Current Events > Jim Sterling now whining about Sea of Thieves microtransactions

(+) Yeah! (+)

MC_BatCommander posted...

Romulox28 posted...

there's no benefit to the consumer other than a promise that if you pay $10 for a different colored hat, the devs will be able to continue supporting your game and not shut off the servers after a year or something.

"there's no benefit except continued support of the game"

as a consumer, how a company manages its product is not my problem, it's theirs, and frankly to put the future of a game hostage contingent on SOMEONE spending thousands upon thousands on little in-game trinkets is a pretty shitty business practice no matter how you slice it
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Romulox28 posted...

MC_BatCommander posted...

Romulox28 posted...

there's no benefit to the consumer other than a promise that if you pay $10 for a different colored hat, the devs will be able to continue supporting your game and not shut off the servers after a year or something.

"there's no benefit except continued support of the game"

as a consumer, how a company manages its product is not my problem, it's theirs, and frankly to put the future of a game hostage contingent on SOMEONE spending thousands upon thousands on little in-game trinkets is a pretty shitty business practice no matter how you slice it

Holding the game hostage? What? Games didn't used to get supported for years unless they were an MMO. Which had a monthly subscription.

This game is basically an MMO lite.
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Romulox28 posted...

MC_BatCommander posted...

Romulox28 posted...

there's no benefit to the consumer other than a promise that if you pay $10 for a different colored hat, the devs will be able to continue supporting your game and not shut off the servers after a year or something.

"there's no benefit except continued support of the game"

as a consumer, how a company manages its product is not my problem, it's theirs, and frankly to put the future of a game hostage contingent on SOMEONE spending thousands upon thousands on little in-game trinkets is a pretty shitty business practice no matter how you slice it

You act like games were commonly supported for years after release before this model was created.

Most games are released and then done. Maybe you'll get a DLC or a bug fix patch but after the first year it's safe to say the vast majority of game devs then cease support. Hell maybe after the first month in some cases.

If a dev offers continued support beyond the initial release by offering shit to buy in-game, what's so horrible about that? You do know releasing patches and adding content costs money right?

Say you're the guy in charge of a company developing a video game. Are you really going to make a decision to dedicate time and money to release free content updates to a game without some means of revenue?
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Darmik posted...

Rare has claimed that Sea of Thieves will only have cosmetic DLC that isn't tied to loot boxes.

...that sounds fine to me. If people want to pay, fine. They know what they're getting. Though I would hope there some customization available in the base game itself.

The Tales series. When they came out with the DLC costumes I admit the in game costume offerings seemed to suffer some. Like Berseria. It has the traditional swinsuits, but they're ugly and basically just trunks for guys, 1 piece for girls, black. Boring. Maybe not ideal but it gets them some extra money and way better than loot box crap.
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Smashingpmkns posted...

Lol @ people complaining about fucking cosmetics. Especially if they're made post release AND all updates are free. Just don't buy the cosmetics, simple as that. I understand complaining about nickel and diming for in game powerups or get gud quick cash, but this is significantly different.

That is more or less what cosmetic micro transactions are: nickel and diming the consumer. All of this shit used to be in the base game or as unlockables, and then companies realized they could squeeeze more juice out their oranges by morcelating their products. Microtransactions were a next logical step, but they are overtly anti consumer since we have execs going on record to their share holders saying extra DLC/microtx/loot boxes going away will not affect their bottom dollar if it came down to it.
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MrPeppers posted...

All of this shit used to be in the base game or as unlockables

this isn't true
a lot of dlc now (especially bonus cosmetics or multiplayer maps) is stuff that would never have been added to older games due to time constraints and lack of updatability
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prettyprincess posted...

MrPeppers posted...

All of this shit used to be in the base game or as unlockables

this isn't true
a lot of dlc now (especially bonus cosmetics or multiplayer maps) is stuff that would never have been added to older games due to time constraints and lack of updatability

Also there isn't any cosmetic DLC until 3 months after it launches. So all of this stuff is literally developed after launch.

I don't think anyone would claim Sea of Thieves feels like an incomplete game because you can't get a cat for your ship.
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prettyprincess posted...

