Micro-Transactions, Those Who Criticize It, And Those Who Defend It.

[Archistopheles]

Warframe alone have pack costing 140 which wont let you buy even 1/10th of what game has to offer.

Hang on there... That $140 pack gets you 3900 plat too. That much plat could be used to buy every-single warframe in the game, with a little left over.

Or it could be used to buy almost every cosmetic in the game (if you include all color palettes).

Or you could buy 650 weapon slots. Either way you slice it, it's more than "1/10th" of the game.

I'm not picking a side, I'm just making an observation.

[RCOAS]

Mastery Rank should have rewards that include some slots. Slots are really hard to come by when your a noob, you waste your plat on some stuff, and you realize there are slots. Mastery Rank 1 is really easy to reach. If they see a " slot " sent to their inbox, they'll will notice this system and start buying slots.

[(XBOX)ShapelessHorr0r]

Micro transactions are fine if they stay within boundaries.

1) Aesthetics only

2) little to no PvP

3) High prices

They do not have to adhere to all three, but following at least one is preferred.

[(XBOX)ShapelessHorr0r]

Hang on there... That $140 pack gets you 3900 plat too. That much plat could be used to buy every-single warframe in the game, with a little left over.

Or it could be used to buy almost every cosmetic in the game (if you include all color palettes).

Or you could buy 650 weapon slots. Either way you slice it, it's more than "1/10th" of the game.

I'm not picking a side, I'm just making an observation.

I don't think slots = weapons.

[Archistopheles]

I don't think slots = weapons.

If you didn't get my point, then you didn't get my point.

[Davoodoo]

Hang on there... That $140 pack gets you 3900 plat too. That much plat could be used to buy every-single warframe in the game, with a little left over.

Or it could be used to buy almost every cosmetic in the game (if you include all color palettes).

Or you could buy 650 weapon slots. Either way you slice it, it's more than "1/10th" of the game.

I'm not picking a side, I'm just making an observation.

Ok nice, you just got 20 frames, theres also 130 weapons, mods, cosmetics are optional but would be included in full game release.

 

If you wanted to buy all of this it would cost how much?? 20k plat?? 30k plat?? that tiny 3.9k plat wouldnt be anywhere near close to buying everything within game.

[Archistopheles]

If you wanted to buy all of this it would cost how much??

You're not supposed to buy all of it. That's the whole point of F2P.

[Nitresco]

two percent of the frames in game

You mean ten percent. 2 / 20 = .10.

 

I also feel the need to point out that players start with enough plat to purchase a combination of weapon and warframe slots, further increasing dividend. This is all assuming they don't jump the gun and blow it on what most players would consider a trivial thing to use plat on.

Edited October 11, 2014 by Nitresco

[Ronyn]

 

"Oh no, not another Micro-transactions rant thread!" You may be asking yourself right now. But, that is not completely the case. I am not here to bash microtransactions, I am here to talk about the reactions to them (while dipping into microtransactions themselves, occasionally).

 

First off, I will talk about those who criticize it and the main reasons behind it. I am sure that if you come to this section of the forums frequently, you would have seen a rant or two solely on microtransactions. From what I have read and heard about, these are the main reasons. I will go and suitably explain each one, not necessarily by how big each one is or how often they are used.

 

The amount of Microtransactions ridiculous

People who use this are usually referring on the sheer variety and/or price of items. This is a broad reason and the majority will be explained in other parts.

<-Some folks like that there is a ton of different stuff to buy.

 

Some things should not be buyable

Ok, I will have to admit this is a rather uncommon reason, and even then it is not exactly against microtransactions. Just to clarify, this talks about items you can gain in game, but can also buy in the store. I have only seen it a few times, mainly in in-game chats, and most of the time it is about the Stalker weapons. I do have to give them some credit here, as I do not think it should be buyable, but in it's defense it is extremely expensive (800 plat!) and many would find that the amount of money going to DE would justify it.<-This is pretty much just pure opinion either way there so I neither agree nor disagree.

 

Microtransactions should not be required

When they bring up this subject, they are usually talking about weapon/frame slots and cosmetics, mainly slots. They see they should not be required to get plat in order to expand their arsenal. (I'm guilty here as well, I mean, about 500 plat just to buy all the slots for warframes alone is kind of ridiculous if you ask me) They either suggest that the price for slots be toned down a lot, become free, or have an alternative mean to get slots/cosmetics.<-Since plat can be earned through in game trading there are actually very few things that are only attainable by spending their own money. Essentially there is an "Alternate method" to get nearly everything.

 

Pay to Win (P2W)

People who bring this up find it unfair that people can just skip ahead and flat out buy a warframe or weapon. I usually see people to respond to this reason mockingly, saying how since you can get the items eventually, it is not pay to win. Here is a short definition of the widely accepted term for "P2W":

 

Having an unfair advantage and/or being able to achieve items or feats at a faster rate than other players in a video game by use of real world currency.

 

Now, I want you to keep in mind that there is no official definition of P2W, and I have put together this definition by both researching only and asking around friends and other players in a small variety of games.

<-That is not the definition of P2W I go with. Pay to win is more when the best stuff can ONLY be acquired by spending money. If paying only get's you something faster, that falls under the convenience category.

