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Why Overwatch's Summer Games Are A Problem

K

KZXcellent

Member
For future Seasonal Events they really show let you buy cosmetics with the in-game currency. I would even find it okay if they made them more expensive than the standard Legendary and Epic items. I mean, in the end I'll still buy boxes but the option should absolutely be there. It would also make Blizzard's forums for the game a hell of a lot less toxic.
 
G

gatti-man

Member
KZXcellent said:
For future Seasonal Events they really show let you buy cosmetics with the in-game currency. I would even find it okay if they made them more expensive than the standard Legendary and Epic items. I mean, in the end I'll still buy boxes but the option should absolutely be there. It would also make Blizzard's forums for the game a hell of a lot less toxic.
Click to expand...

Overwatch has been a crazy money grab. It's totally turned me off the game. Idk if I'll ever turn it back on.
 
D

Data West

coaches in the WNBA
KZXcellent said:
For future Seasonal Events they really show let you buy cosmetics with the in-game currency. I would even find it okay if they made them more expensive than the standard Legendary and Epic items. I mean, in the end I'll still buy boxes but the option should absolutely be there. It would also make Blizzard's forums for the game a hell of a lot less toxic.
Click to expand...

I feel like that would be a huge loss of money for them if they did it that way.

I'm of the middle ground opinion that you should just be able to buy seasonal stuff with real money. In Heroes of the Storm you can buy heroes and master skins with in-game currency but the other special skins have to be bought with real money.
 
A

ArgyleGamer

Member
Generally I have been fine with the way they are monetizing lootboxes, but the not being able to spend currency on the items from Summer Games lootboxes is disheartening.
 
S

Sayad

Member
KZXcellent said:
For future Seasonal Events they really show let you buy cosmetics with the in-game currency. I would even find it okay if they made them more expensive than the standard Legendary and Epic items. I mean, in the end I'll still buy boxes but the option should absolutely be there. It would also make Blizzard's forums for the game a hell of a lot less toxic.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't even mind making them purchasable with real money only, just don't hide shit behind gambling boxes.
 
E

Exploratory

Banned
Data West said:
I feel like that would be a huge loss of money for them if they did it that way.

I'm of the middle ground opinion that you should just be able to buy seasonal stuff with real money. In Heroes of the Storm you can buy heroes and master skins with in-game currency but the other special skins have to be bought with real money.
Click to expand...

It needs to be like most games do it. Increase the cost for special skins so it takes much longer to get but also make the boxes available for purchase. I already paid 60 bucks it's not a free to play game.
 
S

Skel1ingt0n

I can't *believe* these lazy developers keep making file sizes so damn large. Btw, how does technology work?
I spent $40 on Summer Games Loot Boxes.

$20 + $10 + $10.

I got GBR Racing Tracer, which is all I wanted. So I'm happy.

But I know, I know I'm the problem. It's why they do it. I hate myself for that reason.

But I didn't want to miss out on the outfit forever; and 14 levels didn't get me what I wanted.
 
D

Data West

coaches in the WNBA
Exploratory said:
It needs to be like most games do it. Increase the cost for special skins so it takes much longer to get but also make the boxes available for purchase. I already paid 60 bucks it's not a free to play game.
Click to expand...

The thing is, they've already given you a free hero and are giving you a free map. and they've already committed to that model. It's not a 'buy it and i'm done' game. It's constantly growing and changing like an MMO with content patches. But they don't have a subscription fee. Which means they have to make their money back somewhere else. In Marvel Heroes, you just buy the skins and you can buy the heroes with in-game gold. And you can earn more skins through the game though it takes a long time(basically you have to beat the game every time to generate a skin to merge wiht another skin into a random skin generrator) And they put out free content ALL the time.

The problem is the boxes. The boxes in general are a poorly thought out process and I wonder how long it is before the government begins to look into video games trying to skate by gambling under the guise of 'it's just video games'

put the items in the boxes. let people buy the specific items they want as well but only with real money for seasonal events, even at a higher rate. that's the best way to do it.
 
Strangelove77

Strangelove77

Member
Not being able to buy summer items with in-game currency is really dickish.

The amount of duplicates in loot boxes is also pretty shitty. But that's more of a general problem with the game.
 
R

ramyeon

Member
Skel1ingt0n said:
I spent $40 on Summer Games Loot Boxes.

$20 + $10 + $10.

I got GBR Racing Tracer, which is all I wanted. So I'm happy.

But I know, I know I'm the problem. It's why they do it. I hate myself for that reason.

But I didn't want to miss out on the outfit forever; and 14 levels didn't get me what I wanted.
Click to expand...
I think I spent about $100+

I don't really mind. I actually got every skin except Genji's out of the first $50 I spent on the first morning of the event. After that I just bought packs of 11 whenever I had money for it in my daily budget.

