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Assassin's Creed: Unity microtransaction shop wasn't fully live in retail copies

2

2mad2behere

Neo Member
earvcunanan said:
Are there any Ubisoft developers or community managers here on GAF? I feel sorry for the backlash they're receiving, even if they took no part in this game.

Sucks for Ubi, tho. They're having a terribad year with consumer backlash.
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I don't even. They are having a horrible time being a incompetent company out of touch with their audience. They deserve everything coming their way because that is the only way a company will change.
 
S

Seanspeed

Banned
EricTheCleric said:
it would suck less for Ubi if they stopped being dicks towards their customers. No one should feel sorry for Ubi, they deserve the hate.
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I think its easy to forget that Ubisoft is made up of lots of human beings, many(most) of whom had no say or part in any of the things you guys are getting so angry about.

For me, its almost impossible for me not to feel bad for when a party is the target of intense bashing. Even if I agree with the criticism in general, I don't necessarily like how hateful people are about it. Like here, its a non-story, but that hasn't stopped pretty much everybody bar a few people who have stopped to think for a second from using this as an opportunity to continue their Ubisoft bashing. This is where I start to feel that its turning into mob mentality rather than a group of well-voiced criticisms.
 
S

Shengar

Member
a88.jpg
 
B

barit

Member
Well even Child of Light has microtransactions. Buy 3 gems for 4,99$ and feel strong. So this shit don't surprise me one bit. But the special chests where you need app and web account is really a new low. That's the fucking world we living in. Thanks to all the fremium and mobile games publishers thinking this is the way to go, sadly. I'm just thankfully that not everyone is following the same path like Sony or Nintendo. Yes they have DLC's for their first party games and cosmetic stuff you can buy but not these shitty F2P microtransactions in a full paid game. DriveClub for example should have microtransactions from the beginning but thanks god Evolution and Sony decided against it. (maybe because of all the online problems, who knows)

I really hope this stays so. Sure it is all optional and only meant for people with too much money and too little time to play the game properly. But you can't tell me that this has not influence the progress of making a game. All the mechanics to support microtransactions have to implement first before you could use them. And the argument "it's for the players" don't count when only a small amount of people take advantage of it.
 
2

2mad2behere

Neo Member
Seanspeed said:
I think its easy to forget that Ubisoft is made up of lots of human beings, many(most) of whom had no say or part in any of the things you guys are getting so angry about.

For me, its almost impossible for me not to feel bad for when a party is the target of intense bashing. Even if I agree with the criticism in general, I don't necessarily like how hateful people are about it. Like here, its a non-story, but that hasn't stopped pretty much everybody bar a few people who have stopped to think for a second from using this as an opportunity to continue their Ubisoft bashing. This is where I start to feel that its turning into mob mentality rather than a group of well-voiced criticisms.
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People aren't going to single coders twitter or emailing them that they should kill themselves. People are voicing their rightful opinion about a company as a whole because that is how this works. A company is made of people and hopefully those in charge will notice that they are completely out of touch with their audience. This is just a top of the iceberg of shitty things they have been doing and people are fed up. And they should be, no change will come if nobody goes, no, fuck you, and fuck your shit.

Those who were not in charge can go, yeah, I had nothing to do with it and move on. If somebody actually gets offended because somebody said that the company they work for is shit, because they are being a shitty company, then they should do some inner searching about the priorities in their life.
 
S

Seanspeed

Banned
2mad2behere said:
People aren't going to single coders twitter or emailing them that they should kill themselves. People are voicing their rightful opinion about a company as a whole because that is how this works. A company is made of people and hopefully those in charge will notice that they are completely out of touch with their audience. This is just a top of the iceberg of shitty things they have been doing and people are fed up. And they should be, no change will come if nobody goes, no, fuck you, and fuck your shit.

