Is the tide of rage against IAPs and microtransactions hitting critical mass?

[Bateluer]

Please note some of the videos have a lot of profanity.

Nerd Cubed talks about Dungeon Keeper Mobile
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpdoBwezFVA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Fuck this "game".

Game link: Hahahaha, Fuck off.

Dungeon Keeper 1: http://www.gog.com/game/dungeon_keeper
Dungeon Keeper 2: http://www.gog.com/game/dungeon_keeper_2

Francis rages against Dungeon Keeper Mobile
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtD-P6Baf8E


Angry Joe reviews Star Trek Trexels
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_AgjWkNGew


Force talks about Elder Scrolls Online
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G4CFCU0fWM&feature=share&list=UUGhs9S33RAeT5DEuKTO4Oew&index=2

ShoddyCast talks about Elder Scrolls Online
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lRi-aku1nw&feature=c4-overview&list=UU7mFkx1Um4KJZKkUHsSV1uA

How In-app Purchases Have Destroyed The Industry - Thomas Baekdal
http://www.baekdal.com/opinion/how-inapp-purchases-has-destroyed-the-industry/



This is one aspect of modern gaming that needs to die off, quickly.


Edit - Total Biscuit uploaded his own Dungeon Keeper video shortly after I posted this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DJmS7prcmE

This is why we can't have nice things is an irregular retrospective series talking about the sad end of games or franchises, usually due to lack of commercial success. Sometimes though, things are a little more sinister, as we will see today in the history of Dungeon Keeper and the disgusting "revival" on mobile devices.

 

[darkewaffle]

Only with the fury-prone pretentious hypernerds. It doesn't bother me and almost every implementation of a cash shop in a "real game" has been pretty reasonable in my experience except for the F2P games milled out by the likes of Nexon or Aeria or facebook fluff by Zynga-type companies.

 

[Red Storm]

If I find I don't like the way a certain game handles in-app purchases I simply don't play that game. I believe most people employ a similar strategy.

 

[Bateluer]

pretentious hypernerds.

Since when is someone who raises an eyebrow at spending 99 dollars to skip a 24hr real time counter a hypernerd? How dare someone have a milligram of sense in their head.

 

[darkewaffle]

Since when is someone who raises an eyebrow at spending 99 dollars to skip a 24hr real time counter a hypernerd? How dare someone have a milligram of sense in their head.

Why care what someone else wants to do with their money when it has no impact on your own personal experience?

 

[Red Storm]

Why care what someone else wants to do with their money when it has no impact on your own personal experience?

In most cases I would agree with you, but crap like this that EA is trying to pull needs to be met with harsh criticism.

 

[Bateluer]

Why care what someone else wants to do with their money when it has no impact on your own personal experience?

Thats what you're missing. Its not isolated and it is impacting everyone's experiences, across multiple genres and platforms. Its a cancer.

 

[smackababy]

The tide of rage? You mean the tide of hypernerd's crying because they'd rather spend their money on Warhammer figurines than in app purchases? Sure, I guess.

Or, do you mean the tide of people happy to spend their money on it? Because, that sure is surging forward at an astonishing pace.

Honestly, microtransactions effect me zero. I don't buy them. Simple as that. There are plenty of games that don't offer them, go play those.

 

[Bateluer]

The tide of rage? You mean the tide of hypernerd's crying because they'd rather spend their money on Warhammer figurines than in app purchases? Sure, I guess.

Again with the 'hypernerd' term. People with a modicum of common sense in their heads are not hypernerds. We just want to play a game and enjoy it, without having to spend hard cash to bypass arbitrary timers and paywalls. Please stop using it, you undermine your own position and look like a pretentious fuckwit while using it.

Or, do you mean the tide of people happy to spend their money on it? Because, that sure is surging forward at an astonishing pace.

They play for a month. Once they realize the game is just a series a paywalls, they move on to the next game. Its like an Excel spread sheet where you have to pay 2 dollars to scroll every 20 rows. Now, you have companies, like King, trademarking words like 'Candy' and 'Saga', then filing lawsuits against completely unrelated genres for use of the word, ie Banner Saga.

How many games do you look back fondly on that you've played in the past? Can you honestly say a decade from now that you'll like back on the time you spend 99 dollars for 14,000 gems in Candy Crush the same way you'll remember real classics?

The bottom is going to fall out of these games as their model cannot continue. As consumers tire of spending money simply to reset a count down.

Honestly, microtransactions effect me zero. I don't buy them. Simple as that. There are plenty of games that don't offer them, go play those.

And again, you're missing it. These tactics have spread against genres and platforms, where pretty much every game across every platform now has a cash shop or a slew of DLC. You're the type of person that allows this to spread by pretending it doesn't exact and that its not a problem.

 

[smackababy]

Again with the 'hypernerd' term. People with a modicum of common sense in their heads are not hypernerds. We just want to play a game and enjoy it, without having to spend hard cash to bypass arbitrary timers and paywalls. Please stop using it, you undermine your own position and look like a pretentious fuckwit while using it.

