It's nice they lowed the price for a haircuts but lets not pretend they are doing us a favor because this was free last year. I like playing the my career mode and the problem is the game is turning into pay to win. I want to play the my street mode but unless I am rated a an 80+ no one wants to be on my team.
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Kotaku: NBA 2K18 is Riddled with Microtransactions
- Thread starter Drillary Clinton
- Start date
TheGraykid
Member
Ignoring that this is one of the bestselling franchises in video games (over 8.5 million sales for nba 2k17), and are likely already making a pretty penny on this game.
It's not my job to care about the bussiness profiles of games, I just care if they're good, and this game sucks. I totally don't care about microtransactions as long as they're cosmetic, this is not cosmetic. This is producing a product that looks cool, but is secretly bad unless you (the consumer) pay them more to make it not bad. I feels dishonest, and is kinda a bummer that they're ruining a good game.
I'm not even mad though. 2k, do you. I will just not buy these games anymore.
It requires justification to me and the hundreds leaving bad reviews on their Steam page. And it may eventually require formal justification when regulators get involved.
not to mention sports games get quite a bit of cost recouped already due to ads and sponsors already from the get go.
Regular games at times do not get the amount of advertisement luxury that all the sports games do. I mean mountain dew and gatorade alone are put front in center in mycareer
2K18's featured mode has always been designed around microtransactions, and every iteration since 2K14 has increasingly pushed the boundaries. It's obviously been successful from a business standpoint.
It's really on consumers to boycott it, which isn't going to happen; the franchise's sales performance prove that players will (grudgingly) tolerate this stuff or support it outright by purchasing VC. I fall into the former category, as I absolutely hate how they've implemented VC this year, but I bought the damned thing anyway (literally days after I said I'd skip it) because my friends all got it and it's an excellent basketball game.
When I consider how many young gamers are used to freemium business models on mobile platforms, it's clear to me that full priced games adopting these practices are going to become more and more prevalent over time. Companies aren't going to leave money on the table when it's clear there's a huge audience willing to support this shit.
I'm slightly wary of what Rockstar is going to do with the next GTA's online mode.
It's really on consumers to boycott it, which isn't going to happen; the franchise's sales performance prove that players will (grudgingly) tolerate this stuff or support it outright by purchasing VC. I fall into the former category, as I absolutely hate how they've implemented VC this year, but I bought the damned thing anyway (literally days after I said I'd skip it) because my friends all got it and it's an excellent basketball game.
When I consider how many young gamers are used to freemium business models on mobile platforms, it's clear to me that full priced games adopting these practices are going to become more and more prevalent over time. Companies aren't going to leave money on the table when it's clear there's a huge audience willing to support this shit.
I'm slightly wary of what Rockstar is going to do with the next GTA's online mode.
Im glad I have 2k16 on my PS+. Never giving them any money,
Honestly I dont like most online modes of most games because they are based on how long you have the game instead of how good you are in the game. You play a COD, you cant have all weapons at first, you have to play many hours to start unlocking stuff (not just cosmetical stuff)... I miss the old Counter Strike days where everybody starts with the same money in every match and what matters is if you are good or not.
I am decent in NBA, but when I play online my 85 player isnt good enough to play against the 98 99 players everybody else has.... not because they are better, but because they bought it a few months earlier lol.
Honestly I dont like most online modes of most games because they are based on how long you have the game instead of how good you are in the game. You play a COD, you cant have all weapons at first, you have to play many hours to start unlocking stuff (not just cosmetical stuff)... I miss the old Counter Strike days where everybody starts with the same money in every match and what matters is if you are good or not.
I am decent in NBA, but when I play online my 85 player isnt good enough to play against the 98 99 players everybody else has.... not because they are better, but because they bought it a few months earlier lol.
Mass_Pincup
Banned
Did you read the book?
Game development is expensive because game development is usually long without any revenue offsetting the salaries.
Visual Concept is getting hundreds of millions every year with NBA 2K, the situation are not comparable for yearly releases.
jobber
Would let Tony Parker sleep with his wife
This is why I stopped buying 2K after 16. Well that and it was buggy as shit and the devs didn't give any fucks. They just wanted to block VC farming. They even reduced the amount of VC you could earn in their stupid cell phone app.
If you try to build a character without spending any money and you take said player online to play pick up games vs people that have 98 overall players, you're pretty much screwed. So you won't be able to play the modes 2K gives the most attention to (e-sports/pro-am).
