I think it's time for a change in how we game.

[Squirrel 5,180]

Hold on to your seats its rant time!

It's certainly an interesting time in the gaming world. Publishers promoting micro-transactions is finally hitting breaking point. The gamers have had enough and they are fighting back. The big news recently has been of course with EA and their handling of Battlefront, this is a game I've been looking forward to playing for a long time. I love Star Wars, I loved the original Battlefront titles on PS2, I enjoyed playing Battlefield and I know Dice are a fantastic studio capable of producing an amazing world with their frostbite engine. Everything about Battlefront 2 should have been amazing but then the publisher Electronic Arts and their pay to win system has ruined the reputation of the franchise, soured the name of Dice and they have even pissed of the House of Mouse. Gamers are speaking with their wallets but there are still many out there who will buy the games regardless of the cash grabbing policies forced on the games by the publishers.

The reason why I'm not posting this in the Battlefront thread is because it's not just linked to a single game or publisher, it's a widespread issue and it's ruining gaming for the casual player. EA's other big title is Fifa, a yearly game franchise which doesn't change much with each release. You're expected to pay £50 for a game where the biggest change from the previous edition is an updated player list. The biggest scam of all is their FUT mode. It's potentially the worst example of a cash grab in modern gaming today. You're expected to pay real cash for a chance to get a better player out of a choice available, you don't even know who or what class of player you are going to receive, it's the gaming equivalent of going into a shop, buying a scratchcard and hoping you win. It is gambling pure and simple which is illegal for kids under the age of 18 yet the biggest gaming market is aimed at teenagers. Completely disgusting if you ask me. I believe Madden for the US market uses exactly the same method for making money too. 

EA are being investigated for these practices, whether there is a ban on lootboxes or not is another thing. 

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/gaming/micro-transactions-fifa-18-ultimate-team-star-wars-battlefront-banned-belgium-a8070106.html

The outrage has also hit EA in terms of share price, since the battlefield news broke they have lost $3.1 billion of their value. Yes that's billion with a B. It's still not enough though to make it a non profitable year as their stock is still significantly higher than last year.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2017/11/28/ea-shares-plummet-after-star-wars-battlefront-ii-loot-box-fiasco

The next big offender is Activision. COD is a cancer of a game anyway but their latest patent is pretty unbelievable. The full details are in the link below but the gist of it is that when you play a game it matches you against players who have bought the additional content, it then tells you what that content is and why you got your arse kicked by it. It then asks you to buy that content so you can compete. What ever happened to gaming for fun?  

https://www.extremetech.com/gaming/257645-activision-patents-system-make-microtransactions-even-obnoxious

 

The latest line in a long list of microtransaction bullshit is the release of GTA's "new" vehicle. It's been in the game from day one, you could steal one anytime you wanted for free and now it's available for the equivalent cash price of two brand new AAA games. You can grind in GTA but it's taken the fun out of the game for many. Broughys latest video sums it up perfectly so I'll let him explain more about this. 

Take Two, the publishers of GTA have said that they will be using a microtransaction model in all their future games. As excited as many of us are for Red Dead 2/Online, do we really want to contribute to this pay to win bullshit that plagues gaming today.

There's a very lengthy debate on GTAF about this very subject, it's not in the GTA Online section so many of you may have missed it but it's a well put together topic rather than my rambling ranty mess. http://gtaforums.com/topic/890054-why-microtransactions-are-bad-for-consumers-aka-free-content-can-be-sht/

 

I could go on for hours, it's something that has annoyed me for a while and I've had enough of it, I'm going to cut myself off now as I'm getting Hangry, so I'm going to leave you guys with a question while I go and cook.

What can we the gamers do about this? 

 

Edited December 7, 2017 by Squirrel

[Fido_le_muet 5,197]

5 minutes ago, Squirrel said:

What can we the gamers do about this? 

 

I hate microtransactions. Ruins the fun. It's pretty much cheating to me. Skills aren't relevant anymore and now it's the guy with the deepest wallet who's the best.

