We all know what they are. Micro-transactions are those dollars we spend so we can get ahead in our new favorite game. Many games are guilty of using this petty business mechanism to siphon money out of your pockets other than the $60 they already got for the base copy of the game. Why do they do this, though? Is it really necassary?
Here's why they do it...
Now, to answer if it is necessary...
No, it is NOT necessary!
Remember when Rockstar promised everyone those heists? Well, they still are not here. Don't get me wrong. I have been very appreciative at their work to stabilize servers and, of course, all the free content updates. However, do they really plan on releasing heists? As we all know, Grand Theft Auto Online has a micro-transaction system known as Shark Cards each with different tiers that cost all the way up to $99.99 which gets converted to GTA Dollars.What's wrong with this? Plenty. First of all, not everyone is the most responsible type of person. Because of this they could purchase these things all too often. However, we can write this off as a personal issue. The real issue is what it does to the game in the long run. As long as people are buying via micro-transactions then Rockstar has no obligation to to launch their supposed Heist mode.
NBA 2K is also a new offender changing their stats system to, what they call, VC or Virtual Currency. Because of this it has become so much harder to increase the skills of your character. Why? To encourage you to buy more Virtual Currency. Of course, NBA 2K is not the only perpetrator. The newly released Assassin's Creed: Unity has its only micro-transaction system. Many games published by Electronic Arts including Madden NFL football games also use this system. One that particularly comes to mind is a game that I used to have a heavy addiction to; Tetris Blitz. Coins would be used to purchased power-ups and "finishers". Finishers cost a good 20,000 to 35,000 coins which would take around 20 rounds to complete and that's assuming you score at least 800,000 point each round which also is not an easy task. Oh, and don't forget to add in your purchase of power-ups after every three uses. Also, after one of their updates, they nerfed the payouts for winning tournaments. The payouts are no where near what they should be for the game to be fun without having to hash out a good amount of money which is why I am proud to say I have never given this game any of my hard-earned real money.
It frustrates me how money-minded these publishers have become toward the gaming industry. Not only do they make things tough on these developers who (as far as I know) I not in it just for the money, but to enjoy creating the art that is a video game. As I already stated, micro-transactions are usually followed by the nerfing of leveling up, progression, etc. This makes the game less enjoyable. Sure, progression should be no short process by any means, but when it gets to the point where it is dependent on the purchase of in-game currency then there is definitely a problem.
This green piece of paper is earned. Use it wisely.
This is no new concept. Countless PC games use this concept to keep millions of gamers hooked. I foresee that this will only get worse and continue as the media of gaming continues to grow just as editor Mike Futter said. I miss the days where all the content was already on the disk, the days where the internet was not used as a tool to fix games because the game was actually ready to be shipped and sold instead of needing a "day one patch". I urge all of your loyal readers out there. Be mindful of how much money you put into a game that already paid $60 for.
Hasta la Vista. Game on.
P.S. Support your local indie game creator! They work just as hard, if not harder to get noticed by doing what they truly love.