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Overwatch marks a new low in Unlocking and Microtransaction systems that I'm aware of
- Thread starter Saty
- Start date
People are mad because Overwatch is critical acclaim. People are becoming very cynical very fast. "Why Overwatch is has THAT good of a review"? Biases everywhere. So I'm with you UC4 micro-transaction scheme is bad, just like the one of the Last of Us: pay to win.
But Blizzard have silly MT and people is going berserk.
People have shot spam memory.
Tf2 have more ridiculous MT.
Destiny with pay to win.
SW: BF I don't even want to go there with a season pass with almost the price of a game for 3 maps and 6 "iconic" characters.
Stop being cynical and salty OP. People that have the game and have your same thinking should selll the game for that matter if theythink Activision-Blizzard touched a new low. Just wait for the new CoD or Battlefield so you can throw money into "real" MT
You get items by ranking up, you get a loot box every time you level up. I believe you also get coins in boxes and for dupes, so you can buy the ones you want with in game coins (in theory!). I wouldn't be surprised if they add trading in eventually.
Interfectum
Member
The taunts aren't chat commands.
TDLink
Member
Everything -is- available for free. You get loot boxes for free just by playing the game...infinitely. One of the things that drops from the boxes if gold so even if you don't randomly get exactly what you want you can just "buy" it with that in-game currency. You can't actually buy anything out of the loot boxes with real money.
Dragonslayer_023
Banned
Definitely, if this thread was about CoD or Battlefield no one would be reacting to OP like this.
Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule
Member
wait.. so you are telling me that this game is full price and have microtransactions?
MMaRsu
Member
Yes you get the content you paid for on the disc.
Interfectum
Member
If Battlefield offered owners all maps and DLC free, no season pass and all there was were optional cosmetic loot boxes I'd imagine a lot of people would be thrilled. I would be.
Chronospherics
Member
I've added plenty that I felt was relevant to the discussion and I also feel that discussing the quality of posting within a discussion is relevant to the discussion itself.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=204808090&postcount=298
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=204808432&postcount=314
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=204809854&postcount=378
TDLink
Member
Not really lazy, it keeps people playing. Opening a loot box is fun because you're not sure what you're going to get. And even if you never get what you really want, you'll get gold to get what you want.
Plus there are in fact unlockables that you can't get from loot boxes, which are instead tied to achievements.
SocksAndShoes
Banned
For purely pointless cosmetic and character voice options, yes.
How is this still surprising to people in 2016? And this is one of the better implemented microtransaction systems we've seen...
Pai Pai Master
Banned
So would you be OK with paying for characters and maps? Because that's the trade-off here. Loot boxes for real cash fund additional content for the game. It does not have an infinite budget.
Yes, like a majority of games nowadays.
MMaRsu
Member
He hasnt even played the game bruv ^_^.
And you are correct, swbf is way way worse.
Destiny as well.
The phrase 'chat shit get banged' springs to mind for this thread, and I'm not against it.
TDLink
Member
Literally the only "microtransaction" is to buy more boxes, which you never have to do as you get them for free in-game every time you level. And you can level indefinitely.
So you're expecting them to work post-launch for free? Whether or not you think the game in its current state is complete, it's a little crazy Blizzard would add completely new maps and characters for free without revenue coming from somewhere, no?
Microtransactions aren't good for the consumer. They're just not. They're not put in the game to make things better for the people playing the game. They're put in to make money.
In that lens I can easily say I'd rather Overwatch didn't have them, but that's just not the reality of how games work anymore.
With all that said, the microtransactions in Overwatch are comparatively innocuous when looking at many other examples in the industry. Mobile, AAA, or otherwise.
In that lens I can easily say I'd rather Overwatch didn't have them, but that's just not the reality of how games work anymore.
With all that said, the microtransactions in Overwatch are comparatively innocuous when looking at many other examples in the industry. Mobile, AAA, or otherwise.
No more than any other retail release these days, and less than most of them. You don't have to buy shit. and not like "Hey you can grind 8000 hours to get this character, OR pay 5 bucks" but like "Hey, you can pay a buck fifty or you can paly for an hour and a half to get some random shit that has no impact on the game"
You get coins and doubles are crafted into coins which you can spend directly on whatever you want.
MMaRsu
Member
Take it up with the mods if you dislike the quality of the discussion if you feel its warranted. Dont go posting a wall of shame dude wtf.
Naked Lunch
Member
They can load as much cosmetic shit as they want behind a paywall...as long as the maps and characters are free. I cant stand alt skins in ANY game really (fighting game, moba, shooter) I stick with the default, the way the character is supposed to look - so Im good. Let other people pay for it and ill take the free maps.
SuperBowser
Member
I guess I feel the opposite. I think Overwatch is microtransactions used well.
Nearly all the skins are trash and most of the other stuff is barely worth a second glance let alone being excited about. I'm satisfied with the initial package and drops of stuff I don't particularly need. I have no desire to spend money on this.