Those who were not in charge can go, yeah, I had nothing to do with it and move on. If somebody actually gets offended because somebody said that the company they work for is shit, because they are being a shitty company, then they should do some inner searching about the priorities in their life.
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I have nothing against criticism against Ubisoft. But criticism can quickly turn to just needless mob bashing, like here in this thread. That's when I feel I start to feel people are probably overdoing it. Of course some people take the attitude that enough is never enough when it comes to something they don't like, but I just cant feel that way.

Its funny your line about somebody needing to do some inner searching about their priorities in life coming from somebody supporting outrage and hate over video games. And I don't know what kind of work you've done, but I think if you work hard on something, even if its just under the orders of somebody else, and that thing gets bashed to all hell, it would probably be hard not to be hurt by it to some degree. I hope people aren't, but I would understand if some were. That does not mean something is wrong with them or that they need to reevaluate their priorities in life. :/
 
2

2mad2behere

Neo Member
barit said:
But you can't tell me that this has not influence the progress of making a game. All the mechanics to support microtransactions have to implement first before you could use them. And the argument "it's for the players" don't count when only a small amount of people take advantage of it.
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Exactly, we already have lazy developers that will make a game with a full DLC money milking plan in effect from day one. This will just create a new standard of making shitty boring missions and then saying, hey you can skip those for 4,99 man, it isn't so bad. And judging from the reviews this is exactly the case, most of the missions are boring following around missions and side quests a slow grind. So instead of people demanding actual quality product for their money, we have a bunch of apologists going, it isn't so bad, it is not mandatory, it isn't a real paywall. It isn't, but instead of it is an incentive for developers not actually creating a fun game where the joy come from the journey, but instead from the completion.
 
2

2mad2behere

Neo Member
Seanspeed said:
I have nothing against criticism against Ubisoft. But criticism can quickly turn to just needless mob bashing, like here in this thread. That's when I feel I start to feel people are probably overdoing it. Of course some people take the attitude that enough is never enough when it comes to something they don't like, but I just cant feel that way.

Its funny your line about somebody needing to do some inner searching about their priorities in life coming from somebody supporting outrage and hate over video games. And I don't know what kind of work you've done, but I think if you work hard on something, even if its just under the orders of somebody else, and that thing gets bashed to all hell, it would probably be hard not to be hurt by it to some degree. I hope people aren't, but I would understand if some were. That does not mean something is wrong with them or that they need to reevaluate their priorities in life. :/
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I don't see how this could be enough when there hasn't been any acknowledgement from Ubi that they hear peoples concerns. There was nothing during the development and still nothing. There probably won't be nothing until the game sells like shit. And how is this too much? People are saying Ubi are being shitty and I do agree with that. Where is this mob mentality you are talking about? People aren't spamming the developers, they aren't making threats, the only thing in this thread I see is people discussing why this is bad and why Ubi should not have done this, they have made some bad development choices and they do not condone them and won't be giving them money.

I am supporting outrage, because consumers do have rights and should have voices regarding the directions series like AC take. If they decide they do not want to hear those concerns, I will simply not play their games, but I would rather first try to see if there could be change in direction with something that I have enjoyed over the years. AC 3 was horrible and they saw their mistakes and fixed most of the problems for AC 4. If after Unity they decide they want to continue with this direction then they have made their intentions pretty clear.

I don't see how I'm supporting hate, saying a company is shit is like saying you hate sea food. If that is somehow too much for your feel policies then cry me a river. As I said before, nobody is making personal attacks on anybody, they aren't ddosed and people aren't going out of their way to threat the developers. So where is this hate, please do tell. because I still see discussion of what they are doing wrong, why it is wrong and why people do not like it. That's is not hate, that criticism.

And again for the hurt feelings department of the waambulance section of the day. They fucked up, maybe it was somebody upper the food chain but they fucked up. if your feeling were hurt because people didn't like what you did , then too bad. Being offended doesn't do anything, you aren't entitled to anything just because your feelings are hurt. Hopefully next time they don't fuck up so the product you are making is good. As I said, nobody is attacking some single developer telling them that they should die and that their product is shit. People are telling a company to go suck a dick because of development choices they made that people perceive as lazy, contrary to what would be good for the industry and affecting the development in a negative way.
 
