Diablo 4 to feature microtransactions

[DSRilk]

I mean, that is fair, but thats not the world we live in with Blizzard in 2019.

It actually is. Red Hook Studios created a single game (Darkest Dungeon), made bank, and is now working on a second. No MTX anywhere in sight. Larian Studios (Divinity Series) started with a small success, built on that, and are now on their... sixth game (I think)... Baldur's Gate 3. All done with no MTX. The story of CD Project Red is probably the most well known - famous for their refusal to use MTX. Witcher 1 - 3 and now Cyberpunk 2077 coming up.

Our current reality is one in which it is actually easier to create new computer games and get them to consumers than ever before thanks to online word of mouth and apps like Steam. Our current reality is one in which small, moderate, and even great success is being had without any MTX at all. MTX is only a part of our current reality, and is only there because consumers choose to support it. No other reason. It isn't essential to making a game. It isn't essential to making a sequel. And it certainly isn't essential to being successful.

Support it if you like it. Don't if you don't. But please don't be under the illusion that it's necessary to the development of decent games or franchises.

[Thelin]

So they copy their free to play competitor Path of exile, any chance on top of asking for more money then path of exil, they could match the content update speed this time? Since they are doing both free to play and buy to play model in one. They should double the update speed path of exile has for new content? No? Its gona be years of nothing but tweak numbers between each expansion?

the fact that you're saying blizz copied POE when POE is itself a copy of D2 in many ways is sort of ironic..

if its cosmetics who gives a shit? news flash, its completely optional just like it in is WoW. Nobody's holding a gun to your head to buy an item/hero skin.

[IIamaKing]

It actually is. Red Hook Studios created a single game (Darkest Dungeon), made bank, and is now working on a second. No MTX anywhere in sight. Larian Studios (Divinity Series) started with a small success, built on that, and are now on their... sixth game (I think)... Baldur's Gate 3. All done with no MTX. The story of CD Project Red is probably the most well known - famous for their refusal to use MTX. Witcher 1 - 3 and now Cyberpunk 2077 coming up.

Our current reality is one in which it is actually easier to create new computer games and get them to consumers than ever before thanks to online word of mouth and apps like Steam. Our current reality is one in which small, moderate, and even great success is being had without any MTX at all. MTX is only a part of our current reality, and is only there because consumers choose to support it. No other reason. It isn't essential to making a game. It isn't essential to making a sequel. And it certainly isn't essential to being successful.

Support it if you like it. Don't if you don't. But please don't be under the illusion that it's necessary to the development of decent games or franchises.

Serious question, any of those public companies with shareholders? Also, I said "thats not the world we live in with Blizzard in 2019", I was not speaking to the industry as a whole. I am speaking to Blizzard and, I suppose, other LARGE public companies like EA. They have a requirement to increase profit year over year. As far as I understand a legal requirement to the shareholders to increase share value. So yeh, thats the world we live in.

[horbindr]

It actually is. Red Hook Studios created a single game (Darkest Dungeon), made bank, and is now working on a second. No MTX anywhere in sight. Larian Studios (Divinity Series) started with a small success, built on that, and are now on their... sixth game (I think)... Baldur's Gate 3. All done with no MTX. The story of CD Project Red is probably the most well known - famous for their refusal to use MTX. Witcher 1 - 3 and now Cyberpunk 2077 coming up.

those are all small/medium companies, most of which are in niche genre markets. just like blizzard was 20-25 years ago.

guess what happens to them once one of their games is a sudden ginormous succes? they become the victim of their own success, and end up trading creative roots for corporatism.

[Zarithras]

As long as D4 doesn't become P2W in anyway, there's no reason to be upset.

For those against non-gameplay impacting MTX, please understand what you're paying for. New games in the 90's cost $49.99 and eventually $59.99. Today, new games are capped at $69.99 for boxed games, but most are $49.99 or less. While we've experience 50%+ inflation, games haven't really kept up.

However, the economics have kept up through MTX. We can all agree that gameplay changing MTX are an absolutely poor decision, but non-gameplay impacting MTX are simply there to monetize games to meet inflation and modern time/dollar investments in game dev.

They don't impact you at all. Don't worry about it. You wouldn't get upset for your friend buying and installing a body kit on their car while you have the base model - that's not any wrongdoing from the manufacturer's.

[Katchii]

I don't understand the hate for purely cosmetic MTX.

If it were game affecting ones or items with power to them, I could totally understand, but purely cosmetic, purely optional items that do nothing but bring more money to support the game and company to being more content, while providing some cool cosmetic stuff to people who want them I don't really see it as a bad thing.

[Video Games]

the fact that you're saying blizz copied POE when POE is itself a copy of D2 in many ways is sort of ironic..

if its cosmetics who gives a shit? news flash, its completely optional just like it in is WoW. Nobody's holding a gun to your head to buy an item/hero skin.

But people in this thread are saying if they dont put in mtx, there wont be post launch content. Sounds like theyre holding the game hostage to me!

[DSRilk]

Hmm. Wow has expansion costs, recurring subs, and mtx.

Why all the fake hate all of a sudden by all the people in this thread whining about mtx? It is the standard business model these days. Get over it.

CDPR begs to differ. It is *A* model.

Also, just because something is the norm doesn't mean it's good or should be supported. Slavery was the standard business model for quite some time as I recall...

Also, just because someone doesn't also complain about WoW MTX in a D4 thread doesn't mean them complaining about MTX in D4 is "fake".

No reason if you are stupid at running companies. Thats like saying a gas station should only sell gas, and they should eliminate sodas, chips, beer, etc.