MrPeppers posted...

All of this shit used to be in the base game or as unlockables

this isn't true
a lot of dlc now (especially bonus cosmetics or multiplayer maps) is stuff that would never have been added to older games due to time constraints and lack of updatability

I dont know if we can confidently say that about cosmetics since the ease with which things can be patched at a later date, plus the fiscal incentive to add it in later is so hugely confounding that theres not much of a real way to prove it one way or the other.
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MrPeppers posted...

I dont know if we can confidently say that about cosmetics since the ease with which things can be patched at a later date, plus the fiscal incentive to add it in later is so hugely confounding that theres not much of a real way to prove it one way or the other.

The cosmetics are being developed with the other stuff post launch.

They don't want to charge for the new quests, islands, higher gear/weapons/ships etc. because that would punish the players who stick with the base game and would fratcuree the userbase. So they're going to charge for certain cosmetics that have no gameplay benefit. I don't know a better monetization model they can use for this kind of game.
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even if you only view it from the point of technological advancement or the diffusion of video games as a form of entertainment, granting developers more time and resources, cosmetics are far more abundant both at launch and afterward than they ever were in older titles

unless I am just taking your claim of "used to be in the base game" way too far in the past
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Darmik posted...

That Sea of Thieves is selling cosmetic DLC ala carte as its microtransaction model? The entire basis for Jim Sterling's video?

Like your position here doesn't even match what he said in the video.

DLC =/= microtransactions

Get that through your thick fucking skull.

Monster Hunter World has DLC, not microtransactions, D L Fucking C and while it's total bullshit that it was day 1 because it was clearly sawed off the main game to get more money out of you, I however find it way less shitty than what MS obviously wants out of SoT with their microtransactions and will gladly still criticize Capcom for their shit business practices as well

Price literally doesn't mean shit here when you have the ability to drop hundreds if thousands into in game shops for virtual play money and it's still considered a "micro" transaction



Or are we going to conveniently have another name to reach for again?

Darmik posted...

So Capcom deserves the benefit of the doubt now?

No, however Capcom is being the lesser of two evils here.

I do not trust Capcom entirely however it seems at least some part of the people there have some care about the community, unlike the monolithic corporate minded monster that is MS who have made it ever clear they only want to milk us for all we're worth. They gleefully spearheaded the charge towards microtransactions in full priced games at the start on the gen as all of their exclusives launch games had them in there up front and center and if you somehow think Sea of Thieves won't go that route you're more naive than I already paint you as.

Darmik posted...

What's the BS currency in Sea of Thieves?

Hasn't been revelaed yet.

But I'm going to guess something obviously pirate themed like Dubloons or gold
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So in summary you're outraged over microtransactions that don't exist in Sea of Thieves.

Because in ZombiePelican world a microtransaction is buying in-game currency and nothing else. A $2 gesture DLC isn't a microtransaction.

So if Rare lives up to what they're saying there'd be no problem and it would be like Monster Hunter World and won't have microtransactions?
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Darmik posted...

So in summary you're outraged over microtransactions that don't exist in Sea of Thieves.

Is this bait?

Darmik posted...

Because in ZombiePelican world a microtransaction is buying in-game currency and nothing else. A $2 gesture DLC isn't a microtransaction.

You conventiely ignored how I made the point that price doesn't matter for it to be considered a microtransaction can drop literally a hundred bucks at once in certain games and that's still considered a "micro" transaction

Rare themselves confirmed it's microtransactions and not DLC.

Why do you do this, what do you get for endless desperate attempts at reaching to defend the shit business practices made purely for the sake of pleasing suits?

Darmik posted...

So if Rare lives up to what they're saying there'd be no problem and it would be like Monster Hunter World and won't have microtransactions?

Rare themselves said the game has microtransactions, what in the name of ever loving fuck are you going on about?

When you have to spout nonsensical BS that only you yourself believe and can make sense of you know you've lost.
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Microtransaction and in-game currency are not used interchangeably and they do not mean the same thing. And no I don't consider buying $60 worth of in-game currency a microtransaction.

