no way, Hearthstone released paid expansions with a bunch of "must own" cards regularly
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Overwatch marks a new low in Unlocking and Microtransaction systems that I'm aware of
- Thread starter Saty
- Start date
no way, Hearthstone released paid expansions with a bunch of "must own" cards regularly
constantstatic
Member
Activision had treyarch saying no weapons as well and look how that turned out. Maybe they will just add new heroes to the crates. Activisions gonna activision.
Blizzard is not activision period.
constantstatic
Member
What you know they are the same company right ? Activision-blizzard ring a bell wasn't this game originally free to play. No we have a full price retail product with micro transactions sounds like activision to me.
activision execs do not make design decisions on blizzard games
activision executives have zero say on what blizzard does on their own games. It won't happen, I guarantee you this.
On the paper maybe. Activion and Blizzard are two completely seperate entitys for the most part.
The game was at no point F2P, it was supposed to be an MMO at some point long, long in the past.
And the reason there are MT's in the game is not because of "activion" but because it replaces the obligatory season pass you can see in all MP games nowadays, since that model wouldn't work for overwatch.
SmokedMeat
Gamer™
How do some of you sleep at night with games like Gran Turismo and Forza existing? Hundreds of cars, and you have to play the game to unlock them?
They're no different then the "microtransactions" in Overwatch.
They're no different then the "microtransactions" in Overwatch.
I mean, I understand being against microtransactions, but this game is the absolute worst hill to die on. There are actual pay2win games and gachapon gambling microtransactions or energy systems that lock the game away from you unless you pay, so saying this is a new low is just asinine. It's just thinly veiled Overwatch salt like all the other "concern" threads like "why does it get a pass" "how do we know it will get free future content" or "SFV vs Overwatch" etc.
When you buy in bulk you don't really notice it because you're pretty much guaranteed to get a certain number of legendary skins per bulk box purchase, but when you think about every time you click the button to open one you just spent another dollar it feels bad. Like this loot box I just opened had 3 whites and a blue in it and the blue was a dupe... RIP $1
Sadly that is far from new.
SmartWaffles
Member
At reveal Blizzard explicitly stated they haven't decided the game's market model, and they never ever even implied the game being free to play.
And again, Activision Publishing has absolutely zero influence on how Blizzard Entertainment makes games.
gunslikewhoa
Member
Going hard in the paint over spammy taunts, basically. Who cares.
Steve Youngblood
Member
This is one of those issues where I just scratch my head a little bit. I mean, different strokes and all, so I don't want to be the arbiter of how one should or shouldn't play a game. But I just mean from where I'm sitting, who cares if you never unlock everything? Let's assume the worst for one moment and just assume that they drop rate was slowed down to encourage paying for loot crates. In an alternate reality where microtransactions never became a thing, you'd get stuff twice as quickly. Does that really make the game better?
I guess for some people, the answer is "yes." And if that's where you're coming from, then so be it. Like I said, I'm not the final authority on how this stuff should be played. But I feel like these unlocks should be secondary to the act of playing and enjoying the game. And if you're only playing to grind out new cosmetic tweaks for your characters, then maybe the better move would have been to pass on the game entirely?
I've seen people describe the unlocks as the progression system. And I sort of feel like that's the wrong way to attack it. Yeah, the unlocks do serve as a carrot on a stick. Maybe you play one more game tonight to try to earn a level. It's something. But the main hook of the game is the act of playing a team based shooter. If that's not enough, I don't really see why faster unlock rates would make the game better.
You could play Hearthstone for 400 hours and not unlock everything either. League, HOTS, DOTA, CS:GO etc.
Does not being able to acquire every drop in Path of Exile in 400 hours count as a "design flaw"? MMOs like WoW and FFXIV?
To say the least of mobile gacha games.
The idea that everything in a game has to be acquired in order to "complete it" is a mindset from a completely different era of gaming. It has very little bearing in the modern online multiplayer landscape. These games are popular (well, HOTS aside) because they're fun, not because people expect or even want to check every tickbox.
Does not being able to acquire every drop in Path of Exile in 400 hours count as a "design flaw"? MMOs like WoW and FFXIV?
To say the least of mobile gacha games.
The idea that everything in a game has to be acquired in order to "complete it" is a mindset from a completely different era of gaming. It has very little bearing in the modern online multiplayer landscape. These games are popular (well, HOTS aside) because they're fun, not because people expect or even want to check every tickbox.