I'm okay with event stuff being like this as long as they continue to release non-event content that is free or purchasable with in-game currency (Which they are).
 
K

Kusagari

Member
The problem is solely because you can't buy them with gold. It makes the whole thing extremely obvious they're betting on whales buying possibly hundreds of loot boxes to get them all.
 
E

Exploratory

Banned
Data West said:
The thing is, they've already given you a free hero and are giving you a free map. and they've already committed to that model. It's not a 'buy it and i'm done' game. It's constantly growing and changing like an MMO with content patches. But they don't have a subscription fee. Which means they have to make their money back somewhere else. In Marvel Heroes, you just buy the skins and you can buy the heroes with in-game gold. And you can earn more skins through the game though it takes a long time(basically you have to beat the game every time to generate a skin to merge wiht another skin into a random skin generrator) And they put out free content ALL the time.

The problem is the boxes. The boxes in general are a poorly thought out process and I wonder how long it is before the government begins to look into video games trying to skate by gambling under the guise of 'it's just video games'

put the items in the boxes. let people buy the specific items they want as well but only with real money for seasonal events, even at a higher rate. that's the best way to do it.
Click to expand...

I'm fine with that as long as the prices aren't crazy. I've leveled up 50 times and haven't gotten anything I want it's ridiculous. They very clearly want me to spend more money.
 
E

esai

Member
I dont mind the system as it is now. I've gotten most of the stuff I wanted in like 10 boxes that I got by leveling. My brother has gotten almost everything just from leveling. Yeah I've gotten duplicates but it not like not having all the items will changed the playing field somehow. They are seasonal items just like in WoW.
 
E

Exploratory

Banned
Exploratory said:
I'm fine with that as long as the prices aren't crazy. I've leveled up 50 times and haven't gotten anything I want it's ridiculous. They very clearly want me to spend more money.
Click to expand...

esai said:
I dont mind the system as it is now. I've gotten most of the stuff I wanted in like 10 boxes that I got by leveling. My brother has gotten almost everything just from leveling. Yeah I've gotten duplicates but it not like not having all the items will changed the playing field somehow. They are seasonal items just like in WoW.
Click to expand...

Look at these two statements.
 
C

Clint Beastwood

Banned
Skel1ingt0n said:
I spent $40 on Summer Games Loot Boxes.

$20 + $10 + $10.

I got GBR Racing Tracer, which is all I wanted. So I'm happy.

But I know, I know I'm the problem. It's why they do it. I hate myself for that reason.

But I didn't want to miss out on the outfit forever; and 14 levels didn't get me what I wanted.
Click to expand...

I bought 100 cases. I have no regrets nor do I see it as a problem.

*shrug*
 
O

Oeufcoque

Banned
Data West said:
I feel like that would be a huge loss of money for them if they did it that way.

I'm of the middle ground opinion that you should just be able to buy seasonal stuff with real money. In Heroes of the Storm you can buy heroes and master skins with in-game currency but the other special skins have to be bought with real money.
Click to expand...

I would be fine with that but, HotS is Free to play while Overwatch retails for $60. In my opinion micro transactions shouldn't be in a fully priced game. Especially when they add tons of useless sprays to decrease the chances of everything else. Which they also did in the Seasonal Event.
 
Z

Zia

Member
It's pretty easy to ignore.

The bigger issue is Lucioball, which feels like a C-tier GoldSrc mod.
 
A

Aztechnology

Member
There's numerous problems with a full price title having a full blown F2P model. But I didn't really feel that bad about it until the summer games and how restrictive it is to force you to buy boxes to get what you want essentially. The reason a FTP style game was $40-60 and have the loot box systems we were told was because it would fund future content updates free of charge to not split the community.

Then where the hell is our content? Why are you pushing out new skins and cash grab events when there's still only middling amount of maps?
 
wipeout364

wipeout364

Member
This is ridiculous. Overwatch needs these revenue streams to deliver future content. It's a niche title from an indie developer that is probably barely staying in business, and they are being published by a small time publisher who is always at risk of going out of business due to no hit titles. These guys need the money and all you guys do is shit on them for being greedy; I guess you want more layoffs in the industry.
 
E

EatinOlives

Member
I'm one of the lucky ones. I got Zarya's Champion skin, Tracer's Runner, and McCree's American. Nothing else I want, really. Lucioball Lucio might be nice but I don't really need it.

Idk, still don't get what the big deal is with legendary skins. It's a first person game, you can't even see them on your person unless you play Reinhardt.
 
I

IvanJ

Banned
I love to play Overwatch, such a great game.
I would play it even if there were no rewards, because I play it to enjoy the gameplay, not to win some meaningless cosmetic item.

Whatever they decide to do with cosmetics I completely support if that means I get free new characters and new maps.
 