If you try to build a character without spending any money and you take said player online to play pick up games vs people that have 98 overall players, you're pretty much screwed. So you won't be able to play the modes 2K gives the most attention to (e-sports/pro-am).
I like to believe I was apart of the surge that launched 2K to being one of the best/ most popular annual game series, but they are clearly comfortable and all about profit now and it sucks....
I've been playing 2K and Visual Concepts when they were not the leader in their market and their games were not popular, more niche. They started with very tight controls, an attention to detail not found in Live or its other competitors. The visuals and animations were also top notch; they pushed the envelope.
Now the series is stagnant and heavily reliant on micro transactions as well. They have no competition whatsoever and they know it. The same for Madden games. Why push the meter when there is not one single threat to your marketshare. Sports games are the definition of expansion packs sold for $60 every year. And when you have literally no other place to play these sports games, I get it.
I haven't bought 2K since 14 and I dnt plan on buying 2K18. They did the LBJ sneaker competition. That was the only time I've made a micro transaction in a game personally. I was good at the game but felt I needed and edge to guarantee me getting the shoes so I dropped $30 on VC 😢. I got the shoes but man I just couldn't support the business practices anymore. Basketball is literally a family tradition and I love the game, but I can't find myself to drop $60 on their games. I'll play it at a friend house that's about it. Not really salty it's a lot of things to do with $60 but man is it disappointing 🤦🏾*♂️
I've been playing 2K and Visual Concepts when they were not the leader in their market and their games were not popular, more niche. They started with very tight controls, an attention to detail not found in Live or its other competitors. The visuals and animations were also top notch; they pushed the envelope.
Now the series is stagnant and heavily reliant on micro transactions as well. They have no competition whatsoever and they know it. The same for Madden games. Why push the meter when there is not one single threat to your marketshare. Sports games are the definition of expansion packs sold for $60 every year. And when you have literally no other place to play these sports games, I get it.
I haven't bought 2K since 14 and I dnt plan on buying 2K18. They did the LBJ sneaker competition. That was the only time I've made a micro transaction in a game personally. I was good at the game but felt I needed and edge to guarantee me getting the shoes so I dropped $30 on VC 😢. I got the shoes but man I just couldn't support the business practices anymore. Basketball is literally a family tradition and I love the game, but I can't find myself to drop $60 on their games. I'll play it at a friend house that's about it. Not really salty it's a lot of things to do with $60 but man is it disappointing 🤦🏾*♂️
BanjoLayleeYookaKazooie
Banned
I mean, your argument now is "I'll pay more for the premium experience because I like it and it's a free market so of course they will try to make as much money as possible."
OK. You do you.
Meanwhile I'll not give an inch on my stance on microtransactions. They suck. They really, really suck.
Doesn't matter the market realities, doesn't matter the company, doesn't matter the game. I have yet to experience a single game with microtransactions where it improved the game for me in any way. Pretty much all of them just make me sour on the game entirely much faster than would otherwise happen.
They suck.
TheGraykid
Member
I don't even get that annoyed at the long-term fans still buying it. I just find it crazy that any reviews outlet can give this a 9 or 8.5. A 9 bro...A NINE!
Are you factoring in large cost reduction due to digital copies? Reusing (a relatively large percentage of) assets and code?
Audioboxer
Member
Thanks, Jim, knew you'd be on it
For passersby, an annual $60 game has an option to spend... $99.99 on "microtransactions"
For passersby, an annual $60 game has an option to spend... $99.99 on "microtransactions"
jobber
Would let Tony Parker sleep with his wife
AH I forgot something really dumb they did. In 2K16, they would update the store with shoes your player could buy/wear...but made all those shoes limited editions meaning if you weren't stalking the store the moment they add the shoe, it would be sold out...digital shoes that cost $5 in VC.
JamesHolden
Banned
It's not a premium experience, it's an exclusive experience. I can't watch an NBA basketball game in an Arena that charges me $2 for a ticket and gives me free beer. That situation does not exist. There are only 2 licensed NBA games if I want to play as my favorite teams or players. Being a sports fan is expensive. If you don't like the sport enough to value this experience at it's cost, then you are absolutely right to not buy it. History suggests others will disagree with you.
^^^
If the product is worth more than $60, by all means charge more than $60. It's been done in the past and is now a regular practice with collector's edition being sold at high premium prices. This $60 (but not really
) bullshit needs to go.JamesHolden
Banned
Are you factoring in licensing costs that don't exist in non-sports AAA games? An annual release cadence is also more expensive for the dev/pub.