H

Hedge

Member
This is seriously a crap practice. Glad my money is going to Dragon Age: Inquisition instead, with their review embargo releasing a week before the games release.
 
D

disastermouse

Banned
Braag said:
I've all ready wiped a few asses while working at a nursing home for little over a month.
Same thing during my 6 weeks period at a kindergarten.
My next work sessions is with patients suffering from mental disorders.

I've come too far to stop now.
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Pay attention in psyche nursing. All nursing is psyche nursing!. If it's not the patients it's the family...or the coworkers.
 
D

Darklord

Banned
Hedge said:
This is seriously a crap practice. Glad my money is going to Dragon Age: Inquisition instead, with their review embargo releasing a week before the games release.
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You know things have gotten bad when we're glad to give our money to EA.
 
C

Com_Raven

Member
I am amazed by how many people here seem to be (purposefully?) ignoring facts so they ran rage more.

Let's see:

1. AC games have had microtransactions for years
2. Ubisoft said that there would be MTx in Unity 3 months ago: http://www.gamespot.com/articles/assassins-creed-unity-has-microtransactions-but-ub/1100-6421724/

3. You can see in the screens that there is a MTx currency
4. Reviewers were unable to see the prices or to buy the currency, as the servers were down (which is hardly unusual pre-release, as also confirmed by Phazon)

I can't understand how anybody can in good faith say "they hid the microtransactions", unless you intentionally ignore the facts.

Whether it is okay to have MTx in a retail game in the first place is of course an entirely different discussion that is worth having!
 
F

Frodo

Member
Ubisoft digging that grave.

People will keep buying their games, though. Wait for Unity to debut amongst the top in sales charts... so...
 
R

RubberJohnny

Banned
OmegaNemesis28 said:
Make WHAT free? All of the "microtransactions" in the game is for content that is "FREE". In other words, the "microtransactions" are just fast-unlock passes to stuff you unlock in the game like you would in any other normal game. EVERYTHING is in the game. You can get EVERYTHING in the game. No one is taking content and putting it behind a paywall.

So WHO CARES? Why do you care if there is an option for people to buy their way through the game's progression? Its an ~option~.
Click to expand...

Because it distorts the game design? The same group creating micro-transactions and their prices also decides the arbitrary progression length, which creates a vested interest in deliberately slowing in-game XP and progression in order to incentivise the purchase of boosters.

Even if you don't buy them, the $60 game you buy is negatively affected by being more grindy and deliberately wasteful of your time.

Making DLC actually new content that you pay money for is a fair transaction that you can decide is personally "worth it" on a case by case basis, making DLC cosmetic stuff that doesn't affect the game is a fair transaction that you can decide is personally "worth it" on a case by case basis, making micro-transactions "boosters" affects you negatively even if you decide they're not worth it.
 
M

Massa

Member
Seanspeed said:
I think its easy to forget that Ubisoft is made up of lots of human beings, many(most) of whom had no say or part in any of the things you guys are getting so angry about.

For me, its almost impossible for me not to feel bad for when a party is the target of intense bashing. Even if I agree with the criticism in general, I don't necessarily like how hateful people are about it. Like here, its a non-story, but that hasn't stopped pretty much everybody bar a few people who have stopped to think for a second from using this as an opportunity to continue their Ubisoft bashing. This is where I start to feel that its turning into mob mentality rather than a group of well-voiced criticisms.
Click to expand...

Well said.
 
choodi

choodi

Banned
There is only one solution to this problem...stop giving these shitty companies your money.

The number of people in here that are angry, but still willing to give money to Ubisoft or EA is amazing.
 
