Not really.

Okay, in ESO you pay money to get some cosmetic nonsense (and a few very insignificant bonuses if you subscribe).

The type of game that episode is referring to is the type of cheesy flash or mobile one where literally the only point is to grind, and you pay to get to the next level faster. Ones with "you can do so many of ___ action every 24 hours, or pay us money to do it right now". If you want to see a prime example, this is a great one...

Difference is one gives some silly nonsense for paying, while the other is an abusive tactic to milk the customer for money that doesn't even really qualify as a game.

I don't see any parallels really.

ESO payments needed at this time to be as good as everyone else.

ESO Imperial Edition + Explorers Pack, from non ZOS retailers you can get this for about £50 (the cost of any new premium game).

After that everything in the crown store is just cosmetic fluff, the new zones will be buy to play or pay a sub but this again doesn't really function like the South Park joke.

Most the other points are covered above.

maryriv wrote: »

You two are in denial

Or you just don't understand what the episode was satirizing.

Really, do click the link I mentioned, make an account, and play for a few hours to see what I mean.

Yes, ESO has the imperial edition which is arguably pay to win.
Yes, ESO has planned DLC. What game doesn't these days?

However on the whole you can buy the game and never have to buy anything else. Everything else is cosmetic or insignificant (wow you can spend money on potions that an hour of gametime would give you enough gold to buy even more of them than what is offered in the store). There's tons of actual, 'free' content to play.

One game sells cosmetics that you do not need, that do not relate to the content of the game itself, and if you're like me probably don't interest you much anyways, and that's where the transactions end.

The other very subtly plays on your addiction to basically program you into giving them money.

They really aren't comparable.

Analogy. One is like a crime syndicate selling you black-market items like fake ID's, while the other is like a syndicate extorting you for "protection" on a daily basis. The latter being far more malicious to you in nature.