Heavy_D206
Member
I spent $10 on loot boxes because I got the PS4 copy for $40, but none of the loot boxes gave me anything decent. It was a huge waste of $10
petethepanda
Member
I'm fine with having paid cosmetic items as long as it keeps future characters and maps free, but I do think it's kind of bullshit that you can't just outright buy the specific items you want. Having the only paid option being random loot boxes seems to be 100% the mobile gaming IAP mentality of structuring things with only "whales" in mind. I'd probably drop another $20-30 on the game getting skins and poses I want, but I'm not going to spend that same amount on random chests which would have an incredibly low chance of getting me the stuff I'm looking for. (The fact that paid boxes can still give duplicate items is kind of insane, too.) And yes, you can eventually get enough in-game currency to unlock stuff you want, but it takes a loooooooong time to build up enough, and I'm just not going to be one of the players who puts 1000+ hours into the game.
It's not something that would keep me from playing the game, of course, but it's frustrating.
It's not something that would keep me from playing the game, of course, but it's frustrating.
If Overwatch marks a new low, then the world is much better place than I thought.
Boxes that don't cost money to unlock, have cosmetic items I could care less about, and no weapons or mechanics are hidden behind progression like oh so many other shooters...is what I've frankly wanted from more games. Like Unreal Tournament, the game is just about my skill improving over time, not unlocking power that makes me artificially better than a newcomer.
It's a little unfortunate you can't buy the specific items you want with money if you're into cosmetics, but loot boxes will drop currency that get you there eventually, and thankfully after level 23 the exp to next level doesn't increase at all, and when you prestige at 100 you start over again each level getting another loot box. It's hard for me to be particularly made at Blizzard with this, especially when Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm have more costly setups.
Boxes that don't cost money to unlock, have cosmetic items I could care less about, and no weapons or mechanics are hidden behind progression like oh so many other shooters...is what I've frankly wanted from more games. Like Unreal Tournament, the game is just about my skill improving over time, not unlocking power that makes me artificially better than a newcomer.
It's a little unfortunate you can't buy the specific items you want with money if you're into cosmetics, but loot boxes will drop currency that get you there eventually, and thankfully after level 23 the exp to next level doesn't increase at all, and when you prestige at 100 you start over again each level getting another loot box. It's hard for me to be particularly made at Blizzard with this, especially when Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm have more costly setups.
JHoNNy1OoO
Member
My only gripe with the system is getting duplicates. With so many unlockables to begin with duplicates should not be a possibility.
Duplicates represent the majority of your credits over time though.
It doesn't take that long to build up money, and the thing you're describing wouldn't affect the non-microtransactions in the first place.
I agree with the OP and I absolutely loooove the game. The unlock system is so shitty and it's clear they made it in a way that it entices people to pay to get those loot boxes elsewhere. Duplicates etc should not even BE in this game in the first place. It's embarrassing compared to UC4 MP unlocks for example.
Yeah it does, come on now
Yeah it does, come on now
Dreams-Visions
Member
What a mess of a point you attempted to make here.
F2P doesn't mean you have to pay for characters. See: Dota 2.
TF2 doesn't need 21 characters "with more coming". It has 9 characters, each of which has access to better than 20 unique weapons for each class with unique affixes, characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. And 3 weapon slots (some with more). Any of which can be swapped out upon respawn.
Example:
https://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Soldier
Solder (the equivalent of Pharah) has 25 different unique affix options for its 3 weapon slots. Pharah comes to the table with 5 that will presumably never be augmented or expanded, nor will they be for any other character in the game. They are what they will always be, balance passes notwithstanding. Overwatch doesn't have anywhere near the range of diversity TF2 currently has and may never have it. And it shouldn't be a surprise for now at least; it's a freshly launched game where TF2 is nearing a decade of service and lasted this long because it's just that good, because it stays updated and oh and there are always "more coming" for TF2 as well.
Overwatch isn't F2P because Blizzard didn't want to make their game F2P. That's all there is to it. It's not because they couldn't have made it work. It's not because "omg 21 characters", and it's not because you have to gate characters behind unlocks (HoTS, LoL, Smite). It's because they wanted it to be a $60 release. Lets not cloud reality with confused commentaries.
How is this not entirely beside the point? Just because someone would play a game without unlocks is no reason to lock tons of content behind some of the most ridiculous grind in a recent game. In 24 hours of game time, I have 700 coins and a top tier skin costs 1000. If you're a casual player, you have no chance of unlocking even a handful of customization items you want.
In every other way, the game is damn near perfect, but the unlock stuff is just a straight up F2P structure in a full price game aimed entirely at getting people to spend money. It's fucking gross. If microtransactions weren't in the game, there's a 0% chance the unlocks would be such a nightmare grind.
because people who play the game a lot do it for love of the game itself, not the unlocks. skins and sprays are 100% icing on the cake and i seriously think people who complain about them do not have a leg to stand on at all. how is it a grind when the unlocks are extras and the game time itself is the reward?
i think if MTs were not in the game there would be way way less in the way of unlockable content, and there probably wouldn't have been a $40 PC version either. either way, both of our opinions on this are wild speculation with no real basis.