J

jimi_dini

Member
OmegaNemesis28 said:
The real problem of actual "microtransactions" in the clickbait definition that we all know and hate from mobile games are transactions where you die, and then you're prompted to pay money to continue playing or ask a bunch of friends to help you or something.
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...or wait a certain amount of time...

...or getting forced to do monotonous shit for some time to actually unlock content...

As soon as game design is affected, it's not okay anymore. And it's always affected, otherwise microtransactions wouldn't have a reason to be there in the first place.
 
C

Com_Raven

Member
Pakoe said:
That's really, really low. Ubisoft isn't getting a cent from me.
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What is low? The fact that there are MTx in a retail game? Because, as a lot of people in this thread have attested by now, they never hid the microtransactions, as originally alleged by the OP.
 
H

Harmen

Member
I do not particulary like the mob bashing. But as a faithful consumer of their products (I own all console AC's, Rayman's, Far Cry's, Splinter Cells and many more titles) I do feel screwed over by some of their practices. These microtransactions come off as really shady and often gimps features in games you just paid 60 bucks for (and it is not about it being known before/hidden to me, it is about it being there). And the optimization seems terrible too. Thankfully, it does show in the reviews and I hope the media calls them out on it, in hope that they will do better in the future.

I did not play Unity yet, so maybe all of it is hyperbolic (let's hope that is the case). But from what I have seen and heard, it does not make me want to run to the store to buy a copy. And I really like AC. I will wait and see, but so far it is something I'll try from the budget bins.
 
G

Greenlock

Neo Member
While I'm all for developers finding new ways to fund development of games and adding value to both investors and customers I'm really not ok with this obfuscation of micro transactions. Micro transactions in general should be optional and not necessary for a complete gameplay experience. I'm not certain if that's the case here or not but if I can plat the game without excessive grinding I'm ok with the level of microtransactions.
 
T

tbm24

Member
Harmen said:
I do not particulary like the mob bashing. But as a faithful consumer of their products (I own all console AC's, Rayman's, Far Cry's, Splinter Cells and many more titles) I do feel screwed over by some of their practices. These microtransactions come off as really shady and often gimps features in games you just paid 60 bucks for (and it is not about it being known before/hidden to me, it is about it being there). And the optimization seems terrible too. Thankfully, it does show in the reviews and I hope the media calls them out on it, in hope that they will do better in the future.

I did not play Unity yet, so maybe all of it is hyperbolic (let's hope that is the case). But from what I have seen and heard, it does not make me want to run to the store to buy a copy. And I really like AC. I will wait and see, but so far it is something I'll try from the budget bins.
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It's been said more than once now how micro transactions affect the design of the game negatively. After playing Unity a good while yeaterday, I'd like to know what aspect of the main game was negatively affected. So far, I haven't come across anything that suggests as much.
 
T

thenexus6

Member
Damn, UBI dirty. The only games I care about are Splinter Cell and Rainbow six anyway other than that I don't really care for this company at all.

I swear if they pull some BS with the Division i'll be mad as its the game I am looking most forward to.
 
C

Chaos17

Member
Amir0x said:
That's basically where I'm at with Ubisoft right now. They have been so disgusting for so long now that I don't even want anything to do with them. I've purchased every AC game from them in the past, so I was part of the problem leading to this shit. I encouraged them by accepting their past garbage and now I'm swallowing the crap that they think we're OK with.

No friggin' more. Yes, we're just talking about videogames and it's not like saving the environment, but I can save my money for more important things. Like videogames that aren't released in half finished states with microtransactions pouring out the ass and treasure chests that won't open unless you utilize the goddamn companion app.

