Will the microtransactions ever stop?

KhajiitLion

Hello everyone let me just say that I love eso, it's easily the best MMO at the moment IMO but seeing that they are just keeping adding these unreasonable microtransactions it's totally unfair, because you should be able to earn the items such as Mounts,costumes,etc. with gold but since you have to pay with real money it has gotten worse also seeing the morrorwind expansion being only 40$ (if you have the main game) is ungrateful there are people in the world that have said it should be free for eso+ members and I agree, ZOS has earned a lot of money and I just wish they would just had made the expansion free for ESO+ we pay 15$ month and now we have to pay 40$, I really do enjoy eso but I'm just saying I wish this game would seem fair like other games, I'll still play the game but I think it's time for ZOS to put more in game items that cost gold then paying with real money, this is not a rant post I'm just saying this game needs to be more fair Such as skyrim and gta online.

Turelus

No they won't stop.

This is a B2P business model now rather than subscription based which means ZOS needs to make money for ESO via other means.
Microtransactions are the main way of doing that with game and if they wish to avoid a pay to win environment they need to keep items cosmetic as well as keeping the interesting enough for people to buy them.

Whilst ZOS might make enough money in short bursts from selling DLC/Expansions only they need to cover the cost of all their developers, running the game, advertising, and everything else which running an online game requires, whilst still making enough money that the parent company (Zenimax Media) continues to enjoy rewards.

Kiralyn2000

In the gaming industry? No.

From a general price standpoint, games still cost 50-60 even after 1-2 decades of inflation & increasing production costs, so they need some way to increase the "price" of games without pushing up that base value (they can't make games $80 base, since the "OMG GAEMZ SEW EXPENSV!" crowd would riot)

From an MMO standpoint? The days of required monthly subs are coming to an end - sure a handful of games can still manage it, but most everything else is F2P or B2P. Which means they need something (cash shop stuff, and "optional" subs) to make money with.

Tholian1

Wait a few months to buy the expansion. It will be on sale.

notimetocare

KhajiitLion wrote: »

Hello everyone let me just say that I love eso, it's easily the best MMO at the moment IMO but seeing that they are just keeping adding these unreasonable microtransactions it's totally unfair, because you should be able to earn the items such as Mounts,costumes,etc. with gold but since you have to pay with real money it has gotten worse also seeing the morrorwind expansion being only 40$ (if you have the main game) is ungrateful there are people in the world that have said it should be free for eso+ members and I agree, ZOS has earned a lot of money and I just wish they would just had made the expansion free for ESO+ we pay 15$ month and now we have to pay 40$, I really do enjoy eso but I'm just saying I wish this game would seem fair like other games, I'll still play the game but I think it's time for ZOS to put more in game items that cost gold then paying with real money, this is not a rant post I'm just saying this game needs to be more fair Such as skyrim and gta online.

So much entitlement these days... Unlike other dlc, a class is attached to Morrowind. On that alone they can't run it like most dlc. Cant play a character because you unsubscribed? Would be dumb.

No game ever has given free expansions (at least none without p2w shops).

Also... This game is pretty nice about the shop, it isnt required at all. Its vanity. Great way to fund a game.

Morrowind is pretty cheap compared to most Expansions. As well, it includes all of the base game which many games dont do.

Entitled. Entitled. Entitled. Thats all this is anymore

SilverWF

Will the microtransactions ever stop?

Not.

Sakiri

No.

No they won't.

RapidUrsa

I believe its more likely for me to be Dragonborn

Prof_Bawbag

There's actually a half decent article about the micro transaction model/Pay to loot system within modern gaming nowadays on IGN today. In other words, you're pissing in the wind posting an anti whaling post on here.

STEVIL

yes... but maybe not before sun goes nova.

WalksonGraves

I love the argonian chin spikes and the human forehead horns, TAKE MY MONEY!

...and by that I mean keep it 200 crown max.

Asardes

Once you purchase the game, they are entirely optional.