If the station decreased the quality of fuel and then sold sodas, chips, and beer that somehow increased the quality of the fuel, your comparison would be valid.

[Rendark]

I don't understand the hate for purely cosmetic MTX.

If it were game affecting ones or items with power to them, I could totally understand, but purely cosmetic, purely optional items that do nothing but bring more money to support the game and company to being more content, while providing some cool cosmetic stuff to people who want them I don't really see it as a bad thing.

It does affect the game because they make it way more grindy so people will want to skip the crap to look good.

[Katchii]

It does affect the game because they make it way more grindy so people will want to skip the crap to look good.

Eh...what?

How do cosmetic items make the game more grindy? What crap are people skipping to look good?

[DSRilk]

those are all small/medium companies, most of which are in niche genre markets. just like blizzard was 20-25 years ago.

guess what happens to them once one of their games is a sudden ginormous succes? they become the victim of their own success, and end up trading creative roots for corporatism.

The fact that as they grow they choose to "trade creative roots for corporatism" isn't what I'm disputing. I agree that's what happened. I was only saying that's not the only route to success and showing examples to back my claim.

[valky94]

They have increased sub cost in the eu and on top of that, server cost is exponentially lower than it used to be. This is just greed again

pretty sure that the EU sub has been 13€ since forever

[Fastlane_hellscream]

People still defending MTX in games which you pay full price for and are made by companies worth billions? I never understand it.

MTX in games is a cancer.

Depending on the games development cycle, how else would you support a game that lasts years and years? Initial $60 and mtx is fine with me, if the content stays fresh while the game lasts years. I'm surprised D3 lasted as long as it did without a long term plan of incoming funding. It's unrealistic to think a company will keep adding to a game with no funding coming in. Why on earth would they do that? Now if D4 gets released in a shitty state of development and is buggy, yet doesn't get fixed fast...then yea, time to call for a Blizzard boycott at that point. People seem to be comparing this situation to Path of Exile, but honestly I don't think the little seasonal tweeks they do every 3-4 months are worth a shit to me. Adding real and new content, as opposed to making a new seasonal affix type modes to existing content, is what I expect from a game if I pay hundreds of dollars through-out it's life cycle. To me, that's the fair expectation. If that isn't met, then yea, fuck mtx at that point. Will have to wait and see.

[Rendark]

Eh...what?

How do cosmetic items make the game more grindy? What crap are people skipping to look good?

They will make the game more grindy then it has to be, that's now.

[XDurionX]

Path of Exile is a FREE-TO-PLAY game. That's its entire monetization. Diablo 3 sold 30 million copies, and Diablo 4 will probably sell around the same number... no reason to double dip on it.

Stop being stubborn.

PoE is imossible to play without paying for stuff like the currency interface and a lot more. Its a fair monetization, but its far from "free".

[Video Games]

pretty sure that the EU sub has been 13€ since forever

I guess it was canada and Brazil. But they also increased service costs in the eu in 2017

[horbindr]

The fact that as they grow they choose to "trade creative roots for corporatism" isn't what I'm disputing. I agree that's what happened. I was only saying that's not the only route to success and showing examples to back my claim.

oh i think some of them don't choose to trade, it just happens to them. if you hire more people you need more managers. oh now you want to do 2 game teams at once, another layer of management. oh lets take a book deal or a tv series deal, oh shit now we need some guys to take care of that. hmm now were hiring accountants without a passion for gaming, when did that happen? i'm sure it happens quite gradually and naturally to a bunch of them.

it takes a very strong willed CEO to maintain the company culture if you are suddenly successful.

But even those CEOs retire.

[Speedlance]

you expect to pay a minor sum one time than that will cover the server cost, employee cost etc? Don't be a dumbass, you don't have to buy cosmetics at all. Easy peasy.

[zehzao]

PoE is imossible to play without paying for stuff like the currency interface and a lot more. Its a fair monetization, but its far from "free".

I partly agree, i paid for currency tab, map tab and a couple premium tabs to make my life easier, if i add everything it was probably cheaper than RoS+Necro, maybe even cheaper than RoS alone and i'm carrying those QoL for every league, so i had to spend that once in so many years. On the other hand i know people that played for a long time without buying the things i did, so i don't agree with the "far from free" part.

Now, back to Diablo, i'm 100% ok with cosmetics MTX, what would piss me off is if i've to pay for the game, xpacs AND QoL things like stash tabs and more.

[DSRilk]

Serious question, any of those public companies with shareholders? Also, I said "thats not the world we live in with Blizzard in 2019", I was not speaking to the industry as a whole. I am speaking to Blizzard and, I suppose, other LARGE public companies like EA. They have a requirement to increase profit year over year. As far as I understand a legal requirement to the shareholders to increase share value. So yeh, thats the world we live in.

I don't believe so. Most companies (even large ones like Origin back in the day) didn't go public - they just sold to someone huge who already was (EA).

If you are only speaking of Blizzard, then there isn't much to discuss, because Blizzard is owned by another company giving them direction. They are restricted by those directions. So yes, Blizzard may not have had a choice. My intention was to make it clear that game companies in general have a choice (in this case, the head company [edit]Activision[/edit]). That MTX is not required (at the top level) to continually produce quality products.

If you're talking about shareholders and whether or not pleasing them is the sole job of a corporation, that's a whole other debate. There is definitely no legal obligation (much less "requirement") to increase profit year after year. Until recently, however, that was the basic philosophy of most corporations. Recently though, there has been a wave of push back by CEOs who believe that they have a responsibility to their customers, communities, and society as a whole in addition to share holders. To me, the choice of MTX (especially ones with randomized rewards) falls into that list.