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[nkarafo]

I really don't get this custom skin mania. Especially in games like Diablo that are supposed to have some oppressive atmosphere (last time i checked). It would feel out of place running around like an Avenger cosplayer. I get it with games like Fortnite or other generic multiplayer shooters that don't really have a certain tone and it looks fun fooling around as Darth Vader or Spongebob or something. I guess it's also fun to have some funny skin in any game after you got sick of it (like the weird stuff in Resident Evil games) but personally, after 25 seconds of using them the novelty wears off.

So why are custom skins so popular nowadays that people even pay lots of money to get them and the DLC market is choke full of them? I suppose it's to show them off to other players, right? It's the "you are special" feel? I remember this being a thing in early WoW. Running around with a weird skin Blizzard awarded you, because you attended some event, made you feel unique and "special". Same thing with other rare items that were extremely hard to find (like a certain dungeon boss mount). But that was a thing because those items were rare and very few had them in the servers. If every other 3 people have those items, whats the point? I had a glimpse of current WoW and it seems like every single person has some fancy, glowing epic armor and an over-decorated mount. Every-single-player. It's like some kind of fashion show. Even if there's something rare in there somewhere it's impossible for it to stand out for others to notice.

That always reminds me of Syndrome's wise words:

Or maybe i'm way, way too old, dunno.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

My pixels are better than your pixels.

 

[Danjin44]

If i get custom within the game for beating it once, I dont mind that but as a DLC its not worth paying money for it.

 

[kanjobazooie]

TF2 hats fucked with people’s heads.

 

[Shubh_C63]

I suppose it's to show them off to other players, right? It's the "you are special" feel?

I fashion Destiny only because I like looking at my character. People like good looking shit, how is this a surprise to people. Someone has 40$ for a skin, so they're gonna use it. (I don't)

I have played Diablo 2 multiple times. Now if a Necromancer skin comes out that is futuristic looking with laser projectiles, I'm sorry I will play next 2 hours of D2 again just because of that.

 

[Spukc]

Not a clue also forced rpg level mechanics in games like god of war ragnarok and TLOU2 heck final fantasy 16.

It’s so fucking drab and boring.

 

[Fbh]

It's probably simply wanting to stand out and not just be the "default". Or just having your character have a look you think looks cool/funny/thematic, etc

I've been playing Rocket League for years and, sure, sometimes I think it would be cool to have a unique goal explosion. But I'll never pay the $20 they want for the cooler ones.

At least in Fortnite I can understand it because they have a lot of licensed stuff. Again, I wouldn't pay $30 or $20 to play as Goku, but I guess I get the appeal

 

[nkarafo]

I fashion Destiny only because I like looking at my character. People like good looking shit, how is this a surprise to people. Someone has 40$ for a skin, so they're gonna use it. (I don't)

I have played Diablo 2 multiple times. Now if a Necromancer skin comes out that is futuristic looking with laser projectiles, I'm sorry I will play next 2 hours of D2 again just because of that.

That's fair. I also like nice looking things. I do enjoy good looking armor and stuff in games, as long as they fit in the game's tone and atmosphere.

I just don't feel the same way with the funny/weird kind of skins that look out of place.

Your Necromancer example is different though. Because the way you describe it looks like something more complex that also affects animations/projectiles and may even affect gameplay. Something like that could hold my interest for more than 25 seconds, yeah. But how many skins are like this?

It's probably simply wanting to stand out and not just be the "default"

Yeah but that doesn't apply anymore. Because if every other player also stands out then how can anyone stand out?

I pointed this out in the OP using WoW as an example. In vanilla WoW, the vast majority of players didn't even have a single epic item, let alone rare/custom skins. They were hard to get. People would go to raids and show of their gear in the towns and that made them stand out. Same thing with fancy mounts when that started. But after many years and changes, everyone now can easily get epic items in no time, or a fancy mount or a weird looking funny item, etc. And cosmetic items are all over the place and it's a common thing now. In vanilla, someone wearing a, say, pumpkin instead of helmet would turn heads. Now you can wear any random item you can think of, nobody will care. If you go to a town and see hundreds of toons roaming around at the same time, it looks like a cosplay event. Everyone looks fancy and weird. Nobody stands out.

