Photo Source: ThisGenGaming
As a gamer myself, I think I can speak for a good portion of the gaming community when I say, the climate of gaming has definitely changed over the years.
When I first started playing games, game makers would simply make a game that consumers enjoyed and slap a price tag on it. There were no loot crates, DLC, or Pre-Order Specials at the time. You got exactly what you paid for.
Clearly, things were different back then. As online multiplayer began getting more and more popular, game devs started changing their approach on video games. At first, it wasn’t so bad. You could either get a Steam Account or buy a PlayStation 3 and play online for free. If you were an Xbox fanboy like I was, you would pay for Xbox Live, and that would be it. But now? You can rarely find a game that isn’t riddled with microtransactions, egging you to buy content that should have been in the game from the start.
“But Emmitt, Do you really think microtransactions are really ruining gameplay?” Yes, yes, they are.
If you have ever played GTA Online without spending any real-world currency on the game, you know how much of a direct disadvantage you are put at when faced against other players. But in all fairness, I wouldn’t consider that a “direct” disadvantage. A better example of this would be an NBA title, where a player can purchase in-game currency to boost their player’s abilities in online play.
Sounds unfair to me.
Honestly, it’s the whole reason I don’t play NBA online. It’s agitating to grind your player to the top when everyone else can throw $100+ dollars at their TV to buy their way to the pinnacle of player perfection. But NBA isn’t the only game to blame. Almost every game includes some form of microtransactions GTA Online, Rainbow Six Siege, Star Wars Battlefront, FIFA, CS:GO, the list goes on and on. But if there is anything that hits a nerve harder than microtransactions, it has to be DLC.
Man, do I loathe, DLC.
Honestly, I feel like it is a straight up scam. I can understand if a company wants to create DLC for a three-year-old game to keep it alive. But that’s not even the case. COMPANIES SHOULD NOT PLAN TO MAKE DLC BEFORE RELEASING THE GAME ITSELF.
You wouldn’t go to the store to buy a loaf of bread to have the baker give you half a loaf and make you pay for the whole thing, right? That’s probably not the best analogy, but it works. When you buy a game, you are expecting to experience all the game has to offer. You are not expecting to be given 50% of your game and then told to buy the rest for another $64.99. It’s a complete rip-off. Which brings me back to my main point. The climate of the gaming industry has changed over the years and it isn’t pleasant. It feels like game developers are more focused on making as much money as possible while doing the bare minimum. The worst part of it all is that it feels like gamers are losing this battle with no chance of real change.
As depressing as that may be, its true. There doesn’t seem to be any way to prevent companies from turning their games into cash cows. Well sure, you could stop buying their products, but who’s going to do that?
Really, I’m just hoping for a brighter future for gaming. A future with less marketing schemes.
What are you thoughts on DLC?
Well, unless international laws are made to forbid some of the most “milk the cow” schemes, companies may get away with anything they want.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 for example, received a huge backlash from its player base at first. People were really adamant about not buying the game because of the Heroes charade. Now I don’t know how that is, but it also shows that the players have the ultimate decision when it comes to these new methods.
As for DLC itself, I actually support it if it is good content, much like an expansion should work and not extra vanity stuff, units, maps, guns, etc. There are several branches where DLC may be well applied, while on other branches, it isn’t.
Personally, I only think it is going to get worse as technology is evolving and game genres are being reinvented.
Although I understand that developers need to change their business models to adapt to the way we now game, DLC and the like is something I choose not to partake in. I’d rather pay more for an entire release upfront than having to part with additional amounts to open doors later.
I’m not saying that all DLC is bad but it’s definitely not good either. And if gamers keep spending their money on it, the developers will keep making it…