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[QaaQer]

I think the list so far is Ryse, Forza, Crimson Dragon, Killer Instinct, Lococycle, & Powerstar Golf.

Not sure about Kinect Sports.

Xbox Fitness is subscription.

Zoo Tycoon and Dead Rising 3 have none afaik.

Is the addition of F2P style micro-transactions to avoid "grind" becoming mandatory on Microsoft published games?

So far we have seen:
Forza

...such tricks appear a little unsavoury, and in Forza 5, mechanics greedily smuggled from free-to-play games trample over the elegant RPG elements the series once embraced so effectively.

EG Review

Crimson Dragon

There's the option to grind, of course, and come back to levels with more firepower at your fingertips. And if you don't want to grind, you're covered by micro-transactions, with Crimson Dragon's economy another facet of Microsoft's bold redefinition of free-to-play gaming.

EG review

Ryse

Ryse includes Booster Packs similar to those in FIFA Ultimate Team. You can buy these packs, which include armour items for use in multiplayer, with in-game currency and real world currency

. EG Article

Killer Instinct suddenly does not look so crap now because at least you don't have to pay for the base game... and the one character everyone else has.

.

Here's where Microsoft's blanket policy of micro-transactions for its first-party Xbox One games comes in, because equipment (and consumables) only come in random booster packs which you buy for game gold, and you guessed it, gold is earned slowly but is also available to buy. (You can also use game gold to buy the single-player upgrades if you like, but you won't really need to.)

Another unfortunate addition [to Powerstar Golf] is the presence of microtransactions. For a fee, you can buy "booster packs" that will randomly grant you outfits, one-time boosts, and permanent pieces of equipment (read: golf clubs). Now, in some games (mostly PVE or co-op based titles), the addition of microtransactions wouldn't bother me so much.

But in a competitive title like Powerstar, it simply feels wrong to offer players the ability to get ahead if they spend a little bit of cash. If you're the kind of person who just wants to enjoy the game by yourself, it's entirely possible here with a bit of grinding, but for everyone else you may feel the sting of this DLC model.

There is no micro-transactions in KI like there is in other MS games. There is no buying currency or anything like that.

The way the game is structured is that it's a free download with one character. You can then buy the entire game for $20, or buy the character's individually for $5 each. My understanding is that once you have purchased $20's worth of characters, the rest become free downloads. There is also a 'collectors edition' for $40, that also contains some alternative costumes and the original arcade game.

 

[JaggedSac]

I haven't heard of Dead Rising having them. Project Spark has them.

 

[Skeff]

I think the list so far is Ryse, Forza, Crimson Dragon, Killer Instinct, Lococycle, & Powerstar Golf.

Not sure about Kinect Sports, Xbox Fitness, & zoo tycoon.

That...is disapointing, I only knew of Forza and that annoyed me but damn...

 

[Nightengale]

Xbox Fitness will require a separate subscription fee, so no micro-transactions.

 

[MormaPope]

I think the list so far is Ryse, Forza, Crimson Dragon, Killer Instinct, Lococycle, & Powerstar Golf.

Not sure about Kinect Sports, Xbox Fitness, & zoo tycoon.

"Buy 10,000 gold for $100, fill your zoo with the rare Red Panda and Platinum Dodo!"

 

[QaaQer]

I haven't heard of Dead Rising having them. Project Spark has them.

oh yeah, forgot about Dead Rising.

 

[Zalman]

Microsoft's turning into EA.

 

[oVerde]

Wasn't DLCs being called as micro transactions?

 

[reptilescorpio]

Kinect Sports isn't a launch game. Zoo Tycoon is crossgen too so it may not.

 

[QaaQer]

Wasn't DLCs being called as micro transactions?

nope.

 

[show me your skeleton]

I haven't heard of Dead Rising having them. Project Spark has them.

project spark is free, to be fair.

 

[kadotsu]

nope.