Armitas

It will stop when the game shuts down for good. Until then it will only grow.

You can pay for morrowind with your sub by cancelling your sub and saving that money for when it's released.

Prof_Bawbag

Armitas wrote: »

It will stop when the game shuts down for good. Until then it will only grow.

You can pay for morrowind with your sub by cancelling your sub and saving that money for when it's released.

I know it probably wasn't intended to be funny, but that did actually make me laugh.

DanaDark

Game prices have remained most the same over many years despite increased costs and inflation. Servers have actual hosting costs associated with them. And not trivial amounts. Hardware, hosting, maintenance, etc. are all very expensive.

Cash-Shop model isn't bad. People complain about cosmetics sometimes taking away from game development, but from a business standpoint, that's absurd. All money made from cosmetic stuff pays for the artist and extra development. The only argument we can really make here is go the EVE Online route where you purchase the add-on (horse, hair, clothing item) and then get an actual in-game token to either claim or sell, allowing players the opportunity to get these items without spending their own real cash while at the same time not taking away from ZOS' bottom line.

People also forget that there are two types of 'players' really to MMOs these days. Customers and Products. People that pay a monthly sub or regularly purchase items are the customer. The product person got the game and now enjoys playing but doesn't spend any more. Their purpose in the game is to ensure a lively population. Nobody wants to sub to a dead MMO.

I have no qualms about this arrangement and encourage it. The only time it will be an issue if it allows people to straight up and buy super powerful gear that is not possible to achieve in game.

KhajiitLion

i may do that

alexkdd99

Doubtful, but I don't care if they stay forever. As long as they stay cosmetic it seems most other people don't really care to much either. I personally don't care one way or another about p2w games. I also support crown crates to though.

When they announced morrowind wouldn't be given to eso+ I was a little aggravated. Mainly because I feel they are just playing word games to not include it. Then they added the *** icing to the *** cake with all the *** nerfs.(sorry been watching trailer park boys).

DMuehlhausen

Is the way essentially all games are going. They can make more money this way.

It's same thing as companies like Microsoft and Adobe. The new version of their software like Office, and Adobe DC Pro, and available via subscription only. When you only release software once every 3-4 years why only get like a 300$ upfront payment when you can charge 10$/month for the same software. You make a lot more money.

TheForseti

Will microtransactions ever stop?

No

xaraan

Probably not unless you expect them to work for free and all the employees to be homeless.

Danikat

As long as they're only selling cosmetic stuff and stuff you can buy with gold (like houses, bank space etc.) I don't mind the microtransactions because no one needs to spend money on them unless they want to.

I do agree that ESO+ is a bad deal currently, especially now they've said they're going down to 2 DLCs a year (plus one 'chapter'/expansion and 1 free update) but I don't think stopping microtransactions would change that. They're never going to revert back to a full pay to play model (and if they did they'd likely also revert back to the update schedule they had in the first year, which produced Craglorn and not much else).

I like the suggestion of getting Morrowind with your subscription money by cancelling it for a few months and using the money saved to buy the expansion. Especially since we know there won't be anything else coming out until a while after Morrowind is released.

DeadlyRecluse

For a buy to play MMO with an incredibly low (often 10 dollars on sale, last I checked) initial price, the microtransactions are pretty reasonable.

The crates are whatever, and I wish there had been a crown option for Mwind, but other than that it's pretty good.

DHale

This is how games make money. Nobody works for free. I would like the government to stop with these micro transactions/taxes right now. Good on ZOS.

KhajiitLion

Back in the day when you bought a game you got everything, now there's cut content in every new released game.

Evergnar

No. Micro transaction will only become more and more prevalent. This is why I preferred the sub model (even if it had been more). So long as it doesn't become too disruptive in game I don't have to worry about it or the crown store.

KochDerDamonen

KhajiitLion wrote: »

Back in the day when you bought a game you got everything, now there's cut content in every new released game.

