Halo 5 Microtransactions
Nov. 7th, 2015 09:21 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
owsf2000You remember how I said a few posts back when I was ranting about how developers have evolved (Devolved?) into using tricks to make people think the excessive DLC isn't so bad since technically "it's all free", as in, it can all be earned by some in-game currency system. As I mentioned, they do this to give themselves a talking point when people try to get upset at how much the DLC costs. "Oh but you don't have to buy it!"
Of course, at the same time that they're doing this, they're developing the system such that the most efficient way to actually obtain all the DLC is to open your wallet anyway. This takes the form of either excessive time requirements or badly (or should I just call it unfairly?) balanced gameplay. (Among other tactics!)
As an example of how this works, let Angry Joe walk you through what was done with Halo 5. So essentially you CAN pick up all the cosmetic stuff for free, but you're looking at like 400-650 hours of gameplay - assuming you're a decent player and can earn enough points per match to make it that fast. Otherwise you can shell out a little over 1000 dollars buying the gold packs at $2.99+ each. (Ultimately they'll settle for people going half and half I'm sure.)
400-650 hours to get just the cosmetics in the game. If you look earlier in Joe's review/rant, you see him get pissed about them taking out split-screen co-op, and more particularly at the REASONS they took it out. "oh in today's age people are too busy, they typically don't have the time to gather at a friend's house to play - but yay, Microsoft Live!" Wait... they expect their players NOT to have a lot of time to play the game, but expect them to spend 400-600+ hours to unlock shit? Yeah, kinda what I thought. I agree with him, they just want to force people to get their own copy of the game rather than play at a friend's occasionally.
As he also points out, Forge and other such things were left out of the launch due to lack of time and whatnot "but oh don't worry they're on the way!". Imagine if they had invested the time and energy into making those things, that hardcore halo fans would have liked to have, instead of spending all that time and energy into making an elaborate, money grubbing DLC system.
And yeah, overall the DLC system is "non-invasive". It's always that way at first. Joe's use of the boiled frog analogy is most appropriate.
Of course, at the same time that they're doing this, they're developing the system such that the most efficient way to actually obtain all the DLC is to open your wallet anyway. This takes the form of either excessive time requirements or badly (or should I just call it unfairly?) balanced gameplay. (Among other tactics!)
As an example of how this works, let Angry Joe walk you through what was done with Halo 5. So essentially you CAN pick up all the cosmetic stuff for free, but you're looking at like 400-650 hours of gameplay - assuming you're a decent player and can earn enough points per match to make it that fast. Otherwise you can shell out a little over 1000 dollars buying the gold packs at $2.99+ each. (Ultimately they'll settle for people going half and half I'm sure.)
400-650 hours to get just the cosmetics in the game. If you look earlier in Joe's review/rant, you see him get pissed about them taking out split-screen co-op, and more particularly at the REASONS they took it out. "oh in today's age people are too busy, they typically don't have the time to gather at a friend's house to play - but yay, Microsoft Live!" Wait... they expect their players NOT to have a lot of time to play the game, but expect them to spend 400-600+ hours to unlock shit? Yeah, kinda what I thought. I agree with him, they just want to force people to get their own copy of the game rather than play at a friend's occasionally.
As he also points out, Forge and other such things were left out of the launch due to lack of time and whatnot "but oh don't worry they're on the way!". Imagine if they had invested the time and energy into making those things, that hardcore halo fans would have liked to have, instead of spending all that time and energy into making an elaborate, money grubbing DLC system.
And yeah, overall the DLC system is "non-invasive". It's always that way at first. Joe's use of the boiled frog analogy is most appropriate.
