Do games push loot boxes and micro-transactions too much?

[skyfire]

Yes and the thing is that they are trying to milk the cow more than they even innovated. I mean look at the poor graphics and the low file compression innovation on developes part. Instead of low size and high graphics level innovation, their innovation is in pay to win lootboxes. 

[m76]

You know how many microtransactions and lootboxes isn't too much? 0, zilch, nada, zero.

[skyfire]

Most of the modern games have one component of the microtransactions and loot boxes in them. They make money that way, which si kind of sad if you ask me. because they earn more money than the can spend their lives making someething innovative. 

[Fractured_Veil]

Not a fan myself but since they're so common I don't see an end in sight. It's just too easy to make money from them. 

[skyfire]

I think a large group of people not paying for the in game stuff is a start. but it wouold be hard for that to happen. 

[m76]

3 hours ago, skyfire said:

I think a large group of people not paying for the in game stuff is a start. but it wouold be hard for that to happen. 

I think a large group is not paying for them. I think 10% of players buy 90% of microtransactions, or some similar ratio.

[Wolves]

I can't say I'm pressured to ever buy any extra's but I can definitely tell there's more in-game advertising on Friday's (pay day!). Microtransactions in games like GTA bring in so much revenue it's unbelievable. I'm all-go for in-game DLC.

[The Burnout Kid]

They do and I wish they would stop. 

[Patrik]

I actually thought that these exist only in Battle Royale games lol, pure waste of money, spending lot of bucks to get useless items, one more reason to not watch some youtubers...

[Heatman]

On 8/9/2020 at 6:01 PM, Alexander. said:

Of course, developers push microtransactions and loot boxes too much. There's no doubt about it. When I look to purchase a video game, as a gamer, I want to buy a title which has been finished and is fully "complete". I don't want one that has hidden payment barriers.  

Marketing departments don't advertise this to consumers, do they? 

Seriously, it's really getting out of hand recently. It was like this years ago, I guess they got more greedy as the day goes by. 

[Shole]

On 8/14/2020 at 1:15 PM, Shagger said:

 

I disagree. Whether come as a Loot Box (and I'll get to those) or a straight up purchase, there's basically three kinds of microtransactions, and even if players don't buy them, they all make games worse in their own ways.

 

1) Pay to win. It's obvious why this makes games worse to point where I don't feel I need to explain why.

2) Time savers. This is takes the form of XP boosts, using premium currency to advance timers and such like. These make games worse because the games themselves have to become a tedious grind without them, otherwise nobody would buy them. So the games that include these have to deigned to be more tedious and frustrating than need to be. It has to get to the point where the money hungry bastards behind idea know you would literally pay money to not play the game. In what world is that a mark of a good game? Where you literally would at least be tempted to pay money to not plat it?

3) Cosmetics. Now, these sound more innocent that the other two, but there's a hidden darkness behind this that may in fact make them the worst of the three.

When I was a teenager in High School, there was bullying because of course there was. Amongst the usual, cliché motives behind this there was big deal a bout clothing and, more specifically, shoes. If a kid came to school with cheap trainers as opposed to the latest, expensive pair from Adidas or whatever, they'd be ridiculed because that was a sign or poverty and land that kind in the category of low social status.

I bring this up because cosmetics in video games are not only having the same effect, but that's exactly what they're supposed to do. For example, and this does happen, if a kid logged onto Fortnight and was seen by his/her peers sporting a slandered skin, the next time said peers see them at school, the same ridicule for pretty much the same reason happens again. There is a video on YouTube somewhere of an executive from advertising company literally spelling this out and proudly declaring this as the"genius" behind video game cosmetics. Sadly, I can't find the video, but will keep trying to find it or some other media on this and add it to thread later if I find it. This all puts pressure on that poor kid to get that fashionable new pair of designer trainers, or in this case, that fancy new skin, just to stop the social pressure and torment. Such low-life, vile yet brilliant manipulation, it's actually impossible not to be impressed.

 

Then, there's loot boxes. Oh my god, these things...

 

Loot boxes are specially deigned to use the same kind of phycological manipulation the gambling has used for decades to make you feel compelled to have "one more go", or"I'll get it this time". The really disturbing thing about them is these loot boxes are included in games that children play, or even in games made specifically FOR children. This deliberate targeting of people even more vulnerable to that kind of predatory manipulation that gambling mechanics employ is, without doubt, immoral. Several governments around the world are questioning whether it's even legal. Some have even decided it isn't.

 

All this, all of what I said, is to make money. These companies don't care about how this hurts the games they create, nor even how it hurts the people who play them. I know that free-to-play games (like the aforementioned Fortnight) need to do something to make their game profitable, I understand that, but the purpose of these microtransactions is not sustain a game, it's to make money. To scrape the last penny out of its payers and tricking them into thinking that it was worth it through some sick phycological manipulation.

FUCK Microtransactions and especially FUCK Loot Boxes.

Love your take on Cosmetics, I fully agree. It's dumb and I understand if you get some for like achievements and everyone can get them through questing or something, but lootboxes are the worst in any shape or form.

[Heatman]

On 2/13/2021 at 1:32 PM, Patrik said:

I actually thought that these exist only in Battle Royale games lol, pure waste of money, spending lot of bucks to get useless items, one more reason to not watch some youtubers...

Seriously, it's for those that are willing to take such decisions and spend money on such because it's definitely not me.