Tag Archives: Microtransactions

Despite controversies and poor critical reception, there is still a rather large group of dedicated players remaining active on Fallout 76. With some big content updates regenerating interest in the game, Bethesda appears to be looking to capitalise with a monthly/yearly subscription service that grants in-game benefits, access to private …

CD Projekt Red has confirmed that microtransactions won’t be present in its upcoming RPG, Cyberpunk 2077. Instead, the developer has opted to continue the DLC strategy it used with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Recently at PAX Australia, where over an hour of Cyberpunk 2077 footage was being shown off, …

Ubisoft has temporarily removed microtransactions from Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint ahead of its scheduled launch today. These were ‘time saver' microtransactions aimed at those who have less time to play themselves but want to keep up with other players. These types of in-game purchases have been around for a …

While the Gears of War franchise is well known for its story campaigns, a lot of players also sink a ton of time into the multiplayer modes. This year with Gears 5, The Coalition doubled down on multiplayer with a new ‘Tour of Duty’ seasonal program, a new game mode …

In true Activision fashion, the publisher has announced that it will be sneaking micro-transactions into Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fuelled. This is a similar tactic to what Activision has been doing with Call of Duty recently, keeping micro-transactions out of the game at launch and introducing them later. While we normally …

Loot box controversy has been going on for years now but publishers are starting to get worried as governments around the world are starting to pay attention and are investigating how predatory these microtransactions can be in certain games. EA has of course found itself right at the centre of …

Over the weekend, following a few leaks and some rumours, Activision officially announced Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, seeing Infinity Ward return to the series that propelled Call of Duty into the juggernaut it is today. Modern Warfare will have a bunch of changes compared to Black Ops 4, including …

Over the last couple of years, there has been plenty of debate surrounding in-game loot boxes and whether or not they should be considered gambling. Investigations have been launched and politicians have gotten involved all across the world. While some countries took the view that loot boxes were fine, others …

Borderlands 3 has been back in the news this week. During the official gameplay reveal, Gearbox CEO, Randy Pitchford, claimed that there would be no microtransactions for Borderlands 3, a statement that many people immediately questioned. Since then, further clarification has been provided, confirming that cosmetic skins will in-fact be …

Fallout 76 has had more than its share of issues since launch but despite all of that, the game has still amassed an impressively dedicated player base and content updates are on the way. One of this year's updates may cause some controversy though, as a new ‘repair kit' mechanic …

Apex Legends has arrived. The battle royale, Titanfall spin-off is available for free but how are the microtransactions handled?

While many fans were disappointed to learn that Fallout 76 is set to house microtransactions earlier this month, many took solace knowing that only cosmetics were being sold for real money. Marketing guru Pete Hines reiterates that the premium currency, Atoms, can also be earned simply by playing the game, …

Electronic Arts producer Jim Vessella teased the return of Command & Conquer to PC earlier this week, asking fans what they thought of a potential remaster for the 25th anniversary. Answering questions on the same Reddit post, Vessella has reassured disgruntled fans that EA has no plans to implement the …

Bethesda is trying something different with its next Fallout game. Fallout 76 is set to be a big multiplayer game, designed for friends to group up and scour the wasteland together, running into trouble along the way. However, as is the case with most multiplayer games nowadays, there will be …

Alongside EA’s Star Wars: Battlefront II, Middle-earth: Shadow of War was one of the main culprits to raise concerns about loot boxes. WB heard concerns back in April, removing loot boxes and assured fans that it would eventually get rid of microtransactions in its entirety. As of the latest patch, …

Back when Star Wars Battlefront II first launched, EA was forced to disable the game's microtransactions due to backlash. Last month, DICE officially got around to changing the game's entire progression system to address issues with the core game. With all of that work out of the way, EA has …

While the loot box controversy may have peaked with Star Wars Battlefront 2 last year, there was a brief window of time where the spotlight was on Middle-Earth: Shadow of War. Unlike the first game in the series, Shadow of War introduced microtransactions, allowing players to buy loot boxes to …

Over the last several months, there has been mounting pressure on game companies and rating boards to do something about the rise in concern over in-game microtransactions and loot boxes. Politicians have been getting involved, and earlier this month we saw a US senator directly call on the ESRB to …

There have been many opportunities to slate Konami over the last couple of years following the publisher's fallout with Hideo Kojima. If you were hoping to push past that and approach Metal Gear Survive with an open mind, then I have bad news for you, because it seems that Konami's …

Earlier this week, we learned that Hawaii representative, Chris Lee, had made some progress on his crusade against loot boxes in video games. Lee first gained recognition for this last year after speaking out against Star Wars Battlefront II's loot box system. Now, the legislator has proposed four new bills …

Sea of Thieves is just over a month away from release, and although developer Rare will be helping its players simulate the life of a pirate, it’s keen on keeping its own shady practices to a minimum. As such, while microtransactions are a possibility somewhere down the line, the more …

Activision Blizzard has released another record breaking financial earnings report for the company, resulting in its stock steadily rising. Unfortunately for many, this showcases why the controversial practice of microtransactions isn’t going anywhere any time soon. In total, Activision made a record $7.16 billion in revenue throughout 2017, up from …

Given the impending return of microtransactions in Star Wars Battlefront II after EA’s recent controversy, the publisher has expressed its support of monetisation and said that the practice can be good for games. This has sparked worries regarding the recently announced Dragon Age sequel, however CEO Andrew Wilson says that …

Last week we learned that DICE would finally be revamping Star Wars Battlefront II's progression system in the wake of last year's massive loot box controversy. We don't have exact details yet, but many are hoping for the removal of Star Cards, which have been a point of contention since …

Yesterday, Ubisoft announced the upcoming changes to its retail offerings, including the Standard Edition being replaced by the more expensive and ever-so-slightly more robust Advanced Edition. Included within the announcement are details of Outbreak Packs, Siege’s event counterpart of its Alpha Packs but instead of being earned in-game, these loot …

If you think loot boxes are so 2017, it seems that you’d be wrong as it looks like the practice isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. For the past three years, more than 4,500 developers who have attended the Game Developers Conference have expressed their intention of implementing “paid item crates,” …

Metal Gear Survive entered open beta last week, hoping to wow everyone back onto the side of Konami after its debacle with Metal Gear creator, Hideo Kojima. While it unsurprisingly has great mechanics, Survive has opted to include both gameplay-affecting microtransactions and the requirement of constant online connectivity. The title …

Steering away from the controversy, Monster Hunter World producer Ryozo Tsujimoto made sure to assure fans that it wouldn’t be following the same trend as other games when it comes to loot boxes. Now, as we approach the title’s release, he’s keen to reiterate that statement, explaining that any microtransactions …

PlayerUnknown’s Battleground’s second major post-release update is currently live on the test servers, bringing with it changes to how PUBG Corp handles cheating, performance and balance tweaks. PUBG is also expanding its loot crates as well as possibly adding in a new type of microtransaction, but in a bid to …

Activision isn't the only publisher patenting worrying new matchmaking systems designed to raise spending on microtransactions. This week, it came to light that EA has filed for two patents that could impact fair competition in multiplayer games, with one pertaining to Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment and another detailing an ‘Engagement Optimized …