Let's keep it apples to apples. AAA sports games existed in the timeline you referenced, the era before these greedy practices that you suggest are necessary for a company as rich as 2k to keep up with inflation.
JamesHolden
Banned
That's fair, but I also think licensor expectations and ROI changed significantly over this time period too.
joecanada
Member
Thanks, Jim, knew you'd be on it
For passersby, an annual $60 game has an option to spend... $99.99 on "microtransactions"
don't you love that they advertise "discounts" or "buy some get some free" on pretend currency?
I got the free game on psplus , 2k16? and I could tell it was headed in this direction right off the bat.
The real kicker is if there's enough outrage, do you know what they'll do? have a "sale" on fake money to appease the players.
Yeah, I'd be a hypocrite to blame people for supporting the game. Reviewers are probably gifted VC so they don't have to go through the insane amount of time it'll take to naturally progress your character through gameplay. That alone removes objectivity, since the primary barrier to progression has been removed.
The IGN review is the best I've read so far, and the reviewer (I think he's actually an OS guy) gave it an 8.4.
Zombie James
Banned
Thanks, Jim, knew you'd be on it
For passersby, an annual $60 game has an option to spend... $99.99 on "microtransactions"
"But if we don't pay $60 up-font, how are they ever going to get their money back? Game development is expensive!"
Shameful. Game should be 10 bucks or free with this type of garbage.Thanks, Jim, knew you'd be on it
For passersby, an annual $60 game has an option to spend... $99.99 on "microtransactions"
Dead End Irony
Member
With all this shit, part of me thinks they're moving at a very deliberate pace (not too fast, not too slow) to recover the deleted MyCareer files. I'm sure there's some people out there who will foolishly dish out another $50+ in VC just because they've lost patience.
StereoVsn
Member
The messed up part is if you do remove MTs, this is easily a 9 game (or me at least). Gameplay is very good this year. Animations are amazing (dunks and rebounds are very cool). Game flow is fun. I actually like the dumb MyCareer story. It truly is one of the best sports games ever made.... except for VC (and ability to skip cutscenes).
I am a part of the problem too. I grinded a bit without buying BC then broke and spent $20 to get MyPlayer to 77 or so (including Vac I earned separately). It is pathetic but I play enough, including time with my friends, and like the game enough to do it even though I realize that I really shouldn't endorse this bullshit.
TheGraykid
Member
I think you misjudge the argument. The argument isn't about value, it's about the experience of playing the game. The experience of playing the game is made worse because of these microtransactions. MyPlayer is an RPG, and as an RPG it's completely broken now, they've made the grind so hard and time-consuming that I have no intention of playing this game. What I want is a MyPlayer mode where I slowly progress and unlock my skills. What I've got is a mode where I grind into infinity or pay up and skip progression and end up with all my skills. As an RPG it sucks. Never mind how immersion breaking it is for this game to constantly ask you for money.
They're making a worse game, deliberately, just to make you pay them more money.
Crazyorloco
Member
Very likely. I was actually able to recover my character and you know what...
My file got corrupted for a second time. I do enjoy the gameplay and presentation in this game. But man this are some serious issues I have with VC costs and the deleted mycareer files.
I haven't purchased VC and I don't plan on it. It's supporting this shit. They're making a ton of money on a game that has audio and animations from previous years and can't beta test their fucking games. 2kGames, don't talk to me about development costs. Are we paying for the new Kobe Bryant interview in the game?
RobertRaviolli
Member
Glad to finally see some exposure about this issue, as a 2k fan I've been tolerating all the VC bullshit in the past editions, but this year has been the straw that broke the camel's back, with all those feautures locked behind a paywall
I hope more media outlets and youtubers get on this issue so the backlash gets bigger
I hope more media outlets and youtubers get on this issue so the backlash gets bigger
I'm personally hoping there is some kind of noticeable hit in their sales numbers this year. But probably not
Bruce Springsteen
Member
Until sales drop nothing will change, and I'd love to see how much they've made from these microtransactions
70% of all copies have players at overall 90 already.....it takes 255 or so games in VC to hit that.......that means 70% of all players bought the uber expensive edition or $50 of VC to hit the soft cap and play a bit to hit 90.
So if we get solid concrete numbers take that and get 70% of all sales equals some fucker who's ruining the genre for folks who just want to enjoy a game mode without having to keep their wallet open.
