The drama with microtransactions has really reached its zenith this week. All the biggest publishers have been posting their quarterly financial earnings and the resounding answer has been that microtransactions make a crap-ton of money. To that end, both EA and Take-Two have said they want to incorporate some form of recurrent spending in all their future games.
Conversely, the reaction from gamers has been one of both anger and resignation. The overwhelming response is that players don’t want them. And yet, publishers are earning record amounts from in-game purchases. Billions of dollars every year. For all the complaining, people are out there buying them in droves. We’re quick to pinpoint these so-called whales, but considering folks are still buying these microtransaction-driven games in their millions, I suspect more people than we think are dropping the occasional buck on a loot crate.
So I’d like to host a bit of an AA meeting, but for microtransactions. A little place where we can come forward and confess our sins, possibly with the aim of understanding just how much, and why, we’re spending on microtransactions. To be clear, this isn’t DLC, but rather in-game currencies and randomised loot crates.
I’ll kick things off with my confession. I have bought a microtransaction. Just the once though. It was a Renown Booster for Rainbow Six Siege, doubling my Renown earning for the next 24 hours. I think it was about 79p (maybe 99p?) so nothing major, and it let me earn double Renown so I could unlock the new Operators that were arriving the next day. It seemed like a fair deal to me considering the amount of time I’ve put into the game, and I’d probably do it again if I was ever desperately short of Renown. Aside from this though, to the best of my knowledge, I haven’t purchased anything else. My mates have certainly been prone to buying weapon skins and such, but I haven’t buckled with that just yet.
Over to you then. Have you ever bought microtransactions in games? What are you spending it on? Get it off your chest below!
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PC Specs
Next Microtransaction : PAY 40$ to UPGRADE YOUR GRAPHICS. xD
PC Specs
Nope, never and I never plan to.
PC Specs
If I get a game on sale I sometimes make up the difference with micros. Would never if I had paid full price though.
PC Specs
I spent 60€ on league of legends in 5 years of playing and not spending a penny more on league (only if they make things like 90% off or smth).
I also bought Smite starter pack for like 5€ but I played it for around 200 hours so #worth.
PC Specs
But both games in your case are F2P...so makes sense to buy it ... what doesnt make any sense is to add it to AAA games
PC Specs
Never and I will keep it that way.
PC Specs
Once, I regret it til this day...
PC Specs
I can't believe that so many people buy that crap, you pay for the game once if you still spend money in loot boxes they will still make games like this more and more, in the end you will get a game that is half complete and you'll pay 60$
PC Specs
Even the people justifying their purchase by buying "cosmetics only" are adding to the problem. Now we get micro transactions in story mode as well.
This is only gonna get worse.
PC Specs
I agree with both... while there are people that buy loot box.. even once (se the graphic), they will keep releasing games with microtransactions...
PC Specs
Honestly, I've never even been tempted. If a game has them, it just puts me off the game.
Now games are starting to implement micro transactions into story mode as well, that's the biggest no no possible..
PC Specs
honestly yes, but only if the game has continuous free support.
e.g. rainbow six siege, rocket league..
these games offer new cosmetics very often,and they are basically free (can be purchased/unlocked by just playing the game) so i like to support the devs financially for their effort keeping the game alive
PC Specs
Only when I was young and stupid.
PC Specs
Question in the next article ; Were you lying? lol
PC Specs
lol we need to get a lie detector up in this joint.
PC Specs
Only if its something i want.
PC Specs
So that is a firm yes then?
PC Specs
First time I bought a microtransaction was when I spent 2 dollars on the ODST armor set in Halo 4. This was a while after launch and it was fairly priced. Other than that, Warframe is the game that gets my cash. I spend 5 bucks on small items. It's a lot of money per item but the item is usually really good and it's made by community members.
PC Specs
if i get money from drops like skins from csgo then i do sell and rebuy skins but not really with my own money
PC Specs
Never forever
PC Specs
I will drop money occasionally on micro-transactions for cosmetic stuff. Recently I dropped $10 on Destiny 2 for some legendary shaders. It was worth it IMO. But to my knowledge I've never bought anything that actually effected gameplay in any way other than cosmetics, and I honestly don't remember the last time I bought something in a game (other than the recent Destiny 2 example), though I'm sure I have at SOME point. But it's been a while. Sooo... occasionally.
PC Specs
Microtransactions are luring. But Thanks God I haven't lost my brain yet.
PC Specs
On other hand 'Free Games' can deserve little bit microtransactions.
PC Specs
I know this sounds crazy, but I would rather donate to a developer, than utilize their in game microtransaction feature.
PC Specs
I can't afford to buy games let alone their microtransactions
PC Specs
Admittedly , yes. In games like Overwatch and Warframe. Not going to buy from Battlefront 2 , CoD WW2 and Shadow of War. Some games take this way out of hand and need to be discourage of abusing this kind of practices.