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Overwatch marks a new low in Unlocking and Microtransaction systems that I'm aware of
- Thread starter Saty
- Start date
I certainly think there are issues with the microtransaction system and they could have used a more consumer friendly model (I also think its at best tacky to have MT's in a full price game). But I think it's pretty hyperbolic to describe it as a new low. It's equally hyperbolic praising the microtransaction system, blind buy random distribution is one of the worst ways to do it (from the consumers POV, its great for the publisher, which would be why its so prevalent).
As an aside, "It's just cosmetics!" often feels either naive or disingenuous. They don't impact gameplay, which is good, no pay to win. However they clearly matter to the player base, companies dont monetise their games around things that dont matter to their consumers. The success of games monetised purely on cosmetics, and the lengths people will go to to get cosmetics in games makes it evident that yes cosmetics do matter. Just generally not to the actual mechanics of gameplay. Which doesnt mean cosmetics dont affect gameplay in a more complete or holistic sense e.g. by increasing your enjoyment of the game. Though thats probably too much of a tangent.
A lot of fans, of anything not just videogames, seem to find it hard, often subconsciously, to both enjoy something and critique its short comings.
Read's like a puff piece, "This is, surprisingly, a fairly fair payment model." Leaving aside the glowing praise of "fairly fair", the author gives no justification for it, apart from perhaps their single point of comparison (to one of the poorer implementations of MT's), and further concludes "As you can see, Overwatch’s microtransactions are relatively harmless compared to other AAA games out there." Despite only giving us a single comparison. It finishes off with "Unlike other games, Overwatch will not feature paid DLC or a Season Pass. All the new heroes, maps and game modes will be patched into the game for free on all platforms." Leaving aside that plenty of other games do it, within Blizzard's own stable Diablo III does it without charging anything extra. The author could have saved himself and the reader some time and simply written "Overwatch has microtransactions and I think they're ok".
As an aside, "It's just cosmetics!" often feels either naive or disingenuous. They don't impact gameplay, which is good, no pay to win. However they clearly matter to the player base, companies dont monetise their games around things that dont matter to their consumers. The success of games monetised purely on cosmetics, and the lengths people will go to to get cosmetics in games makes it evident that yes cosmetics do matter. Just generally not to the actual mechanics of gameplay. Which doesnt mean cosmetics dont affect gameplay in a more complete or holistic sense e.g. by increasing your enjoyment of the game. Though thats probably too much of a tangent.
A lot of fans, of anything not just videogames, seem to find it hard, often subconsciously, to both enjoy something and critique its short comings.
Read's like a puff piece, "This is, surprisingly, a fairly fair payment model." Leaving aside the glowing praise of "fairly fair", the author gives no justification for it, apart from perhaps their single point of comparison (to one of the poorer implementations of MT's), and further concludes "As you can see, Overwatch’s microtransactions are relatively harmless compared to other AAA games out there." Despite only giving us a single comparison. It finishes off with "Unlike other games, Overwatch will not feature paid DLC or a Season Pass. All the new heroes, maps and game modes will be patched into the game for free on all platforms." Leaving aside that plenty of other games do it, within Blizzard's own stable Diablo III does it without charging anything extra. The author could have saved himself and the reader some time and simply written "Overwatch has microtransactions and I think they're ok".
SocksAndShoes
Banned
shiftplusone
Member
Japanmanx3
Member
Bruh he watched 5 minutes on YouTube maybe. Hasn't even played the game.5 minutes into Overwatch OP was like "I'm gonna make a GAF thread and..."
partyphone
Banned
if I was good with photoshop I'd make a Blizzard Boyz image with warhammer orks.
Everything. Either from the random loot crates you get or by using credits you accumulate.
Or you know, people just happen to like this system because it's objectively better than 99% of all other unlock systems in Multiplayer games of recent times.
Askherserenity
Member
You're complaining about random cosmetic loot which is just a nice bonus to have every time you level up when Blizzard just released a game that will have NO paid DLC/season pass and will provide free updates for the foreseeable future.
I guess you haven't played 90% of the other games out now that have WAY worse micro-transactions alongside a laughable amount of content you have to purchase.
This is the wrong game to complain about micro-transactions.
I guess you haven't played 90% of the other games out now that have WAY worse micro-transactions alongside a laughable amount of content you have to purchase.
This is the wrong game to complain about micro-transactions.