The best part that I never see anyone mention is the MyNBA2K app that has accompanied the game the past few years also features a card collection MyTeam knockoff, that you guessed it, is also filled to the brim with microtranscations(of the limited time RNG card pack variety and everything). The app also offers VC as a reward for checking in and playing everyday. The big hook for opening up the app is for the face scanner which you use to customize your MyPlayer so I'd imagine a fair amount of people end up opening it.
So they can fleece people twice. Scummy as hell.
MyCareer will be a big pass from me from now on after 2K17 and that stupid ass "Doin' Work" meter which required you to grind out the last 20 or so attribute points on practice, practice, practice.
So they can fleece people twice. Scummy as hell.
MyCareer will be a big pass from me from now on after 2K17 and that stupid ass "Doin' Work" meter which required you to grind out the last 20 or so attribute points on practice, practice, practice.
thats because the app doesn't even give you a good amount of VC anymore, they nerfed that as well. Just a daily login bonus of 100VC which nets you a haircut.....you used to be able to net almost 3k VC if you picked cards correctly everyday.
They legit fucked all good gains of VC by means of......just playing the game and enjoying it in the MyCareer mode.
Petrae
Member
TTWO's reliance on VC makes NBA 2K games an automatic skip for me, which is too bad given that so much praise is heaped on the underlying game. VC poisons the whole experience.
Microtransaction bullshit like Ultimate Team at least limits the toxicity to specific modes, even if they are basically the main draws of the games. EA advertises Ultimate Team front and center in all of its games, but it doesn't affect tried-and-true modes of play like Season and Franchise play. I can't stand Ultimate Team, but I don't have to deal with it. VC, on the other hand, permeates everything in NBA 2K. You can't escape it if you want to customize or build up your player. That's an inexcusably shitty thing to do.
So TTWO can fuck off. I'll play NBA Live this year to scratch my basketball itch when I need to. When your company is legitimately WORSE than EA in a given year, that's not a proud achievement.
Microtransaction bullshit like Ultimate Team at least limits the toxicity to specific modes, even if they are basically the main draws of the games. EA advertises Ultimate Team front and center in all of its games, but it doesn't affect tried-and-true modes of play like Season and Franchise play. I can't stand Ultimate Team, but I don't have to deal with it. VC, on the other hand, permeates everything in NBA 2K. You can't escape it if you want to customize or build up your player. That's an inexcusably shitty thing to do.
So TTWO can fuck off. I'll play NBA Live this year to scratch my basketball itch when I need to. When your company is legitimately WORSE than EA in a given year, that's not a proud achievement.
I'm rooting for EA to finally catch up to 2K so that they have an reason to stay honest. As of now, they know they're the only legitimate offering across all platforms, but with each passing year EA closes the gap, ever so slightly.
dmix90
Member
bool MilkingWhale( int& currentValue, int newAmount )Thanks, Jim, knew you'd be on it
For passersby, an annual $60 game has an option to spend... $99.99 on "microtransactions"
{
currentValue += newAmount;
....
return true;
}
->MilkingWhale( player_CurrentWalletValue, 450000 );
$99.99
Zvonimir Boban
Banned
And yet no other sports game comes close to the 2K series in terms of fleecing the player via microtransactions.
Not FIFA, not Madden, not PES, not MLB: The Show.
The career mode in NBA 2K games is absolutely designed to be a seemingly endless grind so we are forced to pay more money to preserve our sanity.
The Albatross
Member
NBA 2K18 and Madden are just disgusting this year. What's worse is that NBA 2K18 has basically normalized Madden's "modest" microtransactions. Madden was getting a ton of shit for moving gameplay modes behind microtransactions, like Draft Champions which used to be a normal mode inside of online that you could play without spending money/coins/etc, but now they've rebranded it as MUT Draft and they've locked it behind a ticket system that costs money (or coins! precious coins!). I was disgusted by this because it's the same mode, it's just not free anymore.
Sports gaming has always been my favorite genre of videogames... It's the ones I've played more than any other. I never thought they'd really start dying for me, but this year feels like they've taken something away from me.
It's terrible. It's all terrible.
This would be a fine point if microtransactions did not ruin the game and make it a worse value at $60.
If you could play a better career mode in NBA 2K12 or a better online draft mode in Madden '17, and the games were $60, and then Madden 18 or NBA 2K18 make the games worse because of microtransactions, then it hasn't become a better value, it's become a worse value.
If NBA 2K18 wants to reap more profit from the game without spending as much money, how about stop making "MyPark Featuring Snoop Dog" mode, where they pay Snoop Dog $10million to appear as the "host" of a minigame mode?