Now what can we do about it ? Not much really. There will always those who don't care about these policies and spend the money. Many gamers don't give a shit about the cost. They want to win and if money is the way to go, that's what they'll do. It's the world we live in nowadays. People want everything, immediately, everywhere. 

What I do with every game that has this crappy system is basically ignore it. Pokemon Go is a perfect example. You can buy pokecoins with real money and you progress exponentially ingame. Or you can earn your coins the hard way by playing the game but of course it is much much slower. But also much more rewarding. 

Doesn't change a thing for the developpers though so I don't see that changing anytime soon. Microtransactions are here to stay, it's what the majority of people want apparently. I feel the same about DLCs. 

Scandals like the Battlefront stuff won't change a thing. They may tone down the microtransaction aspect in future games but that's it. 

[DavidCore89 7,402]

Actually just watched that video.

I agree 100% regarding FIFA, despite being quite rich in game via packs costing around 200. It's a scam, but the gamer has no choice in order to compete.

I've spent at least 300 in GTA, but it was when prices were reasonable and a mega card bought a lot. Game isn't fun anymore and the new items are shit.

Microtransactions are fine, but they need to be an option, not a necessity to progress in a game.

[pete_95973 4,380]

8 minutes ago, DavidCore89 said:

Microtransactions are fine, but they need to be an option, not a necessity to progress in a game.

+1

[XuTek6651 191]

I was already critical with all the military stuff that was released with the bunkers. a lot of that was already overpriced and you needed to spent hours or even days to even buy one or two things of the list of new stuff.

Sure i did buy two SharkCards once when i actually thought it would he reasonable to boost the inventory a little bit but this is getting out of hand now..

I thought EA was already way over the top with every single dlc to pay, but R* is rly trying to do it more sneaky.

I‘ve stopped grinding money for hours, stopped all the productions and didnt even purchase stuff like thermal vision for the sniper for example...

its been months i was talking with friends that R* is only adding things and not updating anything and since one of the last „Updates“ the game is running even crappier than it ever did!

I know my Connection is not one of the best but lately im getting so much network-errors and the moment i’m changing game everything is fine!

They‘ve been loosing a lot of players since summer and it continues on! lot of ppl i know or played with just dont want anymore since nothing is changing.

i guess only Crew-PLs and sometimes specific things with my friends are still fun but in general even i‘m loosing interest over the time and i used to be pretty fanatic.

[Con 5,703]

3 hours ago, DavidCore89 said:

Microtransactions are fine, but they need to be an option, not a necessity to progress in a game.

Absolutely! You can't beat the game or your friends unless you spend $300 after spending $60 for the game itself. That is madness. 

[Con 5,703]

3 hours ago, Squirrel said:

What can we the gamers do about this? 

Only thing is hurt them in the wallets by only buying games from developers that aren't adopting micro-transactions to win. But with lazy parenting such as just handing a kid a game so they shut up, we will need to educate the parents too. What do people do in other industries when prices go up....either boycott or pay more. Those are the only choices, i think.

[no_snacks 3,345]

In the main, I have no problem with micro-transactions or paid DLC etc, as long as they don't hugely impact the ability to play fairly with other players.

If a developer/publisher wants to make the ultimate OP weapon, or a car that is 2 sec per lap faster than all the others, that's fine by me, as long as every player (regardless of financial situation) has a fair and reasonable chance of owning that weapon or vehicle through normal gameplay (hours spent) rather than locked behind a pay-wall (dollars spent).

Of course the player who buys the OP weapon or vehicle will have access to them earlier than the player who has to unlock them through normal gameplay, but there's no easy way around that and I don't think it's a major problem anyway - BUT.... if the only way to get your hands on the OP weapon or vehicle is by spending real money, then that's going too far, especially if the "haves" and the "have nots" are expected to or even forced to play together.

Some players have little spare $$$ but plenty of free time to play.  Some players have little free time but plenty of $$$ to spare.  Both need to be catered too, it's just gotta be done "reasonably" fairly.

