Microtransactions, SCEA, and RTTS.

[Bobhead]

Re: Microtransactions, SCEA, and RTTS.

I assume most of us on here know and understand how big of a problem microtransactions have gotten in the video game community. I'll be the first one to stand up and say how they often negatively affect video games and are hurting the creative process in many big, open-world triple-A type games. And SCEA has always seemed to pride itself on being in touch with the community and catering to what its fans want. However, I think what they're doing in MLB 18 is a little bit misguided and definitely unnecessary.

Now let me preface this with the statement that I have absolutely zero interest in Diamond Dynasty. Never have, never will. I play franchise primarily and get into Road to The Show some as well. Which are both "offline," modes basically. The heart of the issue with microtransactions in video games is the pay-to-win scenario that is created by them. This was most evident in Battlefront II last year in which EA got tremendous backlash for and eventually pulled it prior to launch. Now, I have no idea if SCEA is keeping microtransaction in Diamond Dynasty, I'm assuming they are. Which, if that's the case, that's where it's extremely misguided. If you can just buy packs until you eventually get the players you want, that, in a nutshell becomes pay-to-win just the same way that loot boxes in other games do the same thing.

But that's not really what I'm going to, "complain," about here. I'm complaining about microtransactions being taken out of Road to The Show, which is crazy that I'd ever complain about microtransactions being taken out of a game because I generally hate them.

However, this is the one game where I actually purchase them. They talked in the Road to The Show stream about how no one ever has been or ever will be a 99 in everything. And that's probably true. However, if I want to create a guy that's 99 in everything, I should be able to, especially in a single player mode where it affects no one else. I know some will say, "just put it on rookie and hit 100 home runs a year," but I don't like how lower difficulties affect other areas of the game like the way the CPU pitches.

Ultimately I'm just saying that I always liked to play Road to The Show with a super-young phenom that was maxed out from year one. It was fun to me and now I can't do that. It's by no means the end of the world and I basically spend 80% of my time on the game in franchise anyway. But I always had fun with Road to The Show playing it in this manner. It just doesn't make any sense to not allow players to purchase training points in an offline mode yet allow them to buy packs in an online mode where things are competitive against other human players. No one would have said a word about EA's microtransactions if they were simply skins, uniforms, armor, etc. If people want to spend money of things that are just visual, whatever. But the problem comes when it affects progression, and therefore sets up a pay-to-win experience.

It seems ultimately that SCEA is trying to look like the good guys by taking away the "evil," mictrotransactions but they're doing it in a mode that no one cares whether they are in or not. Is anyone upset that I maxed out my Road to The Show player last year when he was 18-years old? No, because a) it didn't affect anyone's experience with their game and b) no one even knew I did until I just posted it. If SCEA is keeping microtransactions out of Diamond Dynasty I'll commend them. But taking them out of Road to The Show and leaving them in Diamond Dynasty is really just a ploy to look good by, "taking out microtransactions," at a time when companies have been vilified for using them.... while actually leaving them in where it makes them the most money.

While I had no interest in creating a "super player" I do get where you're coming from. I always enjoyed RTTS, even though it had micro transactions. Because it was easy (and fun) to just ignore them and build my RTTS player up normally.

Micro transactions aren't inherently bad just by existing. Personally I don't think micro transactions are a problem unless they fall into one of the following two categories:

1. It is impossible to avoid their