Microtransactions Part 1

[grend]

With the release of the Crystal Boutique, I think this is a good time to discuss micro-transactions.

With a huge amount of content available through XBox Live Marketplace (notably in-game content as in Oblivion), this method of nickel-and-dime-ing customers to death is a hugely profitable avenue for both on-line service providers (like XBL) and for game developers.

Here are some examples:
You can fully unlock all content in DOAX2 for about $450 USD.
Gran Turismo HD for the PS3 will apparently be released so that cars can be purchased rather than unlocked in-game, at an estimated cost of between $426.50 and $975 for the full game (all cars, all tracks) in addition to the base cost of the game. (Reference: http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3153775)

What to you think of this?
This is Part 1 of the poll. Please indicate and reply with your opinion of this type of marketing.
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[Rift]

Probably quite a reactionist view from me (the bottom option) but it really does strike me as a massive con, its just milking the punters for every last dime, especialy when combined with doax2, i.e. not fun to do it the proper way and people want the achievment points not to mention to perv at their favourite girl. Its not as if they don't make a massive profit as it is (or do itagaki's wages cost techmo that much ). I know people are going to say if you don't like it then don't buy it, but trust me i won't.....

Its a great lesson for kids isn't it? somthing in life is hard, so you pay to get past it rather than just work.....
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Huge thanks to Alcam for my new sig.

[DOA Blaze]

this is crazy i know this frome the start the well make us poor

[AssKickingBoots]

Well, I voted that I didn't care, but that's not exactly true.

I'm all for micro-transactions, except when they are ridiciously priced. Tecmo is asking way more than too much for these, which aren't even additional content, just a time saver.

If I was going to bother, I might do it for just one girl, just suits that aren't hers, but even that's about it, and even then only assuming that it would unlock Virtual Pictorial mode. From what I figure, that'd be about, what, $50 to unlock Virtual Pictorial? That's WAY too much.

If they'd have had it to where you could outright buy VP mode, I'd probably do it, even if that meant I still had to unlock more suits. But $50? Not even.

I can appreciate some episodic content, new maps, additional mechs, and alot of the other things I've seen available online for various games, but there is a line we as consumers have to draw. Video game developers and publishers have to make money and I'm all for that, but they have to earn it, damnit!
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[Grey]

There is no doubt in my mind that micro transactions is going to be quite a problem for some time with game makers putting content on the disc that you can only access by paying extra for it. According to some reports this is already happening, that when you download some of the transactions it's in fact simply unlocking content on the disc with a keycode, not adding actual content to your HD.

That is exploiting the consumer.

I worry how games in the future may exploit the process even worse than it is currently being treated.