Microtransactions are a controversial subject. Most AAA modern games have them. A large portion of the player base spends out every year grabbing skins, camos, and charms in a variety of ways. Today, we are trying to discern what is acceptable for microtransactions in the current gaming climate. Everyone’s opinion is going to be somewhat different on the topic, so I’ve conscripted the team at Underlevelled to give us their perspective on the matter.
Azza
Personally, I am of the opinion that microtransactions should only be in free-to-play games and MMOs, not full-price releases. If I am paying £70 for a game, I want everything the game has on release, and not feel pressured into spending more money than I already have.
The best example of microtransactions done right is Path of Exile. Cosmetic and stash tabs are the only things you can buy with money; the rest must be earned through gameplay. This is a fair and awesome system I have gladly supported.
Some of the worst microtransactions I’ve ever seen have to be in the FIFA games. Despite their awesome covers, I am not a fan of the series (or football/soccer for that matter). I do think that the fanbase gets scammed every year buying packs. Friends of mine have spent silly amounts of money on these games every year, sometimes in the region of £2K+.
I’ve always hated the idea of battle passes, skin packs, and premium currency in single-player games. It makes the game experience almost tacky and much less special. I would also like microtransactions to never be in single-player games; it makes no sense, and ironically, cheapens the experience.
The worst microtransactions that I have purchased myself are either GTA money, about 10 years ago, or mounts in FF14. At least the mounts looked amazing—I have no regrets… Or money.
Riley
Everyone here has raised excellent points about the reasons for and against microtransactions. To avoid repetition, I’m going to be short and sweet. I don’t believe that small payments in freemium games are necessarily a bad thing, if they are up front and honest about the content you are paying for. If a game wants to sell an item, object, or ability for a fixed one-time fee that would be deemed extra or premium, so be it. You know what you’re getting and can opt in or out. I’d argue this even goes as far as cosmetic DLC. Whilst I personally wouldn’t waste my money on it, more power to those who wish to do so.
I take issue with two facets of the industry that have become particularly egregious over time: loot boxes and premium currency. Paying real money on a lottery system for an opportunity to unlock something is incredibly predatory and takes advantage of addictive tendencies and FOMO. Preying on people who want that dopamine fix from pulling something great shouldn’t be as easily available as it is; it’s literal gambling.
Premium currencies, then, are vague about how much your money converts to. It always gives you more or just less than what you need. This causes you to spend fixed amounts on their terms, not on the items you want… I’m looking at you, Minecraft Marketplace. This means you’ll either forever have currency you can’t use, or you’ll need to keep topping up every time you want to buy something, with no way to retrieve funds. It’s a model designed to get more money out of multiple purchases than just buying something outright. Incredibly predatory.
Gacha Games
I’m no stranger to gacha games. I play Pokémon GO and Pokémon TCG Pocket, both of which have randomised elements. From shiny Pokémon and eggs, to rare pulls in packs, both have predatory practices that enable players to spend effortlessly and without realising for very little gain. Whilst I try to only use rewards currency, I have dabbled in ticketed events in the past with varying degrees of success, but Pokémon GO has pushed this concept way too far. The answer is simple: less predatory practices, more transparency on odds and expectations, and it would help players make these decisions with a lot more clarity.
Dave
None of us can escape the yawning maw of late-stage capitalism. But I’ll be damned if I let myself get devoured by this leviathan without a fight. That said, I don’t mind MTXs, I just hate how they’re abused. Various FTP games (and some major releases, like Tekken 8) use it as their main revenue stream. Optional cosmetics sold at a reasonable price are a fair way to sell art. The servers get to keep running, the players get to express themselves; it’s a win-win situation.
The implementation of some MTXs is incredibly predatory, however. You might be familiar with people who spend exorbitant amounts on in-game currency, items, and characters every month. God help you, you might be one. In both sales and gambling, people with both a large disposable income and the inclination to use it are called ‘whales’. And man, companies will hunt these creatures down like they’re Captain Ahab. While I like wealth redistribution, it does come at the expense of poorer people who can’t afford a guaranteed pull of the new Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent unit, which, for some reason, costs more than an individual copy of Octopath Traveler I or II.
For some games, these whales are the main source of profit. If they aren’t capitalised on, the game will likely end service within a few months because at those prices, the majority of the player base isn’t going to contribute regularly. If you invested any amount of money and time in an FTP game, just know your hard-earned purchases are at the mercy of some rich dude’s whims. I mean, besides the one in a suit. Like, some work-from-home day trader taking a morning dump or something.