D

Data West

coaches in the WNBA
Aztechnology said:
There's numerous problems with a full price title having a full blown F2P model. But I didn't really feel that bad about it until the summer games and how restrictive it is to force you to buy boxes to get what you want essentially. The reason a FTP style game was $40-60 and have the loot box systems we were told was because it would fund future content updates free of charge to not split the community.

Then where the hell is our content? Why are you pushing out new skins and cash grab events when there's still only middling amount of maps?
Click to expand...

They just put out a new hero?

How quickly do you think they can plop down new heroes and maps?
 
C

Clint Beastwood

Banned
Aztechnology said:
There's numerous problems with a full price title having a full blown F2P model. But I didn't really feel that bad about it until the summer games and how restrictive it is to force you to buy boxes to get what you want essentially. The reason a FTP style game was $40-60 and have the loot box systems we were told was because it would fund future content updates free of charge to not split the community.

Then where the hell is our content? Why are you pushing out new skins and cash grab events when there's still only middling amount of maps?
Click to expand...

because the maps are fine.

or would you rather they have 30 maps where only 3 are worth acknowledging?
 
R

ramyeon

Member
Aztechnology said:
There's numerous problems with a full price title having a full blown F2P model. But I didn't really feel that bad about it until the summer games and how restrictive it is to force you to buy boxes to get what you want essentially. The reason a FTP style game was $40-60 and have the loot box systems we were told was because it would fund future content updates free of charge to not split the community.

Then where the hell is our content? Why are you pushing out new skins and cash grab events when there's still only middling amount of maps?
Click to expand...
Errr... a new hero has come, with another in the pipeline as well as a new map dropping early next month and multiple others in the works.

A bunch of new emotes just got released on PTR (All buyable with in-game coins) as well as a new legendary skin set for Reinhardt (Also buyable with in-game coins)

I have no issues with the amount of content Overwatch is receiving atm.
 
Z

Zia

Member
Data West said:
They just put out a new hero?

How quickly do you think they can plop down new heroes and maps?
Click to expand...

Dude should play a Valve game. They're currently running three massive services in Dota 2, CSGO and TF2 and we get a few big updates a year between the three, and most of those are for Dota.
 
K

kirblar

Member
Exploratory said:
http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/08...are-a-problem?abthid=57b6053cfcddabb00c00000a

I can't remember the last time I read a video game article like that one. Detailed, gets directly to the heart of the problem and is criticizing a major developer? Maybe I need to read more IGN I dunno.
Click to expand...
Yup, saying exactly what everyone sane was saying- invalidating your own currency destroys player confidence in it in order to get a temporary cash grab. Great, succinct summary of the issue.
 
L

LiK

Member
Cosmetic items. So what's the issue? Destiny locked away emotes with Silver which required real money with no other way to get them. At least you can try getting them from leveling up in OW.
 
H

HowZatOZ

Banned
The problem isn't the boxes themselves, its the RNG on said boxes. What a developer should do when it comes to this real money incentive is offer it both in-game through in-game means and for a real-money price, covering both aspects of being fair to the player. Obviously the in-game means will be the longer path but you don't have to pay a cent, while the real-money method gets you the content you want and helps the devs out.

Remove the RNG from loot boxes, its stupid and makes the system feel shit especially with the fact that players are paying real money and getting duplicates. People will be far more happy to pay real money for items they actually want, knowing there are no duplicates and you will eventually get what you want.
 
A

Aztechnology

Member
wipeout364 said:
This is ridiculous. Overwatch needs these revenue streams to deliver future content. It's a niche title from an indie developer that is probably barely staying in business, and they are being published by a small time publisher who is always at risk of going out of business due to no hit titles. These guys need the money and all you guys do is shit on them for being greedy; I guess you want more layoffs in the industry.
Click to expand...

Nice one lol.

Hey Blizz can you please make it so we can use the currency system to buy the new skins?

"Wow I can't believe how many people are playing Overwatch. It's so great".

Hey Blizz, why are new maps so slow to roll out? Why did you do a skin summer event before releasing actual new content?

"Billions of points captured, kills and millions of payloads delivered already! Wow this is Unreal!"
 
C

Conkerkid11

Member
Just like I felt in the Jim Sterling thread, a lot of people seem to be really up-in-arms regarding cosmetics, and it's kind of ridiculous when you've got TF2, Halo 5, and all of the recent CoD games not only doing this with cosmetics, but with items that actually give you an advantage over other players as well.

Blizzard is well known for supporting their games well after most developers would have already released several sequels. If a couple cosmetic items I might not obtain mean I won't have to drop $50 on a season pass and $60 on a sequel next year, I'm all for it.