 

[Salmon]

It's like clothing a doll when 5 years old

 

[Varteras]

Okay, so let's say this is your girlfriend:

But for a price anyone with a job can afford, you could make her look like this:

That's pretty much how it is for gamers.

 

[dreamstation]

Complete and utter scam if you ask me. The rise of streaming certainly doesn't help when you see someone like shroud spamming crates in CS2 for example. I'm happy to run around with all default skins.

Also nothing wrong with being older. We knew a time when games were complete when purchased. And if you wanted a custom skin or model you downloaded them for free. Ah, those were the days. I miss you.

 

[Skifi28]

Custom skins/armors are great, paying for them however is not. Say no to scummy practices and instead play the games where unlocking new stuff is a rewarding in-game mechanic.

 

[Guilty_AI]

imagine you have a character creator with 10 different types of hair. However, you notice there are 5 more types locked behind paywalls and one of these is really the type of hair you wanted.

Skins, emojis and whatever are basically forms of player expression. Players like to show off their own identity, especially in MP games. By locking these elements behind paywalls you're charging the player for the right to express himself.

 

[GymWolf]

I think i bought a total of 2 skins in my life, one for OW mercy and one for mhw handler.

 

[Roufianos]

As someone who's spent money on Fortnite Collab skins, I can hardly criticise the practice. I don't see how it's any different than wanting to unlock cooler looking armour in Witcher or Mass Effect.

Even with Socom 2 I remember the campaign was too hard for me so I bought a cheat disk so I could beat the game and unlock the godly Reaver skin in online.

Of course, you unlock cosmetics in those games for free but I've also been playing Fortnite for free all this time with a tonne of fresh content.

What I don't understand is skins in an FPS game, like why waste money just so your hands and 1/5 of your sleeves look different.

Is it just to look good to other players?

 

[Gaelyon]

I like earning new skins in game, by looting/unlocking them. I don't like buying skins with real money, it feel to me like cheating.

 

[Ozzie666]

It really targets the peer pressure groups of anyone under 18. Anyone who has kids should understand this. Eventually it's not even a choice anymore. for adults, it used to be mounts and pets in games like Warcraft.

 

[Damigos]

Okay, so let's say this is your girlfriend:

But for a price anyone with a job can afford, you could make her look like this:

That's pretty much how it is for gamers.

I have to admit i ve missed out a lot by not purchasing skins

 

[ahtlas7]

You wouldn’t want to be seen in that standard skin, dweeb.

 

[Drizzlehell]

Well, you tell me which one is better:

It's all about the drip, baby.

That said, I would never be naive enough to buy imaginary clothes for a video game, lol. If they want to throw something my way for free then cool, I'll take it. But I got better things to spend money on than to pay for that. Maybe I could make an exception in a free to play game that's good and respects the player's time, because at least then I know that it's a roundabout way of paying for my entertainment and supporting the ongoing development. But any fully-priced game or a game that has predatory monetisation - nah, I'll pass.

 

[Big Baller]

I like my foreskin, thanks.

 

[calistan]

That shit has ruined CoD for me. I want to play soldiers but everyone is hopping around in fluorescent PJs.

I would gladly pay for the option to de-skin the game. You wear your Nikki Minaj outfit, I just see a dude in green fatigues.

 

[TerribleAtThisGame]

I buy Hunt: Showdown DLC packs, which are skins, because the player models are sometimes fantastic designs and the weapon skins tend to be really cool. The main reasom though is that I bought the game for like $9.99 and absolutely don't mind tossing some money their way once in a while for what I consider to be one of the most engaging games I've ever played.

Having spent a total of maybe $150 for a game I've so far put like 1000 hours into and where I met a bunch of really cool people I now play other shit with too...not a biggie at all to me.

Can't comment on other games, don't play them, but Hunt keeps skins very tasteful imo. I wouldn't be compelled to buy any of that if it looked fucking stupid.