for example. Don't want to pay 60 bucks for 30% of the game and an extra 200 if I want the full game. Can always wait until the price is more normal game price, but that usually means waiting until the next game comes / when the community starts to die off.

But gamers have spoken, and they want to be milked. Nothing we can do about it.

Not a fan, but luckily majority of the games I buy don't really rely or have substantial micro-transactions to worry about. As examples Signalis had zero. And Monster Hunter; all the best content is rewarded from playing the game(s).

One of the recent ones that got me a little annoyed was Resident Evil 4 Remake once again hiding the retro soundtrack and unlockable costumes behind a paywall. They've done this before with Resi2R. Wish I could unlock them. I refuse to pay for these. Happy with my purchase of the game, yet these little adds should be progress rewards, similar to the originals.

@RSM-HQ: I agree with you. I liked playing the old RE 2 and 4. That is another big brand, for which you the consumer is charged a lot.

@plasticpie: Both still excellent games with tons of content without ever purchasing micro-transactions, it's just a shame they couldn't just let those be unlockables through progressive means.

Feels dirty players are forced into paying for usual post-game accessories.

Resi4R has one post game outfit without a paywall for both Leon and Ashley. Luckily it's the fan favorite one but still.

Tekken 7 has a lot of characters as DLC, never tempted to buy them. Mortal Kombat 11, I actually waited for the Ultimate Edition to be released and it came with both expansions and the guest characters and a few costumes. My nephews used to always ask me for Battle Pass for Warzone and Fortnite, glad that they out grew that.

@pillarrocks: Yeah, I bough the character Fahkumaram. He is the only character that I wanted to play with. Too bad they made the choice of releasing him sepearately.

Tekken 2 was my first PSX game. How sad ;(

Microtransactions has affected my enthusiasm in the gaming community.

@plasticpie:

I just stay away from multiplayer games that aren't Halo and only buy fighting games like Mortal Kombat when the ultimate edition releases. Even then, I'm extremely cautious about buying season passes.

In the case of Halo Infinite, I lucked out that the season passes after the first have terrible armor cores. So there's zero incentive for me to buy more. lol

Heck, I haven't even finished season one yet! I think I'm around level 30 or 40.

They make most games inflated boring fkn grinds.

I'm not opposed to grinding, but if I could just pay money what's the point? Then you get to the point we're at now; take Blizzard for example: The odds are so low you'd have to be very lucky or maybe never get what you're looking for (even if you do shell out money for premium currency or whatever the **** manipulative bullshit they come up with). **** 'em. I will just play something else that doesn't disrespect me and my time.

The triple-A industry can go **** itself.

I'm fine with the concept of post-release downloadable content as a general rule.

There are great examples of games that do the whole DLC / Micro-transactions well:

SnowRunner releases new scenarios and vehicles, every 3 months. These can be obtained piece-meal, or as seasons. They are good value, packed with content, and available at a reasonable price.

Fortnite comes to mind also. Great selection of cosmetics that don't affect gameplay. They offer on-demand sale of these items, as well as super resonably priced battle passes, loaded with content, that includes enough in-game credit to buy the next pass, and the next pass, over and over, as long as you don't spend that credit in the shop.

There are, of course, developers that abuse this content delivery format. Blizzard Activition and Electronic Arts come to mind.

If anything, these negative practices erode consumer trust. I don't believe it impacts the industry as a whole, but it is becoming more and more prevalent, and that's unfortunate.

The only game that has tempted me into microtransactions is Magic the Gathering Arena. I think it is dumb to have to pay real money for virtual booster packs of cards with no ability to trade or sell them like you could in real life, but since that’s mostly how I play magic I have sunk a bit of money into it.

@ratchetclank92: Hahah, It happened to me too in Legends: Elder scrolls

Not to be dramatic, but microtransactions (mtx) have given me a low opinion of humanity. I mean, who buys this shit?! I know it's only 5 bucks here, 10 bucks there...but that shit adds up. Is it kids? What parents are OK with this? I sure as shit wouldn't be. Is it adults? I'd like to think anyone 30+ years old has more sense than that.

If we all hate mtx, and we all voted with our wallets, there wouldn't be any mtx! Yet here we are, worse than ever.

I feel like there is an acceptable way to do microtransactions, but in the worst case scenario mtx are ways to get you to pay for content you already paid for.

As for how they have affected me personally, I think they turn games into gambling machines. It's less about the game, and more about winning things. It's not about beating the level or boss, it's about acquiring enough currency so you can get a hard-to-get item and then get an even harder-to-get skin for it. This isn't exclusive to mtx but it is certainly heightened and highlighted by such practices.

Day one mtx are especially guilty of this, because frankly if a game is released, any finished content for it should be included in that released product as included with the purchase cost. Just my opinion. It ruined Warhammer: Darktide for me, to be blunt (that, and the lack of polish).

I'm OK with strictly cosmetic additions and stuff like that, but have two "rules" I wish mtx would use: 1.) nothing purchased can touch the gameplay, and 2.) all mtx content can be acquired through standard gameplay within reasonable effort (either through time spent, in-game currency acquired, achievements made, and stuff like that).

It also takes away from the final product. Seems like many games released with "stores" where you can purchase stuff spent more effort on the store than the game itself. Booting up Assassin's Creed only to be greeted by a million "now available!" notifications about what weird looking horse or weapon skins or whatever is pretty immersion breaking and just gets in the way.

@mrbojangles25: Human brains are complicated. I think it's important in these types of discussions to remember that these multi-dollar companies employ lawyers and psychologists to figure out exactly how to manipulate people and push what they can get away with.

I like to think I am smart enough to notice shit when I see it, but the truth is I don't spend all day thinking of ways to manipulate people into participating in game economies. **** help me if I get into Diablo 4, what kind of manipulative bullshit am I going to expose myself to?

If it didn't work, then companies wouldn't spend billions figuring out how to make tens-of-billions with these tactics. It's a real problem and I think this is one of those areas that needs to be regulated by a government. Corporations should never get the benefit of the doubt, and the 'stifling innovation' argument is really just crying about not being able to **** people's lives up (as if there is really anything innovative about the major offenders in these spaces).

@mrbojangles25: I ruined Elder: Scrolls Legends for me too. To win anything in the competition events you need to buy powerful cards and have them in your deck. Else you have no choice. Everything was calculated by developers from the outset.

They are the reason I waited to long to get shadow of war even though I loved shadow of Mordor. And when i eventually got it, i didn't like it. It was too grindy to lead you to purchase the micro transactions.

It does not affect me because I do not purchase them. I still wish they were never invented. They are a plague on the gaming world.

Doesn't effect me at all I've never purchased anything.