Ben-DutkaMany gamers aren't big fans of microtransactions. But Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida says they're not inherently bad.
Speaking on his Twitter page , the boss defended the microtransactions in place for Gran Turismo 6 , saying they just offer an "alternative path to busy people." He added that people should read reviews before making any snap judgments about the game.
Sony just recently confirmed the pricing for the microtransactions in GT6, and that produced quite a bit of backlash. Yoshida says the concept itself isn't necessarily a "bad thing," although he agrees that game developers could abuse it:
"Microtransaction per se is not a bad thing. How the game is designed around it could become a problem."
Like so many other things in life, microtransactions represent a sliding scale. Ideally, they really are exactly that: Options for people who would love to enjoy a game to the fullest, but simply don't have the extra hours to grind away for the best stuff. But if designers get too in love with the idea of the added income, microtransactions could start to feel like a requirement. And that's when we start having problems.
But just to be clear, Sony has confirmed that you don't have to use your money to buy credits in GT6. It's purely optional. But is that 100% true of other games with microtransactions…?
No, they are inherently evil. They undermine everything.
It's a slippery slope, and they often don't end well. As long as they don't change the game structure, then I don't mind, but as Forza 5 shows, many devs/pubs can't resist the temptation, and we could see things nosedive if we're not careful.
I'm with you world…..I think these situations represent the doorway, they will take it further and it's only a matter of time before it's abused.
"Ideally, they really are exactly that: Options for people who would love to enjoy a game to the fullest, but simply don't have the extra hours to grind away for the best stuff. "
As long as that holds true, I don't have any issue with them. When they are required to complete a game fully – then we have a problem.
Yeah, the concept is good, but it definitely can be forcefully abused with the snap of a finger.
To be honest, even if this is true, I don't see why they have to be so expensive. The revealed prices of up to $49.99 for 7.5 million credits is atrocious.
I can understand when people are busy and can't play the game and put some time into it, but when they intentionally make the game hard to get currency (etc) so they can put microtransactions in the game kind of sickens me.
@daus26,
I like that the credit packs are expensive, it is a good deterrent to prevent most people from abusing the microtransaction system.
Now only really rich idiots will be willing to buy them regularly.
Now I know that I see someone with a very expensive car racing online that heshe most likely didn't bust their behind beating championships and rally races.
Believe it or not I enjoy everything about GT starting with the licenses n_n.
Anyone who wants to race tomorrow you're welcomed to send me a request my PSN name is… yes… you guessed it… MRSUCCESS
If you can complete a game, as in 100% of everything, then I don't think they are THAT bad (still will never spend a dime on them though).
Before the age of DLC and MTs, people would just complete games with blood and sweat and hours of joy (and rage) without the need to pay for anything. Then again, it was a different world back then.
Or just stop playing cause they can't catch up.
Microtransactions are not for the busy people. In the meeting to include microtransactions the furthest thing from their mind was having this available forthe busy person. Its for capital and revenue and thats it. More people who immediately want this stuff are buying it more than the busy person. Its not worth the investment for the busy person. If I camt spend a lot of time on something why would I spend more money asode from the initial price on it? I wouldnt and I dont.
Great point. Busy people don't always translate to high income people either. Some people out there work hard and have little spare time. With the prices they have shown, it's just to steep, especially with the fact that the game initially costs $60. High prices and little spare time seems like an idiotic investment to make, for something virtual.
i don't have a problem with microtransactions unless it gives players
an advantage over others or ruins the game completely
like GTA O for example.
I'm gonna play this game to death and try to post my own review after at least a month. If I notice anything irregular about the grind, I will definitely note it.
Sooner rather than just offering a casual setting for gamers who don't have a lot of time they'll just ask for more money.
This is nothing but a cheap money grab tactic.
I thought the GT5 feature of loaning and gifting cars to friends was kind of neat and it makes the microtransaction approach unnecessary. I hope the loan/gifting feature remains a part of the GT franchise.
They've also proven to be a rather profitable enterprise… If it really was about the busy gamers they would offer some in-game shortcuts to allow to get the same thing (actually kinda makes me think that's one of the goals of B-Spec racing). Terrible idea, in any case.
If "busy" people are spending money on these things then it means that something is off kilter with the progression of the game. I like Yoshida-I think he's one of the genuine good guys in the industry-but he's wrong about this.
Micro-transactions in free-to-play titles makes sense. In fact, it makes perfect sense. It's an alternative way of paying for the game.
In a fully priced games though? That's an abomination. That's pure greed.
I don't have a problem with micro-transactions in a game so long as:
-It's a free to play title.
-It is wholly contained within the SP experience.
-If in MP, not all enhancements/achievements are purchasable and there is a way to identify which players purchased their enhancements versus those who actually achieved them (ie. put in the time).
-Game progress has not been lengthened to the point where the top tier takes so long to reach that the only reasonable way to achieve it would be to buy it; for example, if in previous games it took 100 hours to reach some pinnacle but now (to drive micro-transactions) the same goal takes 500 or 1000 hours.
yeah no i completely agree they have to be really careful with this this could lead to a real big industry down turn which is not gud for us but i cud happen
happy gaming =)
yea thats fair enough.
and that is exactly why people are pissed, games are designed around trying to get people to shell out for MCs instead of earning it in game.
ie they deliberately make things either nigh on impossible to obtain because of difficulty, or nigh on impossible to obtain just because of the shere number of time required, to obtain things.
that car that costs 120 bucks to buy, how long would it take me to buy the game with in game credits i earned from playing the game, if i played say 2 hours a day and came first in every race i did?
a little effort and reward, fine.
but forcing people to do the same thing over and over and over and over and over again for so long, aint.
they need to get that balance of work and reward right.
not too little that everyone has the dam thing because its so easy to obtain, yet not so difficult that no one has it, and those who do only do because they spent more cash.
I'm baaaaack! Ok gotta stay on topic: I wish they had MTs when I was kid so I could spend all my parents money on them.
I don't mind the way they are in GT6, it's exactly like GT5 except you can now buy credits if you want. But it's been abused to the point of absurdity in numerous other games.