Random loot-boxes have definitely crossed the line IMO though.  Seriously, how is paying for a "chance" to receive said OP weapon or vehicle any different to gambling.  Who's to say the "randomness" of the loot-boxes are actually random anyway.  Wouldn't be surprised if EA had some sort of algorithm in place to increase the likelihood of you not getting the OP weapon in your first 2 or 3 attempts.  

The main reason I've stopped playing GTA is not the actual Shark Cards, but the content that has been added to drive the sales of those Shark Cards.  Ridiculous vehicles, OP weapons, outrageously overpriced clothing, insurance claims when defending yourself from "personal" military vehicles etc etc.  This content is added purely to generate income for the developer/publisher (which is fine and understandable to a certain extent), but it finally got to the point where the core essence of the game has finally been lost, or at least diluted to the point where it's simply not for me anymore.  

Edited November 30, 2017 by no_snacks

[Jjss924 576]

What @no_snacks said, exactly.

I'm burned out on GTA anyway.  

[b17vic 73]

The way I see it we just stop buying games. 

[The_Lady_A 1,280]

@no_snacks expressed pretty perfectly my feelings towards this issue.

@Squirrel I can understand your anger, but I don't believe this issue is as black and white as your poll presents it to be. I choose the grey option: 'I believe there are places for paid-for additional content in games in some cases'

[DavidCore89 7,402]

Yeah, I didn't vote on the same basis.

[Squirrel 5,180]

I’ll add a grey option to the poll later once I get home. 

I have no problem with additional paid content, I’ve bought all the expansion packs available for one game I’ve got on the PC. I also don’t mind the methods that Battlefield used to use, you had an option to buy a headstart package to save the early grind. It was content you’d unlock anyway after 20 hours or so of play but you knew exactly what you were paying for. 

The mystery lootboxes are a blight on the gaming world. There’s a reason why gambling is heavily regulated. It’s a dangerous path to go down and encouraging children to get used to these practices has to stop. 

We can also support the indie developers. Smaller studios who make gameplay and fun the priority and not appeasing shareholders. I have a few really fun games that have been made by a single person or very small team, I have no problem supporting them if they have a good product.

The problem does lie with the publishers of the games and not the studios. They are the ones calling the shots and gamers are starting to make a stand, any post related to EA on social media is hit with an instant backlash. We need to keep the momentum going and force the industry to make a change. 

 

If micro transactions are here to stay then they need to reduce the price of the games. If battlefront or fifa was £15-£20 would you be prepared to pay extra for additional content. A game shouldn’t be costing you a fortune. 

[djw180 6,842]

I can't really vote either. GTA and a MMORPG (Runescape) are the only online games I play, and in the latter case not that much at the moment. I do agree in principle that some amount of non-cosmetic micro transactions are OK, like what Snacks says, so long as they don't hugely impact on fair gaming for everyone. I've no experience with games where you have to buy extras to compete on a level playing field with others so can't comment on them.

As for the Lazer, I don't get why anyone would want to buy one anyway when all you can do is change the colour, so it doesn't bother me what price it is. There's other, better, jets you can get cheaper and upgrade.

What does annoy me and what I totally agree with Broughy on is all the bugs Rockstar refuse to fix and actually seem to make worse whenever a major DLC comes out. e.g. customs vehicles always being available for races created as locked to a single vehicles. That came into the game with Stunt races and has been made worse on two occasions since then. Considering all I have ever paid them is the price of the PS3 and PS4 versions of GTA (never bought a shark card, almost certainly never will) I'd happily pay a small monthly / annual subscription if that meant they would employ people dedicated to fixing those bugs.

 

[Squirrel 5,180]

@djw180 with the creator issues I believe they are still broken because they can’t be fixed due to the way it’s been coded. Similar to how the original Red Dead can’t be ported to the PC. Rockstar made such a hash of the game code they made it very tricky to work with. 

