Tag Archives: Microtransactions

While many besmirch its existence, microtransactions have unfortunately wormed their way into becoming a staple of the video games industry – especially the AAA space. Despite its controversial nature, the added monetisation is clearly not going anywhere, with Diablo IV having reportedly earned Blizzard/Activision/Microsoft over $150 million since the game’s …

We've already gone over Dragon's Dogma 2's microtransactions at length and it has been the subject of much debate online. Those with the game on PC can skirt around the paywalls though, with new mods allowing access to some of the purchasable items.  Most of the items found in the …

Hardcore RPG mechanics are undermined at every turn by paid-for items that simply don't belong, bringing an end to Capcom's long-running streak of top-tier releases...

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is the latest and upcoming title in the stealth-action series, taking players back to the roots of the franchise with an emphasis on smaller worlds and more stealthy gameplay. Unfortunately, it seems as though the game will still feature some of its more modern influences – namely …

At this point, most popular online games rely on a seasonal battle pass model for recurring income. Diablo 4 is no exception, but while other battle passes give players enough in-game currency to purchase the next season's battle pass, the Diablo 4 battle pass doesn't even give players enough currency …

WarnerBros' platform-fighter MultiVersus has been available for months at this point, attracting millions of players, a chunk of whom have purchased DLC content and season passes. Now, seemingly out of nowhere, WB has announced that the ‘open beta' is ending and the game will be going offline until sometime next …

Back in 2021 leaked screenshots from a playtest of the upcoming first-person co-op vampire hunting game Redfall seemed to suggest that the game would feature an in-game store with some form of microtransactions. Fortunately, between then and now, the team at Arkane seem to have reconsidered, as it has now …

Ubisoft has been putting microtransactions into its large single-player titles for years now, often selling batches of premium currency that can be used to obtain in-game resources to accelerate your progress. In unsurprising news, Ubisoft plans to continue monetising its single-player games, including major licensed titles like Avatar: Frontiers of …

IO Interactive have long been known for their work on the Hitman series of games. That being said, the studio is expanding its horizons with them currently developing multiple projects, including a James Bond game. One of their future titles – according to a job listing – will for the …

We're just a couple of months away from Overwatch 2 becoming available in Early Access. The new game will have free to play multiplayer and introduce new monetisation methods, with plans to sell skins directly through a store, rather than through lootboxes. A recent survey suggested that some skins could …

July has been an unexpectedly big month for EA’s Skate game. The first public alpha test took place last week, and now EA has revealed further details, including the fact that the game will be free to play.  Officially titled ‘skate.’, the new game in the series will be free …

Ever since Bungie parted ways with Microsoft to work on Destiny, 343 Industries have been in charge of the Halo franchise – to varying levels of success. The latest controversy comes from the team’s most recent community update, where they announced that the team is “internally exploring” the notion of …

Diablo IV had a pretty good showing at the Xbox and Bethesda showcase a few days ago, but due to Diablo Immortal's recent microtransaction controversies, fans have been worried about Blizzard's monetisation plans for the new game, something that the studio has now responded to. While Blizzard still hasn't really …

We've heard plenty about Diablo Immortal's microtransactions recently and the caps in place to ensure you have to spend money to get high-grade gems for your gear. As it turns out, there are other hidden gameplay caps in place that players are now beginning to discover.  Echohack, a player with …

Four years on from its infamous reveal, Diablo Immortal is officially out on both mobile and PC. Initially, there was a flurry of positivity around the game's launch, but once players began getting more familiar with the store and hitting end-game, major issues became apparent. Want a fully maxed out character? That'll be $100,000 please.

Today in an unexpected announcement, Rockstar announced GTA+, a new subscription program for Grand Theft Auto Online. The announcement comes shortly after the latest Grand Theft Auto V re-release, with the game now available on Xbox Series X/S and PS5.  GTA+ will be available starting from the 29th of March …

Sony has been in the hotseat this month, with Gran Turismo fans growing increasingly frustrated with the latest entry to the franchise. Most complaints centre around the always-online requirement, microtransactions and low in-game rewards. After becoming the lowest user-rated PlayStation game ever, the team behind GT 7 has promised changes.  …

Gran Turismo 7 hasn't had the best reception from fans, with many taking issue with the game's rewards system, microtransactions and always-online requirement. As a result, user reviews for the game have been growing more negative, and now, GT 7 has the lowest user score on Metacritic for any Sony-published …

While most video game companies have stopped the dangerous trend of offering loot boxes in their games, EA’s sports titles continue to be rife with them. Instead of following others and revoking the predatory practice from their titles, the publisher has simply claimed that “Kids should not be spending in …

EA is no stranger to lawsuits, particularly in the wake of the Battlefront II loot box controversy. Since then, folks have been taking a harder look at FIFA Ultimate Team, one of EA's biggest sources of income each quarter. The latest class-action lawsuit claims EA uses Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment to …

When microtransactions were first introduced, many video game players expressed their dissatisfaction with the implementation of this new form of monetisation. Despite the narrative mostly remaining the same in the years since, it appears as though microtransactions are here to stay. According to Activision Blizzard, the company made $1.2 Billion …

While Cyberpunk 2077 will soon be upon us, the upcoming RPG from CD Projekt Red will later be joined by a standalone multiplayer title set in the same universe. While the developers have confirmed that the multiplayer game will include microtransactions, they have stressed that “the goal is to get …

Sony recently released its fiscal report for the first Quarter of 2020 (April-July), bringing lots of new and interesting information. Alongside the fact that PlayStation had the best Quarter ever in its history when it comes to revenue, the console manufacturer also revealed that “add on content” made the company …

Recently we reported that Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time would include some form of in-app purchases. This was due to the fact that the Microsoft store listed the game as including them. Now however, the studio behind the 4th numbered entry in the Crash Bandicoot series – Toys for …

Recently, Activision revealed Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, the canonical 4th entry in the popular platformer franchise. While the original trilogy released before the concept of microtransactions, it would seem as though the 4th entry will include the functionality that has become so synonymous with the publisher’s titles – …

The reveal of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 being remade for current-gen hardware was certainly a pleasant surprise for many fans of the classic titles. Developed by Vicarious Visions, it is likely that the game will serve as an accurate recreation of the PS1 originals. That being said, …

The PC Gaming Wiki has become an essential tool these days, often gathering up quick details on new games, the resolutions/aspect ratios they support and various useful .ini tweaks and mods that can be installed to adjust things to your liking. The site is going to get more useful soon, …

Once the lootbox controversy boiled over with the release of EA's Star Wars Battlefront II, many called on the ESRB to put measures in place and for better regulation in the games industry. The ESRB did begin putting ‘in-game purchases' notices on physical game boxes but now, that will be …

The Dead or Alive series has never been the most consumer-friendly fighter. With an abundance of cosmetic DLC priced far above average, and multiple season passes costing more than the base game itself, the series is no stranger to post-game revenue making. A recent update to Dead or Alive 6 …

CD Projekt Red really ramped up the news output on Cyberpunk 2077 this year. So far, we know the main single-player game is coming in April 2020, with expansions and smaller free DLCs planned. Meanwhile, another smaller team is working on a multiplayer spin-off set to arrive after all post-launch …