Sounds like you're upset some of us are implying you're a hypernerd. Let me clue you in on something: if you watch youtube channels dedicated to whining about gaming, you're a hypernerd. Deal with it.

They play for a month. Once they realize the game is just a series a paywalls, they move on to the next game. Its like an Excel spread sheet where you have to pay 2 dollars to scroll every 20 rows. Now, you have companies, like King, trademarking words like 'Candy' and 'Saga', then filing lawsuits against completely unrelated genres for use of the word, ie Banner Saga.

How many games do you look back fondly on that you've played in the past? Can you honestly say a decade from now that you'll like back on the time you spend 99 dollars for 14,000 gems in Candy Crush the same way you'll remember real classics?

The bottom is going to fall out of these games as their model cannot continue. As consumers tire of spending money simply to reset a count down.

Wait? So, you're saying that the majority of games that use microtransactions aren't going to "stand up to the test of time" like the "classics"? So, the very few games that are considered amazing from 10+ years ago, which were already separated from the overwhelming majority of garbage released, are on a higher level than a Facebook game? No way!

And again, you're missing it. These tactics have spread against genres and platforms, where pretty much every game across every platform now has a cash shop or a slew of DLC. You're the type of person that allows this to spread by pretending it doesn't exact and that its not a problem.

Once again, I'm not missing anything. You are whining about microtransactions. I hate to break it to you, but I'm doing just as much to stop them from spreading as you. The people who don't mind paying aren't going to suddenly change their mind because some pretension hypernerd is trying to tell them what to do with their money. If you don't like them, don't buy them.

Now, let's be honest: how many hats do you own in TF2?

 

[NTMBK]

Cosmetic microtransactions are a bit annoying, but fine. "TF2 hats" fall into that category.

The problem is when developers intentionally ruin the rhythm and difficulty curve of their game, trying to maximise annoyance to gamers who don't make IAPs and forcing them to fork over even more cash to progress satisfactorily. Things like insanely slow levelling up, weapon upgrade systems that require incredibly rare items- making your game horribly grindy and unpleasant to play, unless you splash the cash. In a "AAA" game that you have already paid a not insignificant sum of money to pay that sort of crap is just insulting.

 

[KidNiki1]

Can you honestly say a decade from now that you'll like back on the time you spend 99 dollars for 14,000 gems in Candy Crush the same way you'll remember real classics?

no , i wont do that. but thats because i dont pay real money to shitty games like Candy Crush.


you were raging about this in the ESO thread you made too. look, i get it, you think it sucks. but the problem is that most people who have the money to spend on it don't. they dont care. they will buy what they want to play a game however they want to play it.

also, completly ironic that the shoddycast guy, who whined for like, 40 minutes about ESO, IS STILL GOING TO BUY THE GAME!!! so yeah, what kind of message does that send?

the only thing i can do is not support certain games that i feel are pay 2 play, etc. so i dont. that's the bottom line. i dont give them my money. so no, im sorry, but nothing is hitting critical mass because the MASSES of players that play these types of games you hate so much DONT GIVE A CRAP.


also, really, i dont give two shits what other people do with their money in a game. i really really dont. if they want to pay to win, or pay to play or do microtransactions, then i dont care.

 

[ImpulsE69]

One thing the gullible crowd never gets (and you can forget trying to make them understand) is that the little annoying things that you ignore as "doesn't affect you" turn into great big pains in the ass later.

No one seems to remember the Nazis apparently.



*patiently waits for the "software is nothing like Nazis" argument*

 

[sactoking]

Since when is someone who raises an eyebrow at spending 99 dollars to skip a 24hr real time counter a hypernerd? How dare someone have a milligram of sense in their head.

It's funny that "gamers" love EVE which uses real-time counters for training, forcing you to dump money into monthly subscriptions to get "up to speed" but hate other games for using real-time counters for objectives, forcing you to dump money into microtransactions to speed things up.

And again, you're missing it. These tactics have spread against genres and platforms, where pretty much every game across every platform now has a cash shop or a slew of DLC. You're the type of person that allows this to spread by pretending it doesn't exact and that its not a problem.

No. Microtransactions exist because people use them. So long as customers continue to use them they will continue to prevail. Someone that pretends they don't exist is obviously not using them, thus is not allowing them to spread. Taking the stance that militantly opposing them is the only way is wrong because it ignores the fact that such strident opposition allows companies to marginalize your discontent by labeling you a "fringe whackadoo". The best real option to stopping microstransactions, the only one that companies will actually care about, is to not buy anything with them.

 

[SMOGZINN]

Honestly, microtransactions effect me zero. I don't buy them. Simple as that. There are plenty of games that don't offer them, go play those.

People said that same thing about horse armor DLC. It effected them not at all, because they didn't buy it. But it made the company money, so other companies tried it. They made even more money so more companies jumped in. Eventually we got to the point that almost every games has DLC, often shipped on disk with the original game, for content that just a few years ago would have been part of the games.

