I don't own Destiny, nor have I even so much as played it, but this applies to any AAA game:
In my humblest opinion, microtransactions in full-priced AAA games just flat-out suck wherever they surface. Be it this, Dead Space 3, MSGV or any number of other games, be it a purchase of space bucks, a silly new animation or an outrageous costume, it's never ever justifiable and always smacks of pure money grubbing.
Remember the days when games used to have cheats for those people that wanted access to everything a game had to offer? Nowadays these devs / publishers are simply whacking a price tag on that ability, pure and simple. If you're old enough, think back to the days of the konami code (which was so ubiquitous that it has it's own wikipedia entry for God's sake!) and think of MGSV's 'insurance' microtransations and weep. Also, try to feel a strong sense of righteous indignation about it too.
It's the online-only games that are particularly egregious with it, though. In Destiny's case, Bungie (and by extension, it's more rabid fanbase) can say 'it doesn't affect the game play in any way' until they're blue in the face, but it will never change how fundamentally flawed that premise is. The game is designed around having a player base that want to get the best stuff they can: Work -> Reward. An exclusive cash shop just undermines the entire thing.
I can only call it loot lust exploitation and it kinda sickens me not only that it exists, but that folks think it's in some way defensible.
This weeks Jimquisition feels particularly pertinent:
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Speaking from recent experiences, MK really got me with the "easy fatalities" micros. Not to mention the store page for goro showing up on the main menu the first time I booted the game.
I'm sooo sick of getting nickle and dimed. Feels like every 5 mins, a game I paid full price for, is hitting me up for more money. I just want to buy a fucking game and play it, no ads, no day one DLC, no microtransactions. There's never any breathing room with these games. It's always day one "go go go, buy all this shit".
@sweep: @xeirus: You could see the upside too. Kotaku is reporting this F2P stuff will finance content releases in between yearly expansions/full games. This will eliminate the requirement to buy DLCs in between releases because it will be free for anyone who owns the most up to date version of the game. So now you will get content for free instead of paying 40 bucks in between 60$ releases. A great idea if the content is there.
Haha yeah but there's no evidence of this happening at all. If Bungie thinks it's OK to say "Buy some emotes now and we'll throw something together that you'll like for free later on" then that's not free, you're just pre-ordering unknown DLC and using emotes as currency. Which is stupid.
Right now I just paid a load of money for what I consider redundant content, ie the first two expansions. It was worth it because I like Destiny and I think the Taken King is great, but I also think it's unreasonable for them to then ask for even more money for something as superfluous as emotes when they've just overcharged me for DLC.
I don't think you can call buying emotes pre-orders. I'm not going to buy any of them and I'm over here going to get free DLC.
Again that DLC could be pointless but I'm getting something they probably wouldn't have added to the game before for free because other people want the emotes.
You're a monster!
It sounds more like you're "augmenting your pre-order DLC" off of someone else. If someone has to buy something to get something else, that is NOT free. It's like the "free" breakfast at a hotel. It might seem free, but you definitely paid for it.
$20 says their "free" DLC is a joke, much like the first two expansions. Gotta love those reusable assets and environments.
did destiny kick your dog or something
like they've been addressing concerns for months now and are now forgoing paid expansion content from last year to most likely release it for free
i don't get it? it just seems like whatever they do to salvage the situation people are gonna stay angry about a video game they had zero interest in ever playing but jump on hating it because they want to fit in or something.
like the mental gymnastics you're doing to call someone who buys destiny evil and the people who make it evil is is gorilla shit fucking absurd i hope you understand this
Worse than kicking my dog, it wasted my money. Maybe you have money to piss away on a garbage game, I don't. Not sure what you mean "zero interest in playing", I bought it...
I wouldn't call charging for 3 DLCs, only 1 of which is even decent, salvaging anything. If 2 of their 3 DLCs were shit, then why would you think free ones would be better? Over $100+ to have even a half decent game isn't acceptable to me, sorry. I expect more from Bungie. Maybe you're fine settling for garbage business practices, I'm not.
I also never called anyone who bought it evil, what the hell are you on about? Try to follow the conversation.
Does Rorie contribute anything to UPF apart from being a condescending douchebag? "Gee I'm glad this isn't on Android", "Proud to say its not available"
I notice you have 5 posts yet 4 have been deleted. What a shock.
@humanity: Isn't that business practice more accepted than ever before? Many of those dying MMOs have reinvented themselves with the heavy microtransaction model and have come back and done really well if not better.
Destiny isn't an MMO for one.
I'm so not interested in genre arguments.
It isn't an argument, it isn't an MMO.
Guild Wars was never an MMO, neither was Phantasy Star Online, they're just online games with a 3D hub instead of a server browser.
See previous comment.
Well don't call it an MMO in the first place and admit you were wrong... simples.
Can't see this going anywhere productive, so let's walk away please gents.
Regardless of genre, a F2P model supported by micro-transactions is entirely reasonable. It works for Valve, no reason it can't work for Bungie. The problem here is that Destiny is the opposite of F2P - they are, if anything, overcharging for redundant content. In that context, asking for even more money for emotes is taking the piss.
Yuuup. It's like watching a very expensive train wreck.
This would be less objectionable if I hadn't paid about $140 for what is finally a full game after a year of half baked expansions. I guess that's on me though.
I'm not gonna pay money for emotes so this doesn't affect me but it's just a bad image to be one of the most expensive non-free to play games on the market and then to nickel and dime people with cosmetic stuff that should be just included.
This irks me way more than it should and I don't know why! Maybe it's because vanilla Destiny wasn't worth the $60 price tag and neither of the 2 expansions were worth their $20 price tags and only now does Destiny feel like a somewhat complete game and the first thing they talk about adding is free-to-play microtransactions for worthless emotes. I don't know maybe they'll be cool but I can't help but doubt every decision Bungie makes with this game.
Fucking word.
I'm completely blown away that people care about this game still.
did they move the studio? looks smaller with more lights.
We tried a wider-angle lens on the wide shot so we could move the TVs closer (moving them closer without changing the cameras causes the TVs to show up in the shots). Not sure we're going to keep it, but you gotta try stuff!
I like it.
I always thought some of the games suffered because the guys couldn't see the fine details on the TVs so this makes sense.
Thank you for this productive contribution to the ongoing discussion about this divisive game!
Sorry man. I'll try again, like an adult.
I love you to death, but you give this game way too much slack. I bought Destiny, I played it, it's not a great game overall.
This coupled with the shit show that is the way this game was handled is just a slap in the face to anyone who bought it.
I don't understand how you can recommend this game. I don't understand the endearment. They haven't earned it. They made a bad game and then charged you multiple times to make it better. It's gross IMO.
I'm glad you enjoy it. I just don't agree on any level.
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