Google microtransaction definition and paste all of the results here. This is looney even for you.

Here's the quote from Rare

"Our focus at launch [is] on a great game experience. When we deliver this first major update, that's when we'll turn on the ability for players to spend money optionally.

"We thought long and hard about what's right for our game experience, and the key thing we think is that it has to add to the fun, social nature of the game. So anything in this area will not impact power or progression, and you'll always know what you're getting - so that means no loot crates."

The first paid content for the game will come in the form of pets. "It'll either be on a shoulder, like a monkey, or like a cat on the ship", explains Neate. "But it'll kind of benefit everyone socially and emotionally. So if I've got a cat, I can pick up it up and look at it, or you can pick it up and run off with it. Obviously when you put it down it'll come back.

Beyond that, Rare's looking to include potions that can alter you cosmetically - like a draught that turns your character model old for a certain amount of time. The mission statement is that microtransaction items have "emotional value, not mechanical value."

Here's Capcom

"We do have some paid content planned for purely cosmetic stuff. Stuff that doesn't affect your strength your abilities anything about the game. purely cosmetic stuff.they go into a little more detail. they say well maybe the handler. maybe there's gonna like going to be like some outfits for her that if people really want it they could pay some money."

So different!
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Darmik posted...

MrPeppers posted...

I dont know if we can confidently say that about cosmetics since the ease with which things can be patched at a later date, plus the fiscal incentive to add it in later is so hugely confounding that theres not much of a real way to prove it one way or the other.

The cosmetics are being developed with the other stuff post launch.

They don't want to charge for the new quests, islands, higher gear/weapons/ships etc. because that would punish the players who stick with the base game and would fratcuree the userbase. So they're going to charge for certain cosmetics that have no gameplay benefit. I don't know a better monetization model they can use for this kind of game.

There isn't one.
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Romulox28 posted...

as a consumer, how a company manages its product is not my problem,

As a company, how you feel about not having a product for free is not their problem, it's yours.
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Darmik posted...

And no I don't consider buying $60 worth of in-game currency a microtransaction.

Yet, They're still considered "micro" transactions no matter how much you can drop at once on virtual play money by everyone else but YOU

But because YOU conventiely want to try to change what it means to be a microtransaction for the sake of shilling for a huge corporation, we're all supposed to agree? Lol no.

Seriously answer my question, what do you get for endless desperate attempts at reaching to defend the shit business practices made purely for the sake of suits at the top?

Darmik posted...

So different!

The difference is Capcom isn't acting as a mouthpieces for a publisher to defend their shit greed driven business practices
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ZombiePelican posted...

Yet, They're still considered "micro" transactions no matter how much you can drop at once on virtual play money by everyone else but YOU

Sea of Thieves doesn't have a premium virtual currency so this conversation is irrelevant anyway.

ZombiePelican posted...

But because YOU conventiely want to try to change what it means to be a microtransaction for the sake of shilling for a huge corporation, we're all supposed to agree? Lol no.

Find me one source where microtransaction means virtual currency

Because the definition on Google is;

Microtransaction (sometimes abbreviated as MTX) is a business model where users can purchase virtual goods via micropayments. Microtransactions are often used in free-to-play games to provide a revenue source for the developers.

Monster Hunter World has microtransactions weirdo

ZombiePelican posted...

The difference is Capcom isn't acting as a mouthpieces for a publisher to defend their s*** greed driven business practices

You're not even being consistent
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Destiny 2's Eververse was "just cosmetics" until it became a way to lock all unique seasonal items behind loot boxes.
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Darmik posted...

Sea of Thieves doesn't have a premium virtual currency so this conversation is irrelevant anyway.

Are you actually naive enough to believe this? Every other MS exclusive has microtransactions with a BS premium currency. In what world will Sea of Thieves be any different?

Darmik posted...

Find me one source where microtransaction means virtual currency

You do understand that their custom play money your drop real money on is the way publishers skirt gambling laws, right?