This affects all of us and we need to speak out against it so other hear our arguments and think about their choices.

 

[Genx87]

Microtransactions, paying for experience conversion ect ect are functions of the market. Players that have more money than time are willing to part with that money to move the pace along. Back in the day of the "classics" people paid other players to do the same thing by powerleveling or grinding for them. The game devs realized they could monetize this for themselves.

I get the sense the people who complain about this stuff today whined about powerleveling and paid grinders back in the good ole days.

 

[futurefields]

I don't know whats worse microtransactions or the sheep who defend them.

 

[smackababy]

People said that same thing about horse armor DLC. It effected them not at all, because they didn't buy it. But it made the company money, so other companies tried it. They made even more money so more companies jumped in. Eventually we got to the point that almost every games has DLC, often shipped on disk with the original game, for content that just a few years ago would have been part of the games.

This affects all of us and we need to speak out against it so other hear our arguments and think about their choices.

So, in order to counter the Horse Armor DLC epidemic, I should do what exactly? Not buy it? Waste my time making youtube videos and threads crying about it? Should I go on a crusade and kill everyone who participates?

For as much as the lot of you love to scream "vote with your wallet", when someone does just that, you sure get your panties up in a twist. And here's some breaking news: all those people who bought the Horse Armor DLC are voting with their wallet as well. Their votes just happen to be in great numbers.

 

[futurefields]

So, in order to counter the Horse Armor DLC epidemic, I should do what exactly? Not buy it? Waste my time making youtube videos and threads crying about it? Should I go on a crusade and kill everyone who participates?

For as much as the lot of you love to scream "vote with your wallet", when someone does just that, you sure get your panties up in a twist. And here's some breaking news: all those people who bought the Horse Armor DLC are voting with their wallet as well. Their votes just happen to be in great numbers.

Your tone is absurd. "Panties in a twist." You should take a break from posting to cool down. People have a right to complain about this nickel and dime tactic and are right on in doing so.

 

[smackababy]

Your tone is absurd. "Panties in a twist." You should take a break from posting to cool down. People have a right to complain about this nickel and dime tactic and are right on in doing so.

And those same people have a right to whine about those of us that don't participate in the payments of said nickle and dimes just as much as I have a right to call them a bunch of hypernerd crybabies.

Not buying DLC and microtransactions is the only thing you can do to combat this "issue". And, until it becomes cost prohibitive to release it, companies will continue to do it.

Maybe all you guys should write you congressman! Maybe Obama will enact a new law: all additional content to video games must be approved by Futurefields, designated leader of the DLC police.

 

[Nintendesert]

Honestly, microtransactions effect me zero. I don't buy them. Simple as that. There are plenty of games that don't offer them, go play those.

Yes they do affect you, when a game like Forza makes unlocking cars extremely time consuming compared to previous version of the game so they can sell time-dilation microtransactions when you get frustrated with needing 550000 races to get the next car it affects you.

It's changing the way progression in games happens. It's extending it out in order to simply compel people to buy the next unlock. Even a hypertool should be able to see that.

 

[smackababy]

Yes they do affect you, when a game like Forza makes unlocking cars extremely time consuming compared to previous version of the game so they can sell time-dilation microtransactions when you get frustrated with needing 550000 races to get the next car it affects you.

It's changing the way progression in games happens. It's extending it out in order to simply compel people to buy the next unlock. Even a hypertool should be able to see that.

That's funny, because Forza 1, without microtransactions, still required actually playing the game to get the next car. And so did GT. Have you played Forza 5? Because I have. The microtransactions are neither forced nor required. But, I know you read some faux journalist who blogged about it while never had played the game, so you understand the issue.

 

[futurefields]

And those same people have a right to whine about those of us that don't participate in the payments of said nickle and dimes just as much as I have a right to call them a bunch of hypernerd crybabies.

Not buying DLC and microtransactions is the only thing you can do to combat this "issue". And, until it becomes cost prohibitive to release it, companies will continue to do it.

Maybe all you guys should write you congressman! Maybe Obama will enact a new law: all additional content to video games must be approved by Futurefields, designated leader of the DLC police.

Lol @ the guy who posts over 10,000 times on a computer forum trying to call anybody a nerd. That's my pot meet kettle moment for the day.

 

[NTMBK]

That's funny, because Forza 1, without microtransactions, still required actually playing the game to get the next car. And so did GT. Have you played Forza 5? Because I have. The microtransactions are neither forced nor required. But, I know you read some faux journalist who blogged about it while never had played the game, so you understand the issue.

Yes, but the unlock of the next car was carefully timed to be a fun challenge, with the slow drip of satisfaction and reward keeping you playing. But that model has entirely changed in a modern microtransaction fuelled game. The new strategy is to slow the rate of progress to an irritating crawl, annoying the gamer enough to get them to fork out cash to progress.

 

[futurefields]

Technically wouldn't the "hypernerds" be those willing to defend and pay for all this garbage? Heh...