 

It is discouraging new players from joining

Now, this is pretty self explaining. Say a potential player has heard of a new game call Warframe and decided to check a few reviews on it. They are almost certainly going to find out how microtransaction-based the game it, and this can and has turned people away from the game.<-This is actually just an assumption.  Really, It depends on the persons expectations and experience.

 

Now that I am done with the critic's reasoning, time for the defending reasoning.

 

DE needs the money to continue

The defender's reasoning behind this is that Microtransactions pays for DE's paychecks. Although this is true at the moment, it could easily not be the case with some changes. I see this as a bad reason against microtransactions unless backed with better ones. <-being that a game could be based on several monetary models, without suggesting certain types are better or worse than others, this is actually a weak argument for either side by itself.

 

The game is built on Microtransactions

This really should not be a reason people use. Yes, the game was build around Microtransactions, but that is not saying much. Here is an example: TF2 began as a purchased game, being build around being purchased, but then switched to microtransactions. Really, it is not that hard to change a game into a different kind of payment. <-There are some fringe examples but it is actually quite a  project to change a games monitization model if it was built into the game properly in the first place.

 

If you don't like it, then leave

Ok, not even going to get into this one. This is a reason only seriously used by the ignorant, arrogant, and A-holes. This is incredibly rude, not to mention desperate, attempt to discredit the critics. Seriously, people say this about anything that is criticizing the game. Not only this game, but others. Be a good member of the playerbase, don't use this reasoning. <-Agreed. Mostly. I prefer that people don't jump to the GTFO response but on the other side of things there is a point where some folks just arent happy and really should spend their time elsewhere.

 

Microtransactions are optional

Yes, microtransactions are optional. But this is not good reasoning, especially if the critic is complaining about the price of everything. It is just like after complaining that a real life product is too expensive, you are met by the company saying "You don't have to buy the product". Well, not exactly of course, but you get the idea, none-the-less. <-being optional matters but it is true that it is no excuse for bad pricing.

 

 

So I have found that the most common reasonings by the critics are usually at least somewhat sound, but the most commonly repeated defending reasonings are poor, not well thought out, and at times desperate. Of course, I have seen individuals who give excellent defending arguments and some who have giving insanely poor criticizing arguments. I have not tried to lean towards one side or another, but it obviously does kind of look that way.

 

If there are any commonly used arguments for or against the current state of microtransactions, please tell me. Also, I am well aware some of my personal views on microtransactions have seeped into the post and I would like to remind everyone that I am still human.

 

detailed responses are bolded and underlined.and look like this.

 

Honestly it's pretty simple.

Admittedly the pricing isn't always quite right but there really isn't any "sound reasoning" against microtransaction.

So much as preference for something else., Which is fine.

 

In Warframe there is a lot of stuff to chose from.

You can get nearly everything without ever spending a dime, or you can get a lot of stuff from the store.

While the microtransaction model won't fit everyone's taste there is no way to really say that another model is better so much as just different.

 

EDIT-Something is just gnawing at my brain.

Why do so many of the anti-microtransaction not even talk about how we can earn plat from in game trading?

That's a pretty big friggin thing to leave out in this subject. Do the people making those threads not know they can do that or what?

Edited October 11, 2014 by Ronyn

[DrFail]

You mean ten percent. 2 / 20 = .10.

 

I also feel the need to point out that players start with enough plat to purchase a combination of weapon and warframe slots, further increasing dividend. This is all assuming they don't jump the gun and blow it on what most players would consider a trivial thing to use plat on.

 

 

You're absolutely right on the math. That's what I get for trying to post at 4 am! I think maybe I used one of the weapon numbers I was looking at at the time instead. Edited my post to include the slightly larger number.

 

And while you're right about the starting plat, it's really a bandaid to the situation, especially since the way the marketplace is set up and how little the game tells you most will probably spend the plat on something different before realizing the slot problem. 

Edited October 11, 2014 by DrFail

[Draconzis]

I have updated the OP. I have crossed out my "P2W" definition because it has only caused unneeded disputes over the exact definition. I also have added the "Trading" argument that I have so clumsily forgotten. I apologize about that.

[Phatose]

You're missing the very obvious one:  The complete lack of a viable alternative method.   Subscription based services fail consistently.  With copies of the game given out to anyone for free already, retail is impossible. Casually ignoring this massive problem with "it's easy to change models", while not actually having any other model to offer, is simply dishonest in the extreme.

[(XBOX)ShapelessHorr0r]

If you didn't get my point, then you didn't get my point.

I don't think you got that "1/10th" wasn't to be taken literally.

[(XBOX)ShapelessHorr0r]

You mean ten percent. 2 / 20 = .10.

 

I also feel the need to point out that players start with enough plat to purchase a combination of weapon and warframe slots, further increasing dividend. This is all assuming they don't jump the gun and blow it on what most players would consider a trivial thing to use plat on.

Well DE doesn't really help in that regard. I bought morphics with that 50 plat for heaven's sake.

[Davoodoo]

You're not supposed to buy all of it. That's the whole point of F2P.

Tell that to investors, whose wet dream is for everyone to buy all that S#&amp;&#036;.

 

And sure maybe you shouldnt buy everything, but that doesnt change the fact that 3.9k plat wont be enough to buy even 1/10th of everything this game has to offer.