You can buy microtransactions over and over like MS wants but you can only but 1 piece of DLC per account you have. That's the main difference

Now you can call a cheap piece of DLC a micro transaction but you cannot call DLC and microtransactions the same thing

And if you think copying and pasting the first thing you found on Google makes you right, again you're even more delusional and naive than I paint you as

Darmik posted...

Monster Hunter World has microtransactions weirdo

Was horse armor a microtransaction? No it was DLC until it conventiely needed to be microtransactions to fit your shit argument built entirely from desperate mental gymnastics for the sake of being a loyal corporate thrall

Darmik posted...

You're not even being consistent

Says the guy trying to say microtransactions and DLC are the same thing
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TheCurseX2 posted...

With most games these days that have microtransactions or those cancerous lootboxes, you're paying to fast track your way through the dull portions and get to the very brief 'meat' of the game. It promotes money whales, preys on impatience, and rewards the company for creating a really fundamentally s*** game.

doesn it help people with jobs who cant play 24/7 to keep up with those who do too?
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brotrrwinner posted...

It's funny because your reaction is exactly what he warns about in the video. Keep acting like sheep, fam

I can call you being pissed off about me slapping you across the face....doesnt mean you being pissed isnt justified.

Shows how shaky your stance is when you have to preempt with that.

I wonder if CE would flip on this game if they knew a former CEgal is actually at Rare working on this game.
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marc55 posted...

doesn it help people with jobs who cant play 24/7 to keep up with those who do too?

This has always been a worthless cop out argument that literally holds no weight.

Citing any "advantages" like skipping grind or saving time are pointless as both advantages and disadvantages were put in place to goad real money out of you.

It's the same old and tired "player choice" rhetoric that is complete horseshit and is just used to justify anti consumer practices
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a game designed to force excessive time or money to see out its content is bad
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Darmik posted...

Microtransaction and in-game currency are not used interchangeably and they do not mean the same thing. And no I don't consider buying $60 worth of in-game currency a microtransaction.

Google microtransaction definition and paste all of the results here. This is looney even for you.

wtf is this. if u put real world money into a game to buy small bits of game features - its a microtransaction. doesn't matter if there's a middle step of ingame currency brought with real world money. you're pretending to be stupid or what?
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ZombiePelican posted...

Are you actually naive enough to believe this? Every other MS exclusive has microtransactions with a BS premium currency. In what world will Sea of Thieves be any different?

The world in which it launches without one and Rare haven't said it will have one?

How would a premium currency even work in this game? As far as I know you steal gold from other players and treasure chests.

Your argument has basically devolved to "this game will have in-game currency and shitty F2P mechanics regardless of what they say!"

If that isn't the case is the game fine then?

myzz7 posted...

Darmik posted...

Microtransaction and in-game currency are not used interchangeably and they do not mean the same thing. And no I don't consider buying $60 worth of in-game currency a microtransaction.

Google microtransaction definition and paste all of the results here. This is looney even for you.

wtf is this. if u put real world money into a game to buy small bits of game features - its a microtransaction. doesn't matter if there's a middle step of ingame currency brought with real world money. you're pretending to be stupid or what?

ZombiePelican is saying that it's only a microtransaction if there's in-game currency. You're agreeing with me.
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Darmik posted...

The world in which it launches without one and Rare haven't said it will have one?

But they're going to add them in 3 months later like you yourself even said.

So because Rare haven't said it has a premium currency, it won't? I'm legitimately at a loss for words, this is LITERALLY one of the dumbest things I've ever read in my 13 years here.

They literally announced the game will have microtransactions, literally every single game that has microtransactions has a premium currency or more in game currency you can buy again in what world will a published by MICROSOFT the publisher who spearheaded the charge towards microtransactions in full priced games this gen not have a currency you can drain your entire life savings on without a second thought?

Darmik posted...

How would a premium currency even work in this game? As far as I know you steal gold from other players and treasure chests.

What the fuck do you mean? You either grind for it or buy it, like very every single other game with microtransactions in existence

I'm genuinely curious how you can be THIS naive and ignorant, it shouldn't be humanly possible but you just keep surprising me

Darmik posted...

Your argument has basically devolved to "this game will have in-game currency and shitty F2P mechanics regardless of what they say!"