So you are talking about F2P consumable style microtransactions.

 

[Doffen]

Putting Microtransactions in retail games are BAD!
Bad, Microsoft!

And those who buy those should be slapped with a glove across their face.

 

[HORRORSHØW]

Wow. That's some shit right there.

 

[Stone Ocean]

KI isn't exactly microtransactions so I wouldn't rag on it.

Crimson Dragon is just shameful.

 

[Skeff]

So you are talking about F2P consumable style microtransactions.

An example of Forza is You need to earn a million dollars to buy a car and get 100k for winning a race, If you buy a power up using real money you can double the cash earned in game cutting the grind in half. It's dirty.

 

[Savitar]

Wasn't DLCs being called as micro transactions?

That's how DLC was first presented to us.

Now it can all cost you the game price and more these days.

 

[Jonty]

Dead Rising 3's just got a season pass. KI is F2P-ish, so not really microtransactions. Fairly sure Zoo Tycoon doesn't have anything.

 

[JaggedSac]

An example of Forza is You need to earn a million dollars to buy a car and get 100k for winning a race, If you buy a power up using real money you can double the cash earned in game cutting the grind in half. It's dirty.

Forza 4 had that too I think.

 

[QaaQer]

So you are talking about F2P consumable style microtransactions.

In-app-purchases, so yeah f2p kind of stuff, not separate gameplay addons like Dawnguard/Ballad of Gay Tony/etc. For me, the important part is that I-A-P have a tendency to hurt game design, whereas DLC does not. Although sometimes DLC is just IAP in disguise, like in Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei IV.

 

[Xater]

It's pretty deplorable. Seems to be a MS initiative for this gen. This shit has no place in games people pay good money for. If you try to excuse it as a "time saver" then maybe you should design your game in a way that it is not a chore to play!

 

[AHA-Lambda]

Crimson Dragon even has them?

 

[Conor 419]

Yes, Microsoft are incompetent and cannot manage IP.

 

[Skeff]

Anyone else surprised no gaming websites are running with this considering that they have played all of the games and the embargos are up?

 

[Kajiba]

All optional stuff don't bother me. Now if that shit wasn't...

 

[Xater]

Crimson Dragon even has them?

Crimson Dragon is probably the worst offender. That game straight up gates off parts of the game like a F2P title.

 

[Eusis]

Really does make it seem like even if Microsoft fixes one thing I find abhorrant they'll just throw in other stuff I feel about as badly about. Knack may've been only somewhat above average, but at least it lacked microtransaction garbage.

... Still had grinding bullshit in the form of an optional iOS game that could've screwed up the balance of earning parts in the main game, but that stuff was far from essential for beating the game anyway, and it wasn't demanding more of your money in the process at least.

 

[QaaQer]

Dead Rising 3's just got a season pass. KI is F2P-ish, so not really microtransactions. Fairly sure Zoo Tycoon doesn't have anything.

So I'll put those in the 'no' category. Really glad to hear about Zoo, becaue IAPs in kids games are borderline evil.

 

[Mpl90]

Could you tell me what do these microtransactions consist of, for each game? I'm quite interested and curious for this.

 

[Papercuts]

Crimson Dragon even has them?

Crimson Dragon seems to be the one directly affected by them the most out of these. Really shit practice.

 

[rdrr gnr]

Anyone else surprised no gaming websites are running with this considering that they have played all of the games and the embargos are up?

You're surprised?

 

[zpiders]

Looks like MS are diving full on into the microtransactions business. Sucks big time if you ask me.

 

[Xater]

Could you tell me what do these microtransactions consist of, for each game? I'm quite interested and curious for this.

In Ryse you can basically bypass the character progression by just straight up buying upgrades for real money.

 

[Nightengale]

Anyone else surprised no gaming websites are running with this considering that they have played all of the games and the embargos are up?

Nobody called out Candy Crush for turning Bejeweled into pure evil.