@KhajiitLion 'Back in the day' that cut content just never saw the light of day, unless it was shuffed into a whole new edition of the game or a sequel

Not that that excuses the extreme levels some publishers go to getting things made into 'DLC'. You can be certain anything that comes out day 1 or within a month of release could have been in the game if the devs weren't squeezed to either cut it on purpose or get the game out faster. The DLC itself isn't the problem, it's mind-blowing that games we love can be polished after the fact these days.

Microtransactions as a concept are mostly harmless and a good way to pay developers for server upkeep, as well as keeping their revenue more consistent over all instead of only when they release entirely new content, but of course many times we see horrid situations where the microtransactions are attached to RNG-crates(ESO's crates, unobtainable without purchase and containing exclusive items), arbitrary timed exclusives(Again, Crown Store), or overpowered effects that make the game P2W (some people argue the XP scrolls count, I still think the Crown Store is at least decent enough to not be P2W, so far...)



If you want games without microtransactions and DLC, prepare to wait an extra year or two on normal development times for that studio, to pay 4x or greater the purchase price, and to have any online game with dedicated servers charging you a subscription to play. Just saying.

KhajiitLion

yeah that's what I usually do Koch, I just wait until the GOTY or complete edition of a game comes out and I appreciate your comment:)

Danikat

KhajiitLion wrote: »

Back in the day when you bought a game you got everything, now there's cut content in every new released game.

Back in the day they called it an expansion pack and you had to buy it on a physical disc. I still have the Game of the Year edition of Morrowind with Bloodmoon and Tribunal on seperate discs.

Of course they wouldn't release individual items that way, they were either included in an expansion or some games would make item packs.

Amadis001

There are no microtransactions in my version of the game. I spend my $15 a month on ESO+ and that's it.

If everyone else did the same, they would stop coding microtransactions into the game. And since that's never going to happen, the answer to your question, sadly, is "no".

--Scott

Evarwyn

MMOs always charge for expansions. And no, the micro-transactions wont stop.

Ojustaboo

notimetocare wrote: »

KhajiitLion wrote: »

Hello everyone let me just say that I love eso, it's easily the best MMO at the moment IMO but seeing that they are just keeping adding these unreasonable microtransactions it's totally unfair, because you should be able to earn the items such as Mounts,costumes,etc. with gold but since you have to pay with real money it has gotten worse also seeing the morrorwind expansion being only 40$ (if you have the main game) is ungrateful there are people in the world that have said it should be free for eso+ members and I agree, ZOS has earned a lot of money and I just wish they would just had made the expansion free for ESO+ we pay 15$ month and now we have to pay 40$, I really do enjoy eso but I'm just saying I wish this game would seem fair like other games, I'll still play the game but I think it's time for ZOS to put more in game items that cost gold then paying with real money, this is not a rant post I'm just saying this game needs to be more fair Such as skyrim and gta online.

So much entitlement these days... Unlike other dlc, a class is attached to Morrowind. On that alone they can't run it like most dlc. Cant play a character because you unsubscribed? Would be dumb.

No game ever has given free expansions (at least none without p2w shops).

Also... This game is pretty nice about the shop, it isnt required at all. Its vanity. Great way to fund a game.

Morrowind is pretty cheap compared to most Expansions. As well, it includes all of the base game which many games dont do.

Entitled. Entitled. Entitled. Thats all this is anymore

Think about it. People were told they would get one exclusive dlc ( that non subscribers would have to pay for) every 3 months.

After Morrowind launches, it will be about 3 months before the next dlc. That would mean a whole year that subscribers got zero exclusive dlc.

To many, it looks like the part of their sub that should have been paying Devs to work on the dlc, instead went to pay for Devs to work on Morrowind. So for those subscribers it does kind of seem like they are being asked to pay twice for Morrowind.

Had the dlc also have been released as we were told it would be, then yes, I totally agree with you 100%, expansions are always excluded from any sub deal, but the way Zos stopped the dlc while they worked on Morrowind, I can see and understand both points of view.