Microtransactions

Bullshit. This whole idea is bullocks, but I knew it'd happen. Eventually we'll get to the stage where your whole gaming experiance will be massivly detracted from if you don't have your console connected to the internet, which, I may add, I'd seriously consider not doing.

Patches should be free...trust microsoft to do this...always giving it freely at first and then starting to charge.
I don't like expansions either, you must get it in order to finish the story and play your firends online

I'm getting pissed off at microsoft, they ****ed up the PC market, they better not fook around with my consoles too!

msenyszak wrote:
Mason: What kid is going to have a credit card to buy them? I wouldn't buy new clothes, but some people would- its their choice.

I've done textures before- it takes hours to do. Not including the additional moddelling etc to get a new set of clothes for a character.

Okay, good point about the credit card, but what if the items purchased get added to a tab of sorts on your online tag, and you're mailed a bill which you didn't expect because you thought you were getting the items for free, because it wasn't made clear that you'd be paying? Because that's what I could see happening with some companies.

I suppose the whole thing is fair enough if they're not actively going out of their way to miss stuff out to be sold later, or selling important things later on, or actively encouraging people to get online and buy the stuff to complete their gaming experience.

EDIT: Oh, and to the person who said it was just because this is Microsoft that people don't like it - horseshit. I'd be just as annoyed at Nintendo if they were to do this kind of thing.

[ Edited by Mason on 2005/4/5 14:13 ]

I'm not a fan. I don't like the general idea of paying for small amounts of additional content, unless of course it's in a pack. Even then I don't really like it unless it's a large addition.

It may end up being like Neverwinter Nights. Where if you don't buy the expansions you either can't play with other people, or you're at a large disadvantage.

Well, it isn't like Micro$oft ever sold a shabby product and then made you pay for increased quality later on, rite guyz?

Patches should be free

Patches sort bugs- thats why they are free. Patches are also manditory on xbox live, as everyone has to be running the same version of the game.

They will never be charged for.

Buying things that can enhance your playing such as more powerful weapons etc should not be allowed- but maybe the new weapons/armies etc are just cosmetic changes? Play as the russian army, or a spraypainted AK?

Okay, good point about the credit card, but what if the items purchased get added to a tab of sorts on your online tag, and you're mailed a bill which you didn't expect because you thought you were getting the items for free, because it wasn't made clear that you'd be paying?

Now that would be a problem. I don't see it happening though- it would be the gaming equivelent of a kid getting a contract phone. The parents fault if they let them.

[ Edited by msenyszak on 2005/4/5 14:17 ]

but maybe the new weapons/armies etc are just cosmetic changes? Play as the russian army, or a spraypainted AK?

In that case it would be better to provide customisation tools and let the players share, rather than paying for things...

Yes- but what about all that lovely money they could be making?

*sigh*

Money does not a good product make, compare IE to firefox, if everything is for profit, the corruption becomes a massive risk.

Now that would be a problem. I don't see it happening though- it would be the gaming equivelent of a kid getting a contract phone. The parents fault if they let them.

But would it?

Gaming is seen by parents like Movies. You buy it full stop. You don't have to pay for the hidden scenes after you've bought it, likewise for the interviews or making of.

So parents think they buy the game and that's it because that of course it how it should be, and with this system there is potential for children running up bills.

No- what I'm talking about is that if parents are stupid enough to let their kid use a credit card, which is the only way that microsoft can feasably charge for these downloads, and if that kid doesn't understand money and runs up a bill for downloaded content, then its the parents fault, not Microsofts.

The same as if a parent gets a contract phone for a kid (which you have to be 18 for) its the parents fault if the kid runs up a big bill.

IE to Firefox... o/\o

Ah right got you now, though the kid could easily not know about Microtransactions, ask for their CC number again for Live on the X2 and then find the downloadable content and run up a huge bill.

And knowing money greedy MS then they'll very be discreet and subtle about the whole service

Extract from credit card bill

'Mandatory, tax-refundable, special, ultr-rare xbox thingo that will make your kid happy and love you : $265

Ah right got you now, though the kid could easily not know about Microtransactions, ask for their CC number again for Live on the X2 and then find the downloadable content and run up a huge bill.

The parent should look into why they need the credit card, etc, etc first.

I do whenever I lend anyone my card.

My parents would never let me anywhere near their cards, I'm just so fooking unreliable with money. Yesterday, out of the blue, I spent 200 bucks of anime DVDs. I'm starting to get obsessed with the stuff. I think I'm turning into redking.

The parent should look into why they need the credit card, etc, etc first.

True, however if a parent had payed for years of Live for the XBOX they would start trusting the service and naturally would think it was exactly the same.

nin10do wrote:
Not true sharpy.

Developers can make a good game, let's take the original Doom as an example. So there you go you've bought Doom a good game and reviewed well, you complete it then you find out about this thing called a

I would probably just never get the gun and never see the delights of it

To me, that is what could be a problem. If some company was to charge for some extra content, then the people who own the game will more than likely want the extras.

Then, if they didn't get it:

Obviosuly if I played a mtaes version of the game who had bought it then I'd be pissed

They play it somewhere else and get it anyway.

Seems quite negative, however expansion packs does make sense. Instead of having to go to shops to shell out on an expansion that is as much as the original game, you could download it cheaper. It would include lots of extras and not just something like 1 map. That would be the best solution. It would have to be promoted well though, because of the incapability between versions.

and never see the delights of it

Unless of course you saw someone using it in a live battle, which I would assume these microtransations wouldn't effect. If microtransactions stopped you from playing with people who didn't have the same patches as you did it would be stupidity to the highest degree.

I can't see that happening though, would just ruin the online experience, and loose users likely.

With PGR2 the DLC was charged at

Either the buying of upgrades is madatory (or free), or yuo create a barrier between online players, the opposite of what it is mean to provide (community).