Sports gaming has always been my favorite genre of videogames... It's the ones I've played more than any other. I never thought they'd really start dying for me, but this year feels like they've taken something away from me.
It's terrible. It's all terrible.
This would be a fine point if microtransactions did not ruin the game and make it a worse value at $60.
If you could play a better career mode in NBA 2K12 or a better online draft mode in Madden '17, and the games were $60, and then Madden 18 or NBA 2K18 make the games worse because of microtransactions, then it hasn't become a better value, it's become a worse value.
If NBA 2K18 wants to reap more profit from the game without spending as much money, how about stop making "MyPark Featuring Snoop Dog" mode, where they pay Snoop Dog $10million to appear as the "host" of a minigame mode?
test_account
XP-39C²
Can someone put this into perspective. Is this about maxing out the character? 200 games doesnt sound like a lot in that case.
The Albatross
Member
86 overall would make your created character slightly above average, compared to other players in the NBA. He'd be a mid-level starter in NBA 2K18. Because spending VC scales up to cost more and more as you improve, going from 86 to say 95 or so (comparable to the top stars in the NBA), you'd probably have to spend much, much more time.
I'm sure it scales based on the settings you play with, but hypothetically, if each game takes 40 minutes, then that's about 8,000 minutes, or about 133 hours, or about 5 1/2 days... To create a mid-level character. And that's only if you focus on maximizing your players rating. If you want to customize the character for him to look like you or wear the clothes that you like ro might wear, then that will take much, much longer.
Or you could spend $99 and get that character now.
200 games is a lot of games, and sports games aren't like MMOs that might be released once every 3 or 4 years, or like GTA which might be released once every 5 years. They have an annual release cycle as they try to mimic real life, which has new seasons, rosters, teams, rules, and so on, every year.
Rumor has it that EA Sports makes more money from selling MUT coins than the total retail sales.
On Take2 investor calls they've stated that GTA Online makes more revenue in Shark Cards than the retail sales of GTA V... and GTAV is the best selling game of the last 10 years, the best selling North American game ever.
The companies make a killing on these things, because they're preying on people and not making games anymore, they're making lottery machines. Loot crates, card packs, MUT pack cards, all trace back to gambling instincts. It's a form of gambling, except players aren't winning money, they're winning something that's ultimately has no monetary value, and it's an expiring item in most cases.
Madden has gone a step further introducing actual gambling to Madden '18. Madden 18's Ultimate Team (MUT) mode allows you to place wagers on real life game results and essentially prop bets on NFL player performance from week to week. You earn tokens by playing grinding game modes, and then those tokens can be placed on proposition bets inside the Madden world. If you get your prop bet right (say, "Cam Newton will throw for 2 touchdowns against the Patriots,"), then they give you a reward of coins (the microtransaction curency). If you get 24 prop bets/picks right, then you get a bonus 50,000 coins, essentially, a parlay in gambling terms. The coins are the currency used in the game to improve your fictional team, and while there isn't a straight currency conversion tool, EA sells "points" which have a slightly greater value than coins, and so you could discern how much coins are worth in money by deducing the value of dollars to points and points to coins.
The hook which probably allows this to be legal is that you don't buy coins. You earn coins through grinding game modes. But there is an exchange rate between coins and points, and points can be purchased with real money.
It's very, very dirty.
DwightSchruting
Member
This thread made me go and buy NBA Live.
Their game isnt better but if its not bought they may just phase it out. It still needs work but Im seeing the potential it has and where it can head to.
My only hope is they create an NBA Street mode, where you can go and play pick up games and if u win you can grab a player from the opposing squad and add them to your own..or something.
NBA Live needs to go hard for next year, if they can avoid being a micro transaction trap(minus Ultimate Team I dont mind how they deal with that on Madden and FIFA) Im confident my fellow gamers will support them.
Their game isnt better but if its not bought they may just phase it out. It still needs work but Im seeing the potential it has and where it can head to.
My only hope is they create an NBA Street mode, where you can go and play pick up games and if u win you can grab a player from the opposing squad and add them to your own..or something.
NBA Live needs to go hard for next year, if they can avoid being a micro transaction trap(minus Ultimate Team I dont mind how they deal with that on Madden and FIFA) Im confident my fellow gamers will support them.
The Albatross
Member
I used to not mind Ultimate Team because they made Ultimate Team distinct from the main single player play modes. MUT never interfered with Franchise Mode. But Madden '18 finally hit that apex where they stopped upgrading franchise mode because MUT is so profitable. Madden '18s franchise mode is identical to Madden '17, identical, save for some bugs that they somehow introduced.
