Paid content in videogames (DLC, loot boxes, passes, currencies, "surprise mechanics" and - new! - pay more or wait!)

jawa_ wrote:

The Angry Joe crew are up next for Diablo Immortal. This was pretty funny and they made some good points. There are a few clips of an old Blizzard advert for StarCraft that pokes fun at the idea of paying to level up... how times change!

It's got me thinking about Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard; the company has such a bad vibe because of employee abuse, unionisation avoidance and gambling (payments) that you kinda wonder who they're teaming up with. Is it worth the hassle? I guess the bottom line is that, yes, it is worth it because money and the majority of folk in the mass gaming market just aren't too fussed about - or aren't aware of - these aspects.

Could be a great move for MS if they remove all that crap after the acquisition.

jawa_ wrote:You know that Square Enix sold off loads of stuff and were planning to push those proceeds into NFTS and blockchains? Well, they're not.

Square Enix President Yosuke Matsuda, in a message translated from Japanese, wrote:Rather than using the proceeds from the divestiture in new investment domains such as NFT and blockchains, we intend to use them primarily to fund our efforts to foster solid IP and to enhance our development capabilities in our core Digital Entertainment segment.

Yes, a gaming company is seemingly gonna focus on investment in gaming development. Crazy times!

A u-turn of Johnsonian proportions.

Spain to regulate lootboxes and gacha mechanics

Will require people to submit a government approved ID to verify they're of legal age before being able to access any kind of gambling mechanic like lootboxes or gacha pulls.
Will also make it mandatory to have an option for users to set a spending limit.

So basically whilst things like Fifa Ultimate Team would still be allowed, people will have to submit their ID to verify they're old enough to gamble before they're allowed to access it.

Lagamorph wrote:Spain to regulate lootboxes and gacha mechanics

Will require people to submit a government approved ID to verify they're of legal age before being able to access any kind of gambling mechanic like lootboxes or gacha pulls.
Will also make it mandatory to have an option for users to set a spending limit.

So basically whilst things like Fifa Ultimate Team would still be allowed, people will have to submit their ID to verify they're old enough to gamble before they're allowed to access it.

Everywhere needs to regulate this bollocks in line with gambling.

Lagamorph wrote:Spain to regulate lootboxes and gacha mechanics

Will require people to submit a government approved ID to verify they're of legal age before being able to access any kind of gambling mechanic like lootboxes or gacha pulls.
Will also make it mandatory to have an option for users to set a spending limit.

So basically whilst things like Fifa Ultimate Team would still be allowed, people will have to submit their ID to verify they're old enough to gamble before they're allowed to access it.

twitter.com/zachulon/status/1542657615926218752

I missed this somewhat ill-advised tweet from EA :fp:

Relevant:-

Not to defend EA, but that chart is very outdated. Titanfall is in an absolute state, but on the other hand Dead Space and Dragon Age are getting remakes/new entries. Obviously the final product will be telling.

Met wrote:Not to defend EA, but that chart is very outdated. Titanfall is in an absolute state, but on the other hand Dead Space and Dragon Age are getting remakes/new entries. Obviously the final product will be telling.

Mass Effect is getting a new entry too.

Dutch government also now progressing with banning paid lootboxes in the Netherlands for children.

EA are going to run out of European countries where they just stop selling games rather than taking the lootboxes out.

Brilliant news to hear that the Dutch are gonna ban loot boxes for children :toot:

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twitter.com/Polium__/status/1543288314433867777

Meanwhile, the world's first NFT/Blockchain-focused console is in development. The Polium One is "a multi-chain console for Web3 gaming" :dread:

.

Oh, and Polium have ripped off the GameCube logo for their own logo. Seemingly it's okay to copy a logo if you just turn it around a bit :lol:

.

Edit: That Twitter post is amazing:

Polarium wrote:We did not copy the Nintendo’s GameCube logo. There are multiple companies that are using a similar logo. But we will illustrate a new logo that is original.