Holy Macro
Microtransactions are best when they are just that: micro. The common man should be able to afford a quaint little addition to their gaming experience without bankrupting themselves. But if a company can get away with selling content at macro prices, they will. CEOs, I ask you this: Why hunt whales to extinction when you can nurture the beautiful ocean, and consistently partake of its modestly sized bounty? Why pollute the waters with FOMO when you can purify them with a contented community? And why invite the wrath of Poseidon with your greed? Make no mistake, the revolution won’t be televised. It will be live-streamed from Atlantis.
It’s also worth considering that MTXs are just a symptom of a bigger issue: the unsustainable trajectory of AAA development in the video game industry. Everything needs to be bigger and better than the last thing. There’s an expectation of more frames, more polygons, and more ray tracing, which unfortunately results in concomitant investments, whether they be financial, temporal, or human. Indie developers are safe from this, but big publishers stand to lose a lot. Without the courage to take a step back and deviate from this, companies will continue to feed the late-stage capitalism leviathan and watch as it devours both us and itself.
Hollyman
While it’s easy to jump the gun and immediately stand on a podium condemning all microtransactions, I think it’s something you need to look at through a more nuanced scope. Video games can be incredibly expensive to develop. To keep one active with support past its initial launch, even more money needs to be spent on maintaining it. Even free updates cost money to produce! I believe that microtransactions have no place in single-player games. However, I do think there is a case to be made for them in the multiplayer, live-service space.
Microtransactions are a way of recuperating costs on a game and providing more funds allocated to keeping it alive past its sell-by date. If a publisher sees a good deal of both player engagement and spending, they would theoretically be more inclined to keep the game going.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 received a great deal of controversy over its loot boxes and paid content, which forced the publisher’s hand, and the game swerved into a much smoother experience with free updates and added content. Players rejoiced at the time, but fast forward the clock a bit, and support for the game ceased. Developers moved on to other projects.
Now we have both fans and former developers lamenting the fact that the game still had life left in it, and so much more could have been added. I’m not trying to guilt people by blaming them for ultimately leading to Battlefront 2‘s demise, but it does make me wonder if the game would have received more support had there not been such a backlash to it at launch.
Keeping Games Alive
While I have absolutely no doubt that there is a great amount of inherent greed poured into these that would make the likes of Scrooge McDuck blush, I think they do have their place in helping keep a game alive and supported. Just look at the likes of Fortnite, a game which, regardless of your own feelings towards it, can’t be called an unsuccessful game with no staying power. All those kids buying V-Bucks definitely have an impact; the money goes somewhere. The publishers see that money is being spent on their game, so they make new things for people to spend money on.
It’s up to the player to decide whether or not they wish to spend the money, regardless of how enticing the publisher tries to be with it. Do I have a problem with predatory publishers performing shady psyops to psychologically profile whales and bleed them dry? Of course I do. I’m not heartless. Do I think they can ultimately be beneficial if I close my eyes and turn off all morals?… Yes.
What are your opinions on MXTs? Do you think companies are getting too greedy? Do you think they’re essential in keeping interest in games? I’d like to give a big thanks to all who contributed! Be sure to join our Discord to further discuss this topic.
Just a dude that plays games. Ill write stuff on here once in a blue moon
Video game completionist and 3D platformer connoisseur, Riley is a fan of the whimsical frenzy of bright and colourful characters that blessed us in the late 90's. Their favourite game's are Spyro, Persona 5 and Super Mario Sunshine.
He/Him
A flamboyant ultra nerd, Dave participates in the Underlevelled Tournament both for the thrill of the fight, and to avenge the orphans lost in the climax of the previous tournament.
Born: London
Height: ???
Weight: ???
Nen Type: Manipulator
Classes: Editor, Dancer,
Hobbies: street dance, collecting manga volumes, reading, editing
Likes: short-to-medium walks on the beach, pointing out how things can and will be misconstrued as racism, fighting games, RPGs, anime, Hades, alternative hip hop, conscious hip hop, Mara Wilson, overly long bios, ice-cream
Dislikes: insincere media, his own uncanny resemblance to Richard Ayoade, mayonnaise
Sean Hollyman is an avid fan of action figures, videogames and sometimes other things too. When he's not labourously trying to earn platinum trophies for games that he otherwise probably wouldn't care about, Sean can often be found taking photos of his Transformers in embarrassing situations.
Favorite Food: Roast Dinner
Least Favorite Food: ANYTHING with mayonnaise in it