Nearly all the skins are trash and most of the other stuff is barely worth a second glance let alone being excited about. I'm satisfied with the initial package and drops of stuff I don't particularly need. I have no desire to spend money on this.
Behold the "Chat commands" and "user-initiated communication"
I can't because most games lock actual gameplay content behind microtransactions and "DLC".
You mean gameplay value. Because speech lines do have value to me. A type of value that doesn't exist with skins.
But again, you fail to realize than an unlock system can negatively impact a user enjoyment of a game w\o it affecting gameplay.
There's a 'Voice Lines' category.
--
Saw a the thread title change. So what other full-priced AAA games lock away character speech? Thanks.
Camp Freddie
Member
So, Destiny was a full price competitive shooter that let you buy a high-level character.
Battlefield 4 is a full price competitive shooter that lets you buy all the weapon unlocks.
But apparently, selling a taunt voice line and other cosmetic stuff is "a new low".
Battlefield 4 is a full price competitive shooter that lets you buy all the weapon unlocks.
But apparently, selling a taunt voice line and other cosmetic stuff is "a new low".
The point is, as already mentioned: There is no communication behind the unlocks. It's phrases like "True Chaos", "D.va, Love". Using a Back to the Future Flag or Car in RL communicates way more about you to other players than all of these silly OW lines combined. But if you want to ignore this fact, then yeah... go on with your rant.
SocksAndShoes
Banned
Then don't buy or play the game. This is very simple.
I thought we've been down this road? No player segregation + cosmetic microtransaction is better than player segregation by season pass but no microtransactions.
Did you see how much money 343i hauled in with their microtransactions? You can't make money any easier.
Those speech-lines are cheap af anyway and I'm talking in-game currency, not real money.
Did you see how much money 343i hauled in with their microtransactions? You can't make money any easier.
Those speech-lines are cheap af anyway and I'm talking in-game currency, not real money.
Just like ongoing development and server costs are free?
The characters are speaking and making jokes during the matches (i loved it when i heard for the first time Thracer mocking Reaper after a kill) even without unlocking those things. Those are just emoticon phrases you sometime use during the match, nothing important to me.
My only complaint about the unlocking system is that they seem to give you loot crates only when you level up, i don't know if there is a level cap but after a certain amount of time you will eventually get less and less of those. There are no other way to earn loot crates or in game currency without paying?
My only complaint about the unlocking system is that they seem to give you loot crates only when you level up, i don't know if there is a level cap but after a certain amount of time you will eventually get less and less of those. There are no other way to earn loot crates or in game currency without paying?
MMaRsu
Member
Nah I do realize that.
Except not in this case
You havent even played the game.
You want Bleep Bloop as your voice line, you care SO much about it.
EXCEPT you do not even have the game.
So what is your issue again?
Yup people have got a hard on for shitting on OW.
Where was the thread for Uncharted 4s terrible microtransactions? It's beyond cosmetic unlocks in that unlike OW.
Behold the "Chat commands" and "user-initiated communication"
How in the hell am I supposed to flesh out Bastion's character and backstory without hearing "Dweet Dweet Dweet" on command?!
Enter The 36 Chambers
Member
Like I said I don't have the game nor will I be getting it. But I look at the likes of Halo 5, Counter Strike and how they are supporting the game by subsidising maps through microtranactions for cosmetics which don't affect the game in real terms.
As I've said I don't know much about Overwatch or the content it shipped with. However it was well known this game was a multiplayer only shooter and I really believe these days people know what to expect from these kinds of games. Battlefront, Evolve etc.
The alternative to selling voice packs, skins and whatever is paid DLC maps. This benefits no one. Divides the player Base and people don't get the full value of their maps since not everyone has them and must use dedicated playlists or whatever.
I hate to wrap this up with "Don't like it, don't buy it" but It seems to be the most fitting answer to the complaints. They are just cosmetics and speech lines, in real terms they don't matter to the game. And if youre looking for a "full featured" game with all content included, well then multiplayer only games may just not be for you.
truestatic
Member
Honestly I agree with you. I think the microtransactions in Overwatch are an abysmally poor value proposition and I honestly can't understand why anyone would ever spend a penny on this shit.
But then I'm more than happy to play the game and get the stuff at the rate that was given. This game was great fun long before there were ever cosmetics, and so anything that comes out of a crate that I want is just gravy.
Naughty Gods can do no wrong.
Interfectum
Member
DWEET DWEET DWEET!
'Voice Lines' are taunts like the one above. You can only equip one at a time and each character comes with a default. Nothing else on the chat wheel that actually offers communication is locked away.
Not when dlc is free.
NoblesseOblige
Banned
Waifus are a powerful beast.
Pai Pai Master
Banned
It's also not new lol
Tal Shiar Agent
Banned
They always say "its cosmetic only" and then it isn't. Don't trust microtransactions at all.
Reizo Ryuu
Member
I don't think people realise how post-game support works.