Regardless of the issues surrounding the creator, having to pay extra to fix it should not be an option. Rockstar have made billions of $$ on this game. It’s been consistently in the top game charts since release 4 years ago. You honestly can’t tell me they couldn’t afford to pay a team to fix the problems with the game. They are still supporting the game by bringing new content but they should also be maintaining the content too for the same loyal fanbase. 

[DavidCore89 7,402]

There's no way I'd pay a company to fix a product they sold to me. Not to mention that some bugs can't be fixed without causing further bugs since there's 4 years of additional code added, we have to accept that, but thankfully we're gaming in the digital era where fixes are possible.

Every game has bugs, they always have and always will. Some are never fixed, but I don't believe any dev would refuse to fix a bug if it was possible.

My only grievance is random packs, lootboxes and the like. It's definitely a form of gambling and I think it'll be restricted or regulated in future. I know people who have spent over 1000 in FIFA and got nothing but shit.

[DavidCore89 7,402]

Another thing to consider is we didn't pay for GTAO, we paid for GTAV, so we're entitled to nothing in terms of bug fixes in online.

[Squirrel 5,180]

Take Two have made a statement regarding lootboxes. It seems that they too will also be adding them to their games. Looks like Red Dead will be ruined before it’s even released. 

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-company-responds-to-loot-box-controversy-says-/1100-6455272/

[DavidCore89 7,402]

The contents of lootboxes must be at least the value of the outlay, otherwise gamers are taking a risk and effectively gambling real money.

Alternatively, stop allowing players to use real money directly on lootboxes. An in-game inventory could instead be used to open them.

[LimeGreenLegend 4,176]

I wouldn’t say it’s ruined before it comes out.  It will likely be the same as shark cards.  Anything more aggressive like SW:B2 will just result in another huge backlash.

[zztop911 1,609]

While I will buy a Season Pass for a game, I refuse to pay for micro-transactions!

Excerpts from a business report on Take-Tw0 in August

 

Take-Two has been one of the best-performing stocks in the market. Its shares rallied 61.1 percent year to date through Wednesday versus the S&P 500's 10.7 percent return.

 

Crum reiterated his buy rating and increased his price target to $96 from $87, representing 21 percent upside from Wednesday's close.

 

Todays stock price.................... $115.37
 

 

edit.......................I have no idea why I didn't think to invest. Maybe it was my disgust!

Edited November 30, 2017 by zztop911

[Crawford1872 2,581]

I don’t like that we have crew members who don’t really play because they can’t afford the new cars/stuff, and have effectively been left behind, imo that’s the worst part

Edited November 30, 2017 by Crawford1872

[zztop911 1,609]

9 minutes ago, Crawford1872 said:

I don’t like that we have crew members who don’t really play because they can’t afford the new cars, and have been left behind, imo that’s the worst part

Totally agree!

[DavidCore89 7,402]

Just now, Crawford1872 said:

I don’t like that we have crew members who don’t really play because they can’t afford the new cars, and have been left behind, imo that’s the worst part

Cars aren't a necessity and they don't guarantee a better performance. Proved it by making new characters twice and joining crew events.

There are many other games where having the best items is a lot more important. Take EA and FIFA for example, players with the best records in November were qualified for a global event. 90% of teams cost over 10 million, only pro's with financial backing from football clubs, YouTubers or sponsored players have a chance of buying the very best players in-game. No doubt the same in Madden.

 At least in GTA players can earn money for cars, while earning 10 million in FIFA through gameplay before 19 comes out is near impossible.

[zztop911 1,609]

1 minute ago, DavidCore89 said:

 

There are many other games where having the best items is a lot more important. Take EA and FIFA for example, players with the best records in November were qualified for a global event. 90% of teams cost over 10 million, only pro's with financial backing from football clubs, YouTubers or sponsored players have a chance of buying the very best players in-game. No doubt the same in Madden.

 At least in GTA players can earn money for cars, while earning 10 million in FIFA through gameplay before 19 comes out is near impossible.

Jeeeeeez!

That's plain stupid!