Another aspect of paid content for older games.

https://www.pcgamer.com/ubisoft-to-pull ... -your-dlc/

Ubisoft has announced that, effective September 1, it will be decommissioning the online features (opens in new tab) of a selection of older games. I've compiled a list of the PC games affected, their release dates, and what features will be removed below:

Anno 2070 (2011): multiplayer, linking accounts, online features
Assassin's Creed 2 (2009): multiplayer, linking accounts, online features
Assassin's Creed 3 (2012): multiplayer, linking accounts, online features, access to DLC
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood (2010): multiplayer, linking accounts, online features, access to DLC
Assassin's Creed Liberation HD (2014): multiplayer, linking accounts, online features, access DLC
Driver San Francisco (2011): multiplayer, linking accounts, online features, access to DLC
Far Cry 3 (2012): multiplayer, linking accounts, online features, access to DLC
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (2010): co-op multiplayer, linking accounts, online features, access to DLC
Silent Hunter 5 (2010): multiplayer, linking accounts, online features, access to DLC
Space Junkies (2019): "As a multiplayer only title, you will be unable to play the game going forward."
Splinter Cell: Blacklist (2013): multiplayer, linking accounts, online features

jawa_ wrote:Meanwhile, the world's first NFT/Blockchain-focused console is in development. The Polium One is "a multi-chain console for Web3 gaming" .

Oh, and Polium have ripped off the GameCube logo for their own logo. Seemingly it's okay to copy a logo if you just turn it around a bit

Green Gecko wrote:For you

Xeno wrote:Another aspect of paid content for older games.

https://www.pcgamer.com/ubisoft-to-pull ... -your-dlc/

Ubisoft has announced that, effective September 1, it will be decommissioning the online features (opens in new tab) of a selection of older games. I've compiled a list of the PC games affected, their release dates, and what features will be removed below:

Anno 2070 (2011): multiplayer, linking accounts, online features
Assassin's Creed 2 (2009): multiplayer, linking accounts, online features
Assassin's Creed 3 (2012): multiplayer, linking accounts, online features, access to DLC
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood (2010): multiplayer, linking accounts, online features, access to DLC
Assassin's Creed Liberation HD (2014): multiplayer, linking accounts, online features, access DLC
Driver San Francisco (2011): multiplayer, linking accounts, online features, access to DLC
Far Cry 3 (2012): multiplayer, linking accounts, online features, access to DLC
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (2010): co-op multiplayer, linking accounts, online features, access to DLC
Silent Hunter 5 (2010): multiplayer, linking accounts, online features, access to DLC
Space Junkies (2019): "As a multiplayer only title, you will be unable to play the game going forward."
Splinter Cell: Blacklist (2013): multiplayer, linking accounts, online features

What does the access to DLC involve? Is it multiplayer DLC and they're switching off access? Which is still no excuse as they could do a final update to hand the game over to the fanbase to run themselves (if it has a dedicated enough one) but surely they're not removing single player DLC?

Tomous wrote:...surely they're not removing single player DLC?

Just what I was thinking. It must be multiplayer online access, the sale of DLC and the ability to claim any new kit that is being stopped; not any single-player gameplay?

I think the DLC being referred to is the uPlay bonus stuff.

Lagamorph wrote:I think the DLC being referred to is the uPlay bonus stuff.

So not stuff people have directly paid for?

Tomous wrote:
Lagamorph wrote:I think the DLC being referred to is the uPlay bonus stuff.

So not stuff people have directly paid for?

I think so, though I'm not 100% certain.

I think the uPlay stuff is gained for free; on the Wii U I earned some uPlay coins and exchanged them for stuff in ZombiU and Watch Dogs. It's a shame that it'll no longer be possible!

Yup it's the uplay freebies DLC. Usually a few weapons or clothes per game and occasionally they'll throw a bonus game level or two (which are basic) that you can unlock with your rewards points.

Access to those free items get authenticated by the server when you load the game, so if the servers are switched off then it can't be verified that you've unlocked them.

When you buy Games and DLC for these particular games on the Xbox or PlayStation stores then they are authenticated by Microsoft/Sony servers, so not affected by what Ubisoft is doing.

Balladeer wrote:
jawa_ wrote:Meanwhile, the world's first NFT/Blockchain-focused console is in development. The Polium One is "a multi-chain console for Web3 gaming" .

Oh, and Polium have ripped off the GameCube logo for their own logo. Seemingly it's okay to copy a logo if you just turn it around a bit

Green Gecko wrote:For you

I'm far more furious about ripping off the best console logo ever than these crooks.

Paid content in videogames (DLC, loot boxes, passes, currencies, "surprise mechanics" and - new! - pay more or wait!)

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