Microtransactions are an accepted practice in Free2Play games nowadays, but what about full-price titles? Is it okay to spend more money for a game that has already been paid for?
Overwatch by Blizzard is the latest example of a development that concerns many gamers. It is about microtransactions. But not in Free2Play games, rather in full-price titles. So games that already cost between 30 and 60 Euros and should ideally be complete.
Where is the problem?
This development is worrisome because the main argument for a Buy2Play game like Overwatch should actually be: “Buy me once and play me without restrictions!” Unlike a Free2Play game, which is naturally free at the outset, classic full-price games rely solely on the purchase price for their funding. “Pay once, play forever” is the motto.
However, if suddenly a cash shop is offering various goodies for just a few euros, this argument becomes absurd. Because apparently, I am not getting the complete game even for my purchase price! If I really want everything, I will probably have to pay again.
It’s just cosmetic stuff?
Well, especially with Overwatch, only the loot boxes are affected by microtransactions, and they only contain skins, emotes, lines, and spray logos , which are just harmless cosmetic items. Nevertheless, there is a bitter aftertaste, because even if I also receive loot boxes through level-ups, it could take me a very long time to get exactly the one skin or line of my choice. This makes reaching for the credit card increasingly tempting. At the same time, it often leads to frustration because the randomness of loot boxes means anything could be inside.
But well, you don’t really need the cosmetic items. The situation is different for games like Black Desert Online. This sandbox MMO is also a Buy2Play game, which you have to purchase before playing. And yet it has a huge cash shop with outrageously high prices. However, that alone is not the problem; rather, the elaborately designed costumes provide real bonuses in the game, and pets that act as auto-loot functions are also only available for real money. The unpleasant smell of Pay2Win is in the air…
Season Pass instead of microtransactions?
Another approach is taken by Battleborn. The hero shooter from Gearbox explicitly offers no microtransactions (so far), but rather a Season Pass that is supposed to provide plenty of new heroes, maps, and PvE missions in the coming months. The thing costs 20 euros once, which now – after the massive price reduction – almost matches the value of the original game.
So how do you see it? Are small transactions in full-price games okay as long as they don’t promise advantages in the game? Or is it simply outrageous to be asked to pay twice? Let us know in the comments!