Press had the power to call bullshit on devs who were trying to scam people's money, none of them actually do it, even from devs who aren't even major publishers.

 

[TheRealTalker]

Putting Microtransactions in retail games are BAD!
Bad, Microsoft!

And those who buy those should be slapped with a glove across their face.

But.. But I can't help it
(

 

[JaggedSac]

I was mistaken, it was Forza Horizon that had boosts that could be purchased.

 

[QaaQer]

Anyone else surprised no gaming websites are running with this considering that they have played all of the games and the embargos are up?

Well, they have mentioned zero problems with the underlying tech despite live streams all being borked and CBOAT's warning of an ass storm, so not surprised at all.

 

[QaaQer]

Could you tell me what do these microtransactions consist of, for each game? I'm quite interested and curious for this.

If anyone can fill me in on this, I'll add it to the OP.

 

[robertsan21]

Ok, someone start tweeting SONY about this, I WILL NOT accept any sort of crappy microtransaction on PS4 if that happens, I am done with gaming. I gave up iOS gaming because of it and I sure as shit aint supporting this crap on consoles.

DLC is another thing, its new maps or a whole new mission etc. but if they are "gimping" games from the start just so they can sell me a sword, car, or any other typ of item that is actually making the game fun to play, then I am done.

I guess I could let it slip if the game is priced at like 10 dollars or something but if it is full price then I expect to get a full game with all the bells and wissels

 

[Bor]

Well, they have mentioned zero problems with the underlying tech despite live streams all being borked and CBOAT's warning of an ass storm, so not surprised at all.

what do you mean by livestreams being borked ? ( Im not a native speaker) The twitch.tv delay ?

 

[Discusguy]

That's how DLC was first presented to us.

Now it can all cost you the game price and more these days.

That's exactly how I remember it. The reasons I don't buy certain games day one or play online.

Microtransactions are the future of gaming just as DLCs are today.

 

[Eusis]

So I'll put those in the 'no' category. Really glad to hear about Zoo, becaue IAPs in kids games are borderline evil.

Well, I'd think Killer Instinct technically counts, but the nature of the game makes it more permissible: it's not buying to get an advantage short of a larger character roster, and the base product is free. Basically it's just one of the potential models for F2P design and one of the more benign ones at that, not like something like Forza that seemingly does the opposite and demands them to make progress in reasonable time (though people say that's been overblown for the series? We'll see once a week passes perhaps.)

 

[Marvel]

Ahhh fuck.

 

[Billy Big Bollocks]

They need to be called something different then microtransactions because that suggests they are small.

 

[V_Ben]

Eww, it's sort of gross. Especially in a £20 game like crimson dragon.

 

[Xater]

Here is a breakdown of some of the games:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=90686613&postcount=341

 

[QaaQer]

They need to be called something different then microtransactions because that suggests they are small.

Addictive personality exploitation transactions?

Here is a breakdown of some of the games:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=90686613&postcount=341

cheers for the link.

 

[Huggers]

Putting micro transactions in games is hugely short sighted. People aren't fools. The second they're asked to spend money they more often than not become disinterested. Very poor form from Microsoft. Even Ryse has this

 

[Impeccable]

A lot of gamers use the fact mobile games are full of micro-transactions and "F2P Gateways" as a giant excuse to not even play these type of games. Wonder if the perception of these will change as we head to a future where the lines are seemingly beginning to blur.

I personally don't find these things offensive in cheap or even free mobile game I play (I haven't paid for anything, yet.) and don't really have a problem with the practice in general myself but it'll be interesting to see if people hold their staunch opposition as it bleeds into full priced games.

 

[dani_dc]

An example of Forza is You need to earn a million dollars to buy a car and get 100k for winning a race, If you buy a power up using real money you can double the cash earned in game cutting the grind in half. It's dirty.

According to eurogamer it's 110K per series (which takes nearly an hour). Not per race.