No, no it doesn't. I've been in CB, I've been WIPEd in CB, and I've been in the OB and launch. It is very easy to get enough coins to get what you want unless what you 'want' is every fucking thing in the game.
I've got about 100 hours worth of boxes and I've got like 3500 gold left and 9 legendary skins, plus a ton of purple skins and emotes and intros and stuff.
It's like, the perfect play session length unless you literally only play for 1 match and log off.
Mobius and pet octopus
Member
Dumbest thread regarding microtransactions?
Speech lines cost 25 credits. They're extremely cheap and you can only use one at a time anyway.
Activision-blizzard is just a holding company. Blizzard is still it's own autonomous company.
Speech lines cost 25 credits. They're extremely cheap and you can only use one at a time anyway.
Activision-blizzard is just a holding company. Blizzard is still it's own autonomous company.
GoldenCrow
Member
Far from new low, those are just for an audio cue you choose to trigger. It isn't as if it adds anything more to the game it is purely customisation on what you want the character to say from a small selection of options. As coins come quickly and vocals cost 25 coins you can get the ones you want very quickly.
Angelus Errare
Banned
Fully priced? It's $39.99
Except for every other platform besides PC...
IntelliHeath
As in "Heathcliff"
Only for PC users, which is understandable.
Let's not start going down THAT road again.
Suffice to say that anyone that thinks it's a 'new low' for microtrans that don't get you anything you can't get anyway is a new low is crazy. Microtransactions in 60 dollar games are nothing new, and microtransactions that don't actually get you anything unique or special, don't impact the game in any way at all in terms of play, are the absolute BEST kind you're goingt o get.
Revolutionary
Member
I just wish there were more ways to earn in-game currency, like daily challenges or something. I suppose one day I'll be getting enough currency to buy something I actually like but as it stands, there's no way I'm paying money to essentially gamble for it.
just fyi the rate i've seen from opening boxes myself and seeing streamers do it is about 1000 credits per 20 boxes, both from straight credit drops and dupes
orthodoxy1095
Banned
I am actually surprised that there's no option to buy items at like 5000% markup. Because I'm pathetic and I'd totally pay $5 outright for a single skin. But I guess it's more lucrative to force me to buy a $5 box in the hope of getting that skin.
Microtransactions in a paid title is really crappy. Overwatch is definitely not the worst implementation at all, but it's still not ideal.
At least they didn't do what Team Fortress 2 did, which is sell me a game, then change it to a F2P model, adding new gameplay-changing weapons and then charging me just to have a random chance of getting them so that I can play on equal footing with other players - that's just ridiculous. I see Overwatch's implementation as similar to Counter Strike GO's weapon skins which is less of a problem, but still not ideal.
Just because it's possible to get everything through 'regular play' doesn't mean it's reasonable or a good implementation of this. To people defending microtransactions simply because it's possible to obtain things through regular gameplay, what if it took twice as long between drops? 10x as long? What if there were no microtransactions, would people still be happy with the progression rate?
When a game has microtransactions implemented, the balance of progress is changed to support them, generally at the expense of non-paying players so that paying is more ideal. If I've already dropped a bunch of money on the game, though, it's pretty crap to charge me more on top of that. Still, I saw from the beta that in this case the game is still a good and fun game without the cosmetic changes, and I bought it. In the end though, of course I'd prefer it to simply not have microtransactions.
At least they didn't do what Team Fortress 2 did, which is sell me a game, then change it to a F2P model, adding new gameplay-changing weapons and then charging me just to have a random chance of getting them so that I can play on equal footing with other players - that's just ridiculous. I see Overwatch's implementation as similar to Counter Strike GO's weapon skins which is less of a problem, but still not ideal.
Just because it's possible to get everything through 'regular play' doesn't mean it's reasonable or a good implementation of this. To people defending microtransactions simply because it's possible to obtain things through regular gameplay, what if it took twice as long between drops? 10x as long? What if there were no microtransactions, would people still be happy with the progression rate?
When a game has microtransactions implemented, the balance of progress is changed to support them, generally at the expense of non-paying players so that paying is more ideal. If I've already dropped a bunch of money on the game, though, it's pretty crap to charge me more on top of that. Still, I saw from the beta that in this case the game is still a good and fun game without the cosmetic changes, and I bought it. In the end though, of course I'd prefer it to simply not have microtransactions.
orthodoxy1095
Banned
Revolutionary
Member
I'm 25 now and I've gotten like 500 credits total. I guess I've had just as much bad luck with credits as I've had with legendary skins lol
It's alright, by the time I get enough credits they'll probably have cool new legendary skins to buy.
as long as the unlocks are cosmetic-only they could do all that and more and i wouldn't like the game any less