Micro-transactions

General and high profile video game topics.
a1
Posts: 3032
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Micro-transactions

Postby a1 » March 9th, 2007, 5:51 pm

Things like map packs, or extra songs for Guitar Hero are worth buying. But I'd be really pissed if I bought a game like Super Smash Bros.: Brawl and there were only 8 characters to start and the rest of them were $3 each on the shop channel.


ActRaiser1
Posts: 2726
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Micro-transactions

Postby ActRaiser1 » March 14th, 2007, 4:17 pm

And why does the critic care?  You're not online, if you were it'd make a difference.
 
As stated above if there's value in it then consumer's will buy it.  New songs to GH2 on the 360 equals a value added affair.  Horse Armor for $2 for Oblivion does not.  Obviously, EAs the worst of the bunch on the 360, especially when most of the PS2/Xbox games come with everything for $10 less.  And under no circumstances should you have to pay to improve your online character for online multiplayer as that defeats the purpose of a level playing field for all.

a1
Posts: 3032
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Micro-transactions

Postby a1 » March 14th, 2007, 6:08 pm

The critic cares because there is always the chance companies will start pulling content that will fit in the game (such as a few levels or characters), and then including it as a download for $5. Likely? Maybe not. But it could happen.


bluemonkey1
Posts: 2444
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Micro-transactions

Postby bluemonkey1 » March 14th, 2007, 9:20 pm

Sure the horse armour was a ripoff but in general the small expansion packs offered by micro transactions are AN INCREDIBLY GOOD DEAL.
 
You pay £45 for Perfect Dark Zero with 6 multiplayer maps.  Is £3 for 4 new maps a bad deal?
 
How about Oblivion Knights of the Nine, again only £6 for 30 HOURS GAMEPLAY.
 
GRAW doubles the number of co-op maps for £6.
 
Kameo added a completely new versus mode for a mere £3.
 
This content would never have made it into the games due to shipping deadlines and the fact that the games are full of enough content anyway.
 
Once the games have shipped a small number of individuals continue to develop for the game rather than just moving onto the next project.  These people need to get paid.  You do away with micro transactions and you do away with a LOT of the after release content.  That would be a very, very bad idea.  Just look at the massive amount of extra content available for the 360 compared with the XBox where it was all free.
 
Personally I love micro transactions.
 
PC games don't tend to ship broken despite what you claim.  The very nature of online gameplay is that players discover glitches and hacks that the Q&A team could never have found.  Without patches the multiplayer ends up broken.  Hell look at Gears, the multiplayer for that had a lot of problems before it got patched.

a1
Posts: 3032
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Micro-transactions

Postby a1 » March 15th, 2007, 12:52 am

I thought the Halo 2 map packs were well worth the money they costed, even if I mainly played split screen single player. If I had a 360 I would probably buy songs for Guitar Hero 2. Sometimes micro-transactions are great deals; I just hope companies don't get carried away with them.


andrew

Micro-transactions

Postby andrew » March 15th, 2007, 10:52 am

Micro-transactions are unacceptable for me. Because someone changes the color pallette on a uniform I should pay for it? You pay good money for your games shouldn't that include additional content? The claim that micro-transactions increases mods and extra content is false. Look at  battlefield and half-life. The modding and map community is huge an its always free.

bluemonkey1
Posts: 2444
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Micro-transactions

Postby bluemonkey1 » March 15th, 2007, 2:17 pm

Oh I'm sorry I forgot Counterstrike Source and Day of Defeat Source were free.  Oh no wait they charge for them now.
 
The majority of those mods never get completed.  The majority of those maps are bad.  I'm part of the Quake 3 mapping community so I know what I'm talking about.  You clearly didn't read my post.  The vast majority of these micro transactions actually offer significant additions to the game that take months to make.  And the new maps are always of a very high professional quality.


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