Views on Season Passes and Micro-transactions?

Season passes can be ok when done right, even if these are few and far between.

Microtransactions affect the game's design whether you choose to participate in them or not, so they can go bugger themselves with a rusty tire iron.

As long as micro-transactions don't mess with the balance of multiplayer games then I really don't care. I mean consumers have the right to buy whatever content they want. If you don't like a particular season pass or season passes in general then don't buy them. If however you see content in them that interests you then go ahead and spend some money. The only season passes I've bought thus far have been for Forza 4 and L.A. Noire and I was very pleased with both.

I think I may have bought a season pass once, but I can't think of what game it would've been for. Generally though, no thanks. My experience with DLC is nowhere good enough to trust any company with producing a row of good DLC packs, and even if they did I'm not too worried about not getting "best deal".

As for micro-transactions, I've been tempted a few times, but every time I end up remembering how shitty the whole thing is and stop playing the game instead. If you wonder why people freak out about them it's because it affects game design. Sure, the cosmetic ones might not be too bad, but stuff like xp/coin boosters or any form of ticket/key system almost always changes how the game is balanced.

The problem with microtransactions is that if I can earn something instead I'll always do that. If your game isn't fun enough to want to earn things then I'm not going to spend money to earn it. I don't mind with cosmetic things like Dota 2 because I don't really care about it, but games like War Thunder or Tribes: Ascend are fun enough for me to play and not have to pay to unlock things.

As for season passes, I don't really play that many new games, I wait for sales, and they usually pile DLC in with it as a package so I've never felt the need to get one.

I don't like em'.

I've known some friends that bought a season pass for a few games. I myself have never purchased one. But I don't mind them. If the price and content seems worth it, I would go for it. Maybe, one day.

Season passes are mostly fine, sure the content can be underwhelming sometimes (saints row the third, i'm looking at you) but you're still getting a deal.

Microtransactions should be straight up illegal.

They are always terrible, feel like a rip off, and feel like the devs just cut content from the game that we used to get for free to sell to us so they can sell their games for an extra $10-$20 without actually raising the base price on the game. I only bit the built once on a seasons pass and that was Saints Row IV. It was so terrible.

Season passes in theory are nifty ideas, but they are never done right and always just rip off the customer.

Microtransactions are fine but research is needed to see if the game is "fair" without them. I think they can be handled well (DOTA 2, LoL, Planetside 2, TF2, other free MMO's and Shooters).

Season passes are a great idea if you can still get them after the DLC is release. There has been more then one occasion when the DLC was utter crap and it would have been a waste of 20 bucks. Paying for something before seeing it or seeing reviews is crazy to me. I guess I would lump it with Pre-ordering. Why give someone money before you know if what you are paying for is worth a shit.

Don't really care about season passes, they can be a nice deal if you're interested in buying all included DLC, though it's certainly unwise to purchase a season pass up-front most of the time, but hey, as a consumer choosing to purchase the pass you should be aware of the risk, a risk that noone is forcing you to take. The nice thing about them is that they're not some shady, limited deal or whatever, you can still buy a season pass once all of its included DLC has been released, and at that point if you want that DLC it's a great option!

Microtransactions can really suck, particularly when they effect the way that a game is designed, I'm looking at you Dead Space 3. Right now Dragon Age 3 is looking pretty cool...and yet I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop to see how EA have made Bioware incorporate microtransactions.

Microtransactions are the worst practice in games right now, they even topped the goddamn preorder bonuses and gun/armor/skin DLC.

Microtransactions are nothing more than the button your animal brain has to press to get instant gratification. They are taking advantage of people's impulses to make a quick buck, and gimping games in the process to do it.

It is not a matter that it can be done right, sure it can be done right. But 99% of the time it will NOT be done right. And if people keep giving them money more and more games will feature it to the point where you can't unlock anything in a game without actually paying money for it.