No my argument is any game with microtransactions that charges a premium up front price deserves to be called out for it's avaricious business practices no matter how benign or generous they may seem to the wilfully naive

I like Jim refuse to make any exception for the sake of making a mega corporation like Microsoft look good, too bad I can't say the same about you
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ZombiePelican posted...

They literally announced the game will have microtransactions, literally every single game that has microtransactions has a premium currency or more in game currency you can buy again in what world will a published by MICROSOFT the publisher who spearheaded the charge towards microtransactions in full priced games this gen not have a currency you can drain your entire life savings on without a second thought?

Monster Hunter World has microtransactions and no premium currency.

ZombiePelican posted...

No my argument is any game with microtransactions that charges a premium up front price deserves to be called out for it's avaricious business practices no matter how benign or generous they may seem to the wilfully naive

This would make sense if you didn't make an exception for Monster Hunter World.

ZombiePelican posted...

I like Jim refuse to make any exception for the sake of making a mega corporation like Microsoft look good, too bad I can't say the same about you

He made an exception for Monster Hunter World just like you are.
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ZombiePelican posted...

marc55 posted...

doesn it help people with jobs who cant play 24/7 to keep up with those who do too?

This has always been a worthless cop out argument that literally holds no weight.

Citing any "advantages" like skipping grind or saving time are pointless as both advantages and disadvantages were put in place to goad real money out of you.

It's the same old and tired "player choice" rhetoric that is complete horseshit and is just used to justify anti consumer practices

why do you think is so bad people with less time to play can keep up by buying exp boost or stuff they would have to grind for ?
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marc55 posted...

why do you think is so bad people with less time to play can keep up by buying exp boost or stuff they would have to grind for ?

Because games are a form of entertainment, and if people will pay money to play less of a game it's clearly, not very good entertainment.

Darmik posted...

Monster Hunter World has microtransactions and no premium currency.

For the 50th fucking time, no it doesn't.

It has DLC not microtransactions, but DownLoadable fucking Content D L Fucking C. you cannot claim DLC and microtransactions the same thing thing because It's convenient to keep your sinking ship of an argument afloat

How many times do I need to explain this before you FINALLY get it through your thick fucking skull?

Darmik posted...

This would make sense if you didn't make an exception for Monster Hunter World.

Except I'm not making any exceptional at all except through the filter of your desperate and pathetic reaching attempts for the sake of shilling for multibillion dollar corporations crying poor. I've shit on Capcom for obviously sawing off content already finished to resell to you a multitude of times already and how the prices for what's on offer is taking the fucking piss, but on a scale of evils Capcom are clearly being the lesser than Rare/MS

Darmik posted...

He made an exception for Monster Hunter World just like you are.

Try looking at things NOT from the perspective of a sniveling corporate mouthpiece and you'll see that's clearly not the case
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Jim Sterling is a piece of shit that makes garbage YouTube videos
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JE19426 posted...

marc55 posted...

why do you think is so bad people with less time to play can keep up by buying exp boost or stuff they would have to grind for ?

Because games are a form of entertainment, and if people will pay money to play less of a game it's clearly, not very good entertainment.

why not?
it just lets people with a life / job to make up for having less time to play
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I have absolutely no problem with microtransactions as long as they are cosmetic and don't actually affect your character.

It's when said transactions have an actual effect on your statistics or grant an advantage that put's you above a free player, then it's a problem.
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TheCurseX2 posted...

He's right.

I always said that casuals will slaughter the gaming industry and year by year I'm proven right.

They don't even make games anymore, not games like you're used to anyways. They make 'hooks' and hope to catch as many as possible. More care goes into the UI for an in-game shop than it does to compelling narratives, gameplay, and so on. Low effort dogshit.

@TheCurseX2, Oh shut up. I'm so freaking sick of how people act like the 90's was some holy grail of gaming, while everything else today sucks. Example: 2017 brought us many great games and showed up how far gaming has come. There were 2017 moments of shady business practices aside, but that should not negate the game quality that we *did* see in 2017.