Glass Shark
Banned
OP hasn't really made a cogent argument past the first post. If you want to complain about unlocking, DLC, and microtransactions, this is the last game you should be doing that about. There are so many more egregious business models out there. Just look at the latest Call of Duty. Actual gameplay affecting items locked behind real money transactions that are a gamble as to whether or not you get anything. And it would cost you thousands of dollars to even have a chance of unlocking all the items in the game, and even then it's not guaranteed. On top of the fact that you can't even unlock all the normal items in the game with a single playthrough, you have to prestige 10 times before you get access to all the basic weapons and perks.
They are completely optional and you can earn everything from the loot boxes by just playing the regular game. And the rate at which you earn boxes is fairly generous compared to other games of its type. If there is going to be microtransactions this is the best way to do it.
They are completely optional and you can earn everything from the loot boxes by just playing the regular game. And the rate at which you earn boxes is fairly generous compared to other games of its type. If there is going to be microtransactions this is the best way to do it.
Pai Pai Master
Banned
I just bought some loot boxes just to spite OP
Would you rather pay for maps and characters ?
Reizo Ryuu
Member
Uhh, so blizzard staff should just work for free for future content? the MT's are in there to pay for all future content and keep the userbase from splitting. You pay 40 once and are never out of date.
A mandatory 40$ season pass would apparently be better than optional cosmetics idk
LurkerPrime
Member
The war against mictrotransactions was lost before it even began. #horsearmorwasright is all that people will remember.
ãInaba Residentã
Banned
cosmetic microtransactions or paid maps/characters. pick one.
Nice! What is there to unlock? I'm not terribly informed about the game and UC4 MP is starting to bore me with it's pretty barebone content and I have no idea when the first big DLC pack is even coming (aside from vague summer 2016 mention) and I'm on the prowl for something to that manages to hold my attention better.
D
Deleted member 325805
Unconfirmed Member
I for one am happy that whales are paying for my future content.
Japanmanx3
Member
Let's make it $60 to beat out CoD.
Matrix XII
Member
What a bizarre and overblown issue.
You can literally unlock everything by playing the game.
This is all about cosmetics. Cosmetics!!!!!
You can literally unlock everything by playing the game.
This is all about cosmetics. Cosmetics!!!!!
Modest Mauser
Member
Again, it's an online game that will be supported with more free maps, modes and characters down the road. More content is either payed for by optional, cosmetic microtransactions or people have to buy the new characters/maps.
I want to pick your brain on this because you have thought this out it seems.
How is a game supposed to continue development with free content updates--at a base $60 price point--without additional funding coming from another source? In a world where game development costs continue to rise along with consumer expectation, what are they supposed to do other than introduce microtransactions that are 100% optional (which, regardless of how you feel about the psychology of it, they factually are) and are incredibly unobtrusive in and of themselves.
The button to purchase anything on PS4 is tucked away and has a fairly small prompt in a corner on the unboxing screen--some players might not even notice it.
But that's all an aside. Without making microtransactions a Thing and keeping them as consumer-friendly as possible; How does an incredibly large game that wants to keep a focus on consistent development make enough money to fund that development? Full-price is full-price and I totally agree that predatory business tactics in regards to MTs needs to go (see: Call of Duty), I see absolutely no path towards games getting the support they advocate to their consumerbase--and the support most consumers have come to expect.
The unlocks in Overwatch fall into a few categories:
Skins, Voice Lines, Sprays, Icons, Emotes, Victory Poses and... I think Heroic Introductions?
All of which are cosmetic in nature with Skins and Emotes being the only real thing people will ever notice. The skins can range from color-swaps (which are super cheap in the Overwatch Bux--which you also earn purely by opening the boxes you obtain through playing the game) to more detailed costume-swaps.
It's a fun system because you can really enjoy a skin but you yourself will almost never see it.
Microtransactions can be exploitative or not, making a blanket statement that they are always acceptable in a f2p game is as ridiculous as saying they are always bad in a retail game.
Reizo Ryuu
Member
skins, poses, intros, one liners, sprays, emotes
Turdburger
Member
you know, you're totally right. these meaningless one-liners that I don't have unlocked really ruin the experience. without the option to choose between different one-liners for each character and physically feel the sound waves of these one-liners emanating from my gameplay speakers, the game completely loses its immersion and flavor. Without these utterly pointless battlecries that I have to open an emote menu to hear, which I would never actually do in the middle of a match, the characters just don't resonate with me the same way. Blizzard made a terrible decision requiring me to pay extra to feel fully invested in the game.
