[eborix]

Originally Posted by Qeltar

This is actually a longstanding myth that the companies exploit to justify the outrageous revenues they make off these modes.

Actually, in the case of OOTPD, it could well be true. Because the company is small and their products are niche. My guess is that if the devs came to the community and explained that they needed a microtransaction mode to fund the other games, people would probably give them a break on it. I would. Even though I wouldn't actually believe that the funds would help in developing the non-transaction games, they would help keep the lights on.

But companies like EA or the big Korean mobile companies? They milk those games like cash cows, taking in tens of millions of dollars in more than they spend on development.

As just one example, Madden UT took in $800 million in revenue last year. I guarantee you that no more than a tiny fraction of that went to development. In fact, paradoxically, often the games that make the most money have the LEAST development, because they just turn into profit centers and it costs a lot less money to churn out new cards than it does to implement real game features.

Sony is now heading down the same road with The Show. That's a game that doesn't even need to turn a profit, but every year it's more focused on microtransactions than the year before. And, predictably, all the modes that do not generate micotransactions have become second-class citizens. One they cancelled entirely a month before launch, after giving a laughable excuse, and the other they cancelled and didn't even tell people about until after the game went live.

Even worse, they have now started dumbing the game down, making it easier for people with less skill. The reason why is obvious.

That's what microtransactions do. They don't just exploit people with gambling problems and create competitive gameplay imbalances. They distort developer priorities.

The same would happen here unless the devs make a truly superhuman effort to resist strong temptations.

This is what worries me about micro transactions being added to OOTPBB. Not because I feel they will immediately be corrupted, but because the call of large profits is corrupting. Can Markus resist? I don't know, I hope so.