Like companies that don't treat us like fucking morons pretending 30fps feels more cinematic. Like companies who don't insult entire fucking groups of gamers because of their pathetic laziness. Like companies which don't fucking spout PR vomit to appease their fucking marketing partners. Like companies which don't think gamers are so fucking pathetic that they'll believe any spewing ass diarrhea coming our way so we can play their shitty, buggy, barely functional repetitious grindwheel open world titles. Like companies that don't utilize grotesque DRM until the outcry forces them to change only to replace it with more DRM trash meant to squeeze more bucks out of consumers. Like companies who don't think they can fucking buy the media's silence with their threats or try to force unseemly day 1 embargoes so that consumers don't know what the hell they're getting. Where they now bathe in endless microtransaction nickle-and-diming in every fucking game they make.

I AM DONE WITH UBISOFT.

No, enough is ENOUGH Ubisoft. You're a piece of shit publisher with no value in the community. You have taken advantage of consumers you know enjoy AAA values by misleading them, forcing them to not have complete pictures of products they buy, trying to buy off silence or threaten people into complacency. You fucks don't get another dime from me EVER AGAIN.
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Reposting this in case people still don't get it how bad Ubi is threating gamers.
 
C

CapitalismSucks DonkeyBalls

Banned
Ubisoft's practices of late are really bad, yes. But, some of y'all need to count to 10 or something. I've never seen such a large collection of people losing their minds over something that is and has always been inevtiable.

Microtransactions will continue as long as people are buying it. Shouting "anti-consumer" into the void isn't going to fix shit. Speak with your wallet.
 
ebullientprism

ebullientprism

Member
Endoplasmatisch said:
Why dont The reviewers just WAIT?
Some did The same with Halo MCC.
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Realistically. You cant afford to.

Its nice to have ethics but if the embargo ends today and you are 3 days late with your review then people will be just using whatever your competitor put out as their review.

Gaming websites live and die by clicks. Its a broken system with no real fix.
 
J

jim2point0

Banned
I used a trainer to get ALL THE MONIES I need out of spite. I'm willing to bet the in-game prices to unlock certain things were inflated in order to encourage you to spend money.
 
P

PetriP-TNT

Member
barit said:
Well even Child of Light has microtransactions. Buy 3 gems for 4,99$ and feel strong.
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I am currently playing CoL and loving it but the microtransactions are pretty ridiculous, even the ones you can by with acheevos. "6000 Ubibucks for 3 gems". In game you can find any 3 gems in minutes.
 
E

epmode

Member
Com_Raven said:
I am amazed by how many people here seem to be (purposefully?) ignoring facts so they ran rage more.

Let's see:

1. AC games have had microtransactions for years
2. Ubisoft said that there would be MTx in Unity 3 months ago: http://www.gamespot.com/articles/assassins-creed-unity-has-microtransactions-but-ub/1100-6421724/

3. You can see in the screens that there is a MTx currency
4. Reviewers were unable to see the prices or to buy the currency, as the servers were down (which is hardly unusual pre-release, as also confirmed by Phazon)

I can't understand how anybody can in good faith say "they hid the microtransactions", unless you intentionally ignore the facts.
Click to expand...

Very few people were surprised to see that the game supported microtransactions. The news here is the insane pricing scheme which was conveniently hidden by the servers being down or offine or whatever.
 
C

Com_Raven

Member
epmode said:
Very few people were surprised to see that the game supported microtransactions. The news here is the insane pricing scheme which was conveniently hidden by the servers being down or offine or whatever.
Click to expand...

Actually, reading through the thread, a lot of people seem to be outraged by the fact that Ubisoft was "hiding" the (actually well documented) microtransactions specifically. And while I do not and never have worked for Ubi, only having billing ready once the game goes live does not strike me as unusual, at all. That is the ridiculouos to me.

Being outraged by the presence of MTx in a retail game, or their pricing is a completely different topic, and I can understand why many gamers are unhappy about it.
 
Z

zarmena

Member
As a fan of the Assassin's Creed series, I am truly disappointed and appalled by this entire debacle. I'm the last person to notice technical issues but holy crap, they are so prominent on the PS4, it's not even funny. Ubi fooled me for the last time.
 
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