So, while MUT never interfered with franchise mode in the past, Madden '18 is the first release where MUT interfered by causing development money to be spent only on MUT, and releasing an identical franchise mode, old bugs and all.
If NBA Live becomes popular, then they're going to do the same, and NBA Live Ultimate Team will cannibalize the rest of the game. I think they probably only didn't focus on NBA Ultimate Team because the acronym spells out "NUT" and they know that'd be bad marketing...
So, while MUT never interfered with franchise mode in the past, Madden '18 is the first release where MUT interfered by causing development money to be spent only on MUT, and releasing an identical franchise mode, old bugs and all.
If NBA Live becomes popular, then they're going to do the same, and NBA Live Ultimate Team will cannibalize the rest of the game. I think they probably only didn't focus on NBA Ultimate Team because the acronym spells out "NUT" and they know that'd be bad marketing...
Audioboxer
Member
bool MilkingWhale( int& currentValue, int newAmount )
{
currentValue += newAmount;
....
return true;
}
->MilkingWhale( player_CurrentWalletValue, 450000 );
$99.99
Gentleman Jack
Member
This is a dishonest reading of the criticisms Gita lays out.
Schreier is also on record as saying the existing model is unsustainable.
DwightSchruting
Member
Wait what..? Im playing MUT now and youre describing Predictor.
You quite literally play 2 games free of charge & you get True cards in one game and false in the second.
Then you just place the cards on Predictor set for what your prediction is for the upcoming games(if a team will win, if a player will reach a stat) and thats all.
If you guess right you get a certain amount for what you get right.
Its not gambling haha, why are you making up how it actually works..?
It just keeps getting worse every year. I split the game cost annually with my brother just to play casual games and we've been doing this since 2K2. I have not, nor will I ever pay a single dime for VC. It's the slimiest MT model of them all, as it's slowly infiltrated more and more of the MyCareer mode.
I wish Sterling would've gone more in depth with his criticism - to show how nefarious it's gotten since 2K14. If you're playing this to level up your created baller, either prepare to be seriously dedicated or shill out like you want to avoid a grind like the plague. It's a shame because the gameplay continuously improves, and it's the best digital basketball every year. But with the success of the franchise, and the greed of 2K publishing, it's going to continue to get worse and worse. I'm surprised they're not charging for PlayNow alternate colorways of jerseys or Ultimate teams. It's ugly. The 2K5 days of the underdog are long gone. When Wang rejoined the team and created 2K11, it felt like a miracle. But the way the story mode has suffered, riddled by MTs to improve every characteristic of your player physical or otherwise - it's unforgivable.
I wish Sterling would've gone more in depth with his criticism - to show how nefarious it's gotten since 2K14. If you're playing this to level up your created baller, either prepare to be seriously dedicated or shill out like you want to avoid a grind like the plague. It's a shame because the gameplay continuously improves, and it's the best digital basketball every year. But with the success of the franchise, and the greed of 2K publishing, it's going to continue to get worse and worse. I'm surprised they're not charging for PlayNow alternate colorways of jerseys or Ultimate teams. It's ugly. The 2K5 days of the underdog are long gone. When Wang rejoined the team and created 2K11, it felt like a miracle. But the way the story mode has suffered, riddled by MTs to improve every characteristic of your player physical or otherwise - it's unforgivable.
The Albatross
Member
I'm not making anything up. THat's exactly how it works, and we're describing the same thing. (I said "Tokens" instead of "Predictor Cards" because the icon looks like a token for where you put the card down, but they're the same thing)
You're making bets, both on real life NFL game results and real NFL prop bets. If you hit those game results or you hit those prop bets, or of you parlay a certain amount of wins correctly (20, 24, and 32, right?) then you get rewarded with coins.
"Oh but I earn coins by playing Solo Challenges (what EA calls "grinding solos" in their "Grinders Guide") and I get predictor cards by grinding solo challenges, so it's not gambling because I'm not using real money!"
Coins, in MUT, have a exchange rate in relation to points, points have an exchange rate in relation to dollars. You use predictor cards (sorry I called them "tokens" they look like tokens on the card) which reward you with coins (which have a monetary value) which you can spend on expiring digital items which are delivered to you via packs, where some packs have good value and some packs have not good value.
This is the basic fundamentals of gambling, and it preys on gambling instincts.