You either have very short post game updates, that are in the initial budget and can be offered for free.
long term post game updates that go beyond the budget and thus need to be paid for seperately per client, segregating the userbase
A mixture of both.
Long term post game updates that go beyond the budget and get paid for by some kind of small in-game transaction, and provided as "free" updates keeping the userbase inclusive.
Mass Effect 3 MP only got the insane amount of free dev support because people were buying microtransaction random unlock boxes that paid for all the awesome content for a full year, giving everyone the same stuff.
Likewise, Overwatch lootboxes pay for all the upcoming content and at the same time keeps the userbase from splitting, this is good for literally everyone because you get more content and the pool of players to play with will never suddenly drop off (which is obviously extremely important for an MP only game).
Even more, the lootboxes in overwatch don't unlock anything that affects how the game is played, I don't see how anyone can be upset about an option that has other players paying for content they'll get to enjoy as well.
You either have very short post game updates, that are in the initial budget and can be offered for free.
long term post game updates that go beyond the budget and thus need to be paid for seperately per client, segregating the userbase
A mixture of both.
Long term post game updates that go beyond the budget and get paid for by some kind of small in-game transaction, and provided as "free" updates keeping the userbase inclusive.
Mass Effect 3 MP only got the insane amount of free dev support because people were buying microtransaction random unlock boxes that paid for all the awesome content for a full year, giving everyone the same stuff.
Likewise, Overwatch lootboxes pay for all the upcoming content and at the same time keeps the userbase from splitting, this is good for literally everyone because you get more content and the pool of players to play with will never suddenly drop off (which is obviously extremely important for an MP only game).
Even more, the lootboxes in overwatch don't unlock anything that affects how the game is played, I don't see how anyone can be upset about an option that has other players paying for content they'll get to enjoy as well.
Traditionally we would've paid $60 for a full priced title, then somewhere down the road (a year or so) we would pay another $40 for an expansion pack.
What Overwatch is proposing is that we pay $60 for a full priced title, receive all future content (i.e. the expansion pack equivalent) for free, and the former $40 they would've gotten has now been subsidized via MTAs in the game that do not directly impact the gameplay loop in any way shape or form as much as Salty wants to argue they do.
If you choose to pay $0, you are essentially receiving new content over time for free. For the people who choose to pay more than $40 in microtransactions, they have essentially paid for the expansion for you.
That's why MTAs exist in Overwatch.
I don't personally agree with microtransactions in concept. I can understand why they have taken this road, and I can understand which ones are the least heinous/harmless ones.
Alright, explain to me which of either Dota2 or CSGO's microtransactions count as "non cosmetic". Or at least which of them directly affect the gameplay outside of "I predict I'm going to win" or "my gun is now bright yellow". I understand the hatred for microtransactions. I don't think it's a black and white "They are all bad" situation.
What Overwatch is proposing is that we pay $60 for a full priced title, receive all future content (i.e. the expansion pack equivalent) for free, and the former $40 they would've gotten has now been subsidized via MTAs in the game that do not directly impact the gameplay loop in any way shape or form as much as Salty wants to argue they do.
If you choose to pay $0, you are essentially receiving new content over time for free. For the people who choose to pay more than $40 in microtransactions, they have essentially paid for the expansion for you.
That's why MTAs exist in Overwatch.
I don't personally agree with microtransactions in concept. I can understand why they have taken this road, and I can understand which ones are the least heinous/harmless ones.
Alright, explain to me which of either Dota2 or CSGO's microtransactions count as "non cosmetic". Or at least which of them directly affect the gameplay outside of "I predict I'm going to win" or "my gun is now bright yellow". I understand the hatred for microtransactions. I don't think it's a black and white "They are all bad" situation.
When i say 'communications' i mean any kind of character speech, anything that my character can utter. I mean, the best speech in games are the non-functional ones like the 'Cheers' and 'Jeers' in TF2.
Who the heck cares about saying something about myself? That's not what i use speech commands. It's about breathing life and character into those people by way of how each hero is written, the voice acting, the line delivery and the like.
LaunchpadMcQ
Banned
We're totally not scraping the bottom of the barrel with these Overwatch threads...
No, this is not that bad. Black Ops 3 locked actual unique weapons behind this loot crate design and there was no other way to unlock them. At least everything in Overwatch's crates is cosmetic.
No, this is not that bad. Black Ops 3 locked actual unique weapons behind this loot crate design and there was no other way to unlock them. At least everything in Overwatch's crates is cosmetic.
I mean they can call them whatever they want but like the post above your proves, it's nothing more than a quick taunt you can equip so you can use when you want.
And as you also have been told, the lines themselves aren't "locked" the characters randomly say them depending on some situations.
Wait, how is Destiny Pay to win? If you are referring to those new sterling boxes which contain equipment with an armor value of 3 you get those from completing weeklies and the item pool is low enough for you to get what you want fairly quickly. Not that i like the boxes but it wasn't as bad as people made it out to be.
Which it is, thanks to MTs?