Sad the amount of naive people want it all for free, completely ignoring development costs.
"I want all the cosmetic stuff for free, on launch, no unlocks AND I want all future updates, modes and characters for free. What it'll cost money for something at least?! What is this scummy practice?! This is a new low even though it's been in other games for years!!!"
"I want all the cosmetic stuff for free, on launch, no unlocks AND I want all future updates, modes and characters for free. What it'll cost money for something at least?! What is this scummy practice?! This is a new low even though it's been in other games for years!!!"
Xaero Gravity
NEXT LEVEL lame™
This is such a pathetic overreaction.
Sounds good. Bought 20$ more to bring it up to 40$ worth of loot boxes. GOT A PROBLEM OP?
NaDannMaGoGo
Member
Btw., people should be damn happy there is no trading in Overwatch. If you have that, you'll introduce a hugh slew of botters and people who either remain interested or become interested in the game solely due to the item economy. That also includes scammers, oh so many scammers. For the average Joe that usually results in getting less because these eco-centered folks manipulate the market to their own benefit.
By not making items tradeable you avoid all this baggage. It's why that's the same with hearthstone and Diablo 3 post auction house.
By not making items tradeable you avoid all this baggage. It's why that's the same with hearthstone and Diablo 3 post auction house.
Reizo Ryuu
Member
It's not really banter, it's a one liner, the actual banter between allies/enemies is done by the characters automatically, you don't unlock those or have any influence on when they are used.
SocksAndShoes
Banned
Absolutely not. Anyone saying this is a loon. I'm not paying $40 more for content I couldn't care less about.
Seriously folks, this is the way developers should implement MTs from now on. If they have to be in the game, make them cosmetic/pointless.
Glass Shark
Banned
Online shooters tend to die out when developers fragment the player base by locking characters and maps behind paid DLC, so I'm ecstatic that Overwatch is making all of that free and offering optional paid cosmetics to offset it. I want to be playing this game for years to come and if this is how it happens, so be it.
Scrub Mcgrubb
Member
I love the way they have unlocks set up... it ensures I'll keep coming back. That was one of the reasons I dropped Street Fighter V recently... I have a ton of fight money and 1 ugly story costume per char that I really don't care about and 2 DLC chars that have been free anyway cuz Capcom being Capcom.
Overwatch has a very nice loop... same kind that drew me in to Rocket League for months on end and Killer Instinct as well.
Overwatch has a very nice loop... same kind that drew me in to Rocket League for months on end and Killer Instinct as well.
There are more than two ways of doing things. Hell Rainbow six siege has a better microtransaction system than OT in my opinion, it's a lot more clunky but at least in that you can save up money to buy what you want instead of praying for the rng gods. Sure the game has a Season pass too but the season pass only gives you the new characters week in advance and you get basically nothing else. Currently you can buy almost every weapon skin for in-game currency and all of the hats except one. Oh and all of the maps and characters are available for everybody in that game too.
Psst. You can save up money to buy what you want in Overwatch too. You don't have to ever touch the microtransactions in the game.
It's a gross misunderstanding from people who don't even own the game and they don't seem to care when we correct them. It is literally what it's called, a one liner, just a quip you can spam before the game starts. All the in game dialogue is still there you muppets.
Oh so it's identical to OW but actually worse as it has a season pass? Yet somehow you've called it better? Right this thread...
Turdburger
Member
Askherserenity
Member
Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry
Interfectum
Member
You get in-game currency in OW as well (from boxes and dupes). So you can save up and buy what you want too. I take it you haven't played the game?
Also OW has no season pass and no "get important stuff early" garbage.
Glass Shark
Banned
You can do the same thing in Overwatch. Every free loot box you earn has a chance of having in-game currency in it, up to 500. And duplicate items you earn turn into currency. Everything that is unlockable at random through a loot box is also purchasable with in-game currency, and the most expensive things are legendary skins at 1000 each.
Don't you get gold for duplicates only?
EDIT: Well if you can actually get the currency it's not so bad since it negates the random drops a bit.
So many people justifying the micro transactions as if you work for Blizzard. I like Overwatch, but it's a full price game with micro transactions. And it's lite on content.
Whatever we get in the future doesn't offset the fact that the game as is sold right now for $60 is lite on content. Micro transactions on top of that is just gross.
Whatever we get in the future doesn't offset the fact that the game as is sold right now for $60 is lite on content. Micro transactions on top of that is just gross.