I know I talked about how bad Ubisoft is at listening to their players, but there are many other companies out there that are just as bad, if not worse. The first ones that come to mind are EA and Activision. Both companies love to profit on a little thing called microtransactions. I don’t think there is a single sane gamer that enjoys microtransactions. Many have the philosophy, I just paid $60 for this game so give me what I paid for. They have the right to think like that, you wouldn’t pay $20 for a movie only for it to then stop halfway through and then demand another $10 to finish it! There was a time when you could buy a game and that’s what you get. It then developed into a company releasing DLC a year or two after release, as players enjoyed that specific game and didn’t want to start over on a new one. Then games came along where DLC was required for them to finish the game, games like Destiny where some paid near $200 in the end. Now companies have become so greedy, that the onetime charge for the DLC isn’t enough. Banking on kids and gambling addicts to try and open loot boxes so they can enjoy the game to the fullest. The practices used in the gaming industry have become dirty and toxic. Very few companies remain loyal to their fans and speak out against the scams other companies use. The only company that can come to mind for me in CD Project Red. The company that brought the world The Witcher trilogy. They speak out against DRM and microtransactions. Now they do still sell DLC and expansion passes, but it does not hinder your ability to enjoy the game and to finish it fully. They also deliver quality DLC, having some expansions taking more time to finish than other full games. Now, why are microtransactions still around if they are hated so much? It’s because gamers only push so far. Many have come to accept them as long as they are cosmetic items only. That the game won’t be changed just because one person spent $10 and another didn’t. EA has been especially guilty of this with the release of Star Wars Battlefront 2. The game was essentially paid to win as the loot boxes would make the game easier for you. Even after gamers hated on that game and said no to buying it just cause of the microtransactions, EA didn’t change their business practices. They left them in the Need for Speed games and they also include microtransactions in their sports games, such as FIFA and Madden. I think all gamers would like to go back to the time where you paid the $60 and that was it. Sure, there could be the occasional DLC for big popular games but that’s it.
Tech and Games 