Examples: Cuphead, Mario Odyssey, Edith Finch, Sonic Mania, Persona 5, Horizon Zero Dawn, Little Nightmares, Hollow Knight, Yakuza 0, Gravity Rush 2, Neir, Breath of the Wild, Automata, Resident Evil 7, Prey, Nioh, Mario Rabbids Kingdom Battle, South Park the Fractured But Whole", etc. But go ahead; only look at the negative side of the gaming industry. All you'll do is continue to wallow in misery thinking that everything sucks nowadays.

jstewart01 posted...

@TheCurseX2, Oh shut up. I'm so freaking sick of how people act like the 90's was some holy grail of gaming

Except it was and the reason why people 'act' like that is because it's true.

"2017 SHOWED US HOW FAR GAMING HAS COME!"

Yeah, microtransactions are so fucking evolved. You're living in the objective worst era of gaming. Enjoy.
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jstewart01 posted...

@TheCurseX2, Oh shut up. I'm so freaking sick of how people act like the 90's was some holy grail of gaming

It absolutely was though...

I mean good games still come out now, but big game companies are just looking for next way to scam money out of you...

The 90s WAS the golden age of video games...

The next golden age of gaming might be when we get augmented reality like Accel World or are able to jack into a virtual world like Sword Art Online or Enter Player One
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People forget all of the broken shit that released in the 90's that you had no idea about until you either bought or rented the game.

Manipulative business practices and rip-offs have always existed.
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Yeah, much worse than "early access btw, $40 btw, will finish in 4 years btw."
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Tbh Army Men and Bubsy 3D may as well be Early Access games. They're just as janky as them.

I don't buy any early access games personally.
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TheCurseX2 posted...

jstewart01 posted...

@TheCurseX2, Oh shut up. I'm so freaking sick of how people act like the 90's was some holy grail of gaming

Except it was and the reason why people 'act' like that is because it's true.

"2017 SHOWED US HOW FAR GAMING HAS COME!"

Yeah, microtransactions are so fucking evolved. You're living in the objective worst era of gaming. Enjoy.

@TheCurseX2 And yet, you just proved my point that in 2017, you only payed attention to crappy business practices, instead of you know, praising the many things in gaming that were actually GOOD.

Hollow Knight saved gaming
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marc55 posted...

why not?
it just lets people with a life / job to make up for having less time to play

Are you serious? You really don't understand how people wanting to play less of your game is a sign your game isn't very enjoyable?

jstewart01 posted...

@TheCurseX2 And yet, you just proved my point that in 2017, you only payed attention to crappy business practices, instead of you know, praising the many things in gaming that were actually GOOD.

Because the games you listed as 'good' are games I'd call dogshit, like RE7.
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JE19426 posted...

marc55 posted...

why not?
it just lets people with a life / job to make up for having less time to play

Are you serious? You really don't understand how people wanting to play less of your game is a sign your game isn't very enjoyable?

nope because is just people who want to play it so bad theyll do anything to not be left behind

in games with guilds you end up being left out because you are behind the rest
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marc55 posted...

nope

Ok. I think you need to work on your jokes but ok.

DarthAragorn posted...

Jim Sterling is a piece of shit that makes garbage YouTube videos

Oh wow, It's not every day we see a microtransaction whale in the wild.

How loudly did you sing when EA announced Pay2Win lootboxes in Battefront 2 or when you found out Bungie turned shaders into one time consumables you have to get in lootboxes?

marc55 posted...

nope because is just people who want to play it so bad theyll do anything to not be left behind

Again, if you have to PAY to get to the enjoyable parts faster in a game you already paid 60 with tax for then It's not a very good game and devs don't value all the time they put in if they want you to just pay to skip it all by paying extra
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ZombiePelican posted...

Again, if you have to PAY to get to the enjoyable parts faster in a game you already paid 60 with tax for then It's not a very good game and devs don't value all the time they put in if they want you to just pay to skip it all by paying extra

it is a good game thats why people are willing to pay money so they can keep up their lvs and items around the same as the people they play with !
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https://twitter.com/JimSterling/status/965944424441241600
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