You're not entitled to being capable of acquiring every single cosmetic in the game. That's just the way it is.

wipeout364 said:
This is ridiculous. Overwatch needs these revenue streams to deliver future content. It's a niche title from an indie developer that is probably barely staying in business, and they are being published by a small time publisher who is always at risk of going out of business due to no hit titles. These guys need the money and all you guys do is shit on them for being greedy; I guess you want more layoffs in the industry.
Click to expand...
Just because they're not an indie developer doesn't mean their game doesn't need a stream of revenue in order to continue pushing out content. You can either expect a season pass or microtransactions to fund future content. You can't say, "oh, but they're Blizzard, they don't need money. They have a vault full of it already!"

Battlefield has a season pass. Halo 5 has microtransactions that are not only cosmetics but provide players with an advantage. All sports games provide paying players with an advantage along with paying MSRP for an annual title. There are much worse offenders than a game that provides absolutely no advantage to those who pay for the microtransactions and gives players free content post-release.
 
E

Evo X

Member
Lmao @ people spending money.

1st of all, my friend bought me the game because I helped him build his PC.

Then when i booted it up, I got Tracer's Track & Field skin from my very first loot box and American McCree from my second.

The RNG gods smile upon me. :p
 
A

Aztechnology

Member
Data West said:
They just put out a new hero?

How quickly do you think they can plop down new heroes and maps?
Click to expand...

Crush. Kill. Destroy. said:
because the maps are fine.

or would you rather they have 30 maps where only 3 are worth acknowledging?
Click to expand...

ramyeon said:
Errr... a new hero has come, with another in the pipeline as well as a new map dropping early next month and multiple others in the works.

A bunch of new emotes just got released on PTR (All buyable with in-game coins) as well as a new legendary skin set for Reinhardt (Also buyable with in-game coins)

I have no issues with the amount of content Overwatch is receiving atm.
Click to expand...

ramyeon said:
Ana was released before the Summer Event.
Click to expand...

I know they put out Ana. Maps are more important right now. I'd rather see then put out more maps than heros right now. Emotes are not content, they are aesthetic. Which falls into the revenue stream first focused category.
 
V

Vegetable Lasagna

Member
The Overwatch unlock system is bullshit on multiple levels for a full priced $60 game. The Summer Games loot boxes make it even more ridiculous. I'd like to point out they also ended Competitive Season 1 five days before the Summer Games promotion ends. They ended the only means of getting XP in an efficient way to earn those loot boxes without buying them. Have fun trying to get anything in the next few days before it ends without spending more cash. Guess it doesn't matter... If you haven't been playing long most of those loot boxes will be 4 brand new sprays anyway. If you're high level they'll just be 4 duplicate sprays. Not to mention before all of this Summer Games shit it took around 70 levels for me to unlock/purchase two skins I wanted. If this was anyone else besides Blizzard I feel like there would be severe meltdowns happening. And people complained about Rainbow Six: Siege's unlock system? Sigh.

I also absolutely hate that I really really really enjoy a game, a game that is clearly based on a free to play model, that still costs $60 on consoles.
 
Z

ZangBa

Member
All these legendary Zarya and Lucio skins I'll never use and all I want is American McCree. I'm pretty butthurt about this. It's a $60 game, I think it's fair to criticize this type of F2P model in a full priced game.
 
Acerac

Acerac

Banned
ArgyleGamer said:
Generally I have been fine with the way they are monetizing lootboxes, but the not being able to spend currency on the items from Summer Games lootboxes is disheartening.
Click to expand...

This is the part that gets me. The fact that they are the first cosmetics added for most characters just makes it that much more annoying when many have been saving their currency.
Sayad said:
I wouldn't even mind making them purchasable with real money only, just don't hide shit behind gambling boxes.
Click to expand...

Fuck that, then I couldn't get any of them. That'd be much worse for me as somebody who doesn't want to pay any money past my initial investment.
 
R

ramyeon

Member
Aztechnology said:
I know they put out Ana. Maps are more important right now. I'd rather see then put out more maps than heros right now. Emotes are not content, they are aesthetic. Which falls into the revenue stream first focused category.
Click to expand...
You didn't specify maps. You can't just change the meaning of "content" to fit your narrative like that.
 
B

besada

Banned
ZangBa said:
All these legendary Zarya and Lucio skins I'll never use and all I want is American McCree. I'm pretty butthurt about this. It's a $60 game, I think it's fair to criticize this type of F2P model in a full priced game.
Click to expand...
Shame there's no swap feature, as I have American McCree but play Lucio, Junkrat, and Reinhardt mostly.
 
C

Clint Beastwood

Banned
Aztechnology said:
I know they put out Ana. Maps are more important right now. I'd rather see then put out more maps than heros right now. Emotes are not content, they are aesthetic. Which falls into the revenue stream first focused category.
Click to expand...

I'd rather they take their time and make sure the maps are worth playing instead of being CSGO where 95% of the population plays nothing besides Dust 2
 
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