Do you care about cosmetic items?

With many games now going to a Fortnite like model of paying for cosmetics and getting content free do you actually care about cosmetics?
I really couldn't care less and normally whatever the standard character model is I'm fine with. I'm also not bothered about emotes except maybe for wanting a salute emote to say thanks to someone for helping me as it's just nice to be nice sometimes.

So, are you happy games may go down the road of paying for content with sales of emotes and cosmetic items or do you see them as just a way to get money from those easily tempted who are likely to be younger.

The answer is "It depends"
If it's a free to play game like Fortnite, then no I don't really care since the game is free.
If it's a full priced game like Destiny, then yes I care since I've already paid my money.

Either make a Free to Play game or a Pay to Play game. You should be picking one, not trying to do both.

Having said that, even in free to play games it depends on the method. Direct purchase cosmetics? That's fine.
Gambling mechanics like Lootboxes? strawberry float off with that shite.

Nope.

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I should be able to pick up a game for a fiver and have it updated and servers kept available forever because I've paid.

Seriously, I couldn't care less.

If they're free and/or optional I'm mostly fine with them.

What I don't like is when they interfere with the game. Overwatch never really had a problem with this (while I was playing it at least), as the characters have such distinct silhouettes and movement abilities that even with the most outlandish and colourful skins you can generally tell who's who. However, my current favourite MP game Rainbow Six Siege is full of hardcore military supermen and women, who when wearing the same colour are almost indistinguishable. It's a bit of a problem.

Hime wrote:I should be able to pick up a game for a fiver and have it updated and servers kept available forever because I've paid.

I guess you're probably being facetious, but this isn't unreasonable at all. I could buy Unreal Tournament 2004 secondhand on eBay for £1 and still have full access to everything the game has to offer, and it had 0 microtransactions (quite the opposite: tons of content updates for free, back when they were just called 'patches'). But because modern games, particularly on console, are so tied to proprietary online services this doesn't really work anymore.

Not in the sense you're asking about with lootboxes etc. However, in RPGs that allow it, I'll usually wear clothes that look good and/or fit my character, even if the stats are clearly inferior.

I went through a phase of desperately wanting a skin in Overwatch, but it passed.

Hate loot boxes though. They're toxic and exploitative.

Not enough to pay extra.

They are cosmetic so who gives a gooseberry fool if people want I pay for something that does nothing but look different fine, I mean they are an idiot but fine.

No.

Not really, certainly not to the point where I'd pay for them with real money.

If they're ones that are found in the game as it stands and either bought with in game money, or discovered throughout the world then that's different - particularly in RPG's.

I'm a sucker for new outfits in games. I don't mind this if it's a case of choosing and buying the things you want, but the loot box method really grinds my gears.

I like playing Elder Scrolls Online but, man, the method of gaining the cool extra gear in that is just one giant gambling den. It is centred around loot boxes, has different coin systems and requires substantial real-world cash.

Edit: My young nephews are totally crazy about Fortnite and they spend their pocket money on V-Bucks so that they can buy extra gear. I don't know if you get to choose what you want to buy or if it's random in that game.

Only if you can earn them as a badge of honour type thing. Not paying for that shite

I don’t care about cosmetic items in real life, I certainly don’t give a gooseberry fool about them in games.

Nope. Don't care about them when they're free as in-game options or unlockables, let alone enough to pay for them.

I do care. For a long time, cosmetics have always been another component of a lot of games. MMORPGs especially, but in plenty of other genres as well. There are whole swathes of players in Guild Wars 2 who play the game so they can deck a character out in the most elaborate and impressive looking costumes they can, and players can unlock and trade rare dyes with each other. Destiny 2 deliberately gimped their shaders from the first game, in order to get people who do care about cosmetics to spend more. It's not just premium cosmetics, but paywalling previously existing features.

My biggest gripe with paid cosmetics, though, is the way its gooseberry fool on the mod scene, and custom user created content. Now that maps and skins are premium products, it's in developers/publishers interests to block custom maps and skins. Overwatch, for instance, will never have user created maps like TF2 or CS did. I know Blizz don't sell maps, but the free maps are a justification for their loot boxes. Imagine if people could build their own maps with the in game assets.

Gemini73

If they're free and/or can be earned through extended play, sure. Not keen on paying for them.

If I care enough about the franchise, I'll work hard in the game to earn whatever different skins I can, but I doubt I'd pay real money for them.

Depends. I like the cosmetics in Tekken. Helps that you only buy them with fight money.

If you see a player who looks like that you know they're about to batter you.
I think cosmetics can be nice when they actually do something, case in point, Tekken again:

Do you care about cosmetic items?

Do you care about cosmetics and emotes?

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