MTX = Loss of playerbase

General Discussion
83

So D4 is gonna be Free to Play?
I don’t think so.

Look, I know there is pressure to make money. And let’s assume they will keep it visuals only (no stash tab / QoL features).

Now it boils down to personal preference.

  1. For some people the experience is mainly gameplay and visuals don’t really matter.
  2. And for others visuals are important and method of acquiring visual progress (transmogs, spell effects, whatever) is significant part of experience.

I belong to the second group.

I’m willing to pay $70 or $80 for the game if I’m guaranteed fair content acquisition rules including cosmetics. (Which is unfortunately still way less than I would spend If I wanted to buy every single cosmetic in shop ofc.)

(Rant ensues)
I just want my character to look adequate to my abilities and effort spent. And seeing all the flashy armour / wings / effects which look like several tiers cooler than anything that can drop ingame, but are basically … just… you know, bought. It’s one of main reasons I went to WoW Classic from retail, I think it’s gonna be WoW mount /spit situation all over again.

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84

It is, actually. Nobody likes it, but we can at least admit it. You need to stop living in the 90s or get a job so you can stop being jealous of these 8 year olds. Personally, I don’t really care what any of you look like in game. It has zero affect on my game.

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85

Labeling a completely optional cosmetic choice as predatory…
Sorry you can’t control your budget

M-rated game
Not holding parents responsible for playing it.
Letting your kids steal money from you…
Clown World, Honk Honk

(inb4 fortnite comparisons)

If I can ask how much soy product do you consume daily?

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86

It isn’t ‘defending MTX’ it is more of an understanding of where we are in the ecosystem of gaming now.

If you want long-term content additions, support, and even expansions at this point the money counters want a continual (or guaranteed) revenue stream for shareholders.

The sheer cost of developing AAA games now has pushed the industry into an area where returns become vital because bad releases can cause mammoth issues for a studio due to the amount of resources that need to be invested… again

Edit: As long as we keep the content as optional for power and progression and not mandatory for the pinnacle of power it is “okay.” It is one of the many reasons I play Magic Arena WAY MORE than HS now. Magic has set a lower price point for similar amount of content and have more cosmetic options to achieve a similar $/user

87

Refute #1 You are OK with free or earned cosmetics But,Those also can be used to cover up gear and make it look different .So ,You refute your self with your own argument .

Refute #2 So you are mad because people will look "Flashy " and "Ruin your immersion " Then Play solo …Are you going to unfriend someone because they buy a cosmetic? You are making it sound more like you can not afford to buy any and are throwing a fit .

Refute #3 Of course they will roll out tons of Cosmetics ,They are looking for a way to make a game that will generate income beyond the inital sale . When a game can genetate income after the inital sale then it makes the parent Co. want to add to the game content and support it .So again people will buy an Expac and want to spend more .

Refute #4 See refute #3

Done and did …

You really do not understand today’s game market and how games are developed and long term plans for them .One and done games are basically just not done any more and have not been for a long time .This was part of the problem with Diablo 3 .They had planned on making cash off of the RMAH to generate a cash flow and help to promote future development on the game . When it was removed ActiBlizzard had no chose but to focus its teams on other projects which generate cash after inital sale . IE:Hearthstone ,OW , and so on . Which left D3 to die a slow death with a few things being released RoS but they had already been working on them so they went ahead. The third ExPac never made it and we got bit and pieces released for free basically because it was already in the can so to speak.

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88

Fairness has nothing to do with it. What it comes down to is, do you want to spend money to look like a rainbow poptart or do you not? One person says hey, I wanna buy that and the other person, you, says hey, I don’t wanna buy that. You were giving the same opportunity as player 1, you just opted out.

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89

How is it not predatory? Just look at the blizzard launcher. Sometimes your forced to view a whole page dedicated to MTX before continuing into game from the launcher. Sometimes you’ll see MTX sales from OTHER games on the front page when launching into the game. Sometimes you’ll see bundles of “LIMITED TIME ONLY” at 50% off just to reap in more sales from little kids. Sometimes you’ll see “LAST TIME TO BUY THIS ITEM” and then it goes on sale again 3 months later.

How is any of that NOT predatory?

90

So the Target ad is now predatory?

In addition, to be honest, 8 out of 10 times I don’t even recognize what is on the launchers as my muscle memory essentially clicks ‘Play’ for me now

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91

Why does it bother you? If someone said “LAST TIME TO BUY THIS FOREVER YOU NEED THIS!!!”, then you buy it? Sounds like a personal problem.

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92

So when you walk into your grocery store and grab the ad and they have a sale for 2 for 5 on your soy based milk. That’s predatory?

You don’t need more estrogen, but you might want it.

93

Nostalgia :thinking:? Piracy :thinking: ?, the real thing though is = WHAT you consider as a “live” material. D2 didn’t get any expos (or patches) last 15 years, (or it did ?), you get the idea

Necroing the same content over and over doesn’t necessarily make a game exactly “survive material”

I DO give you that though = in order for a game to work the INITIAL RELEASE has to have a good smell around it, not be a “meh” material

BOTH, yes, and no. It depends on the consumer

Sometimes buyers can be jerks and consume same content no matter what. For ex. people buy Cola even today everyday after decades lol. That doesn’t make Cola better than it’s competition, just more popular… for whatever the reason/s

IF you want for something that was one-time-release thing to actually survive as once was = there’s a “Maintenance fee” you know

The “Everything’s on the internet now” I could give you that argument, but then = they’re no longer in control of your own product. Games are online for a reason (prevent piracy, control the outflow). Inherently that produces BOTH better, and worse

Better ? = LOW (or zero) entrance fee cost, so affordability goes higher
Update/s = higher turnover to feedback response
Expansion/s = higher turnover to growth

Bad ?

Censorship
Bans based upon reasons non-related to gameplay experience
Higher amount of responsibility of gameplay health status of each individual player

Whether or not it’s marketing-related now THAT is something IDK and IS debatable. Could be said if the buy button isn’t as shiny and as “different” from the regular menu people would click it less often (IDK)

STILL = creating something that people reuse isn’t necessarily creativity… It’s more rather like a result of well-manipulated public opinion and/or criticism narratives (IMO)

94

His thighs are praying he doesn’t grab the whole milk :rofl:

95

See, you think that your post was clever. It wasn’t. Your entire point is that we should “shut up and get in line” like everyone else. That in its self is the problem. People are so willingly giving in to these practices. Just so that they can have something shiny.

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96

I think all transmog/MTX should not exist in the Diablo game.

The cumulative aspects of all these toxic aspects is what ruined Diablo 3, and will ruin diablo 4.

Do as you wish, I’m a game developer with a high standard of morals, and I can see things roll out before they occur.

I’ve been posting since day one on Diablo 3 and it’s failed aspects, look what happened, game has less viewers than runescape. Same with World of warcraft, took a negative turn starting in cataclysm when all these negative philosophies that are also being implemented in Diablo series.

I’m here to improve EVERYONE’S experience of the game, and I know exactly how to do that. But if you really say so, keep your toxic transmogs and MTX’s and I will abuse them in game because at the top level of play that’s what players do.

I will run around naked or with a very silly hat on for psychological purposes and PK like that in Hardcore diablo. It absolutely does have a beneficial factor to it which you clearly aren’t capable of imagining.

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97

Nobody is telling you to do anything. Get in line. Don’t get in line. Nobody really cares. The problem is you see a line and feel compelled to get in it. Like I said, you have a personal problem.

98

People will purchase what they want, it is up to them and them only. Here is the only scenario you guys are concerned about

  1. Advertisement pops up 50% off new pink IK valor tint. “I need this I can’t control myself take my money I have zero rational or budget management.”

“BLAME THEM NOT ME”

99

Diablo 3 doesn’t even have MTX…

Don’t even say the Necromancer. It’s not a cosmetic and it’s a one-time purchase. It’s also not P2W. I still don’t have it and I think it was on sale for like $10, prolly still is. But I don’t need it. Seeing other Necromancers doesn’t tell me “hey, you need this class”. No, I really don’t.

100

I am not talking to you, but go ahead and take it personal. idc. You offer nothing to this conversation.

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101

It isn’t “give in” you vote with this awesome thing called your wallet:

  • I stopped playing and purchasing here and there when HotS went to a loot box system

  • I stopped playing LoL eventually as a combination of the game play and annoyance with the hero release system kind of made me decide to walk away

  • I stopped playing For Honor due to a multitude of reasons but partially was the ‘Iron’ system (forgot name if this is wrong)

  • I am playing a lot less HS and not spending because the cost to ‘have fun’ (competitively meme) is just getting too ridiculous compared to Magic Arena

That is the best way to vote. Play games that provide a feature and play set you like the most. $s speak loudly.

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102

Or, people could just not buy the game. For me, with the announcement of microtransactions, I will at the very least not be purchasing D4 on day 1. The game will then need to be innovative or legendary for me to purchase it at full price; otherwise, if I still want to play it, I will wait six months to a year and get it at 50% off plus.

However, it probably doesn’t matter anyway as Activision-Blizzard made $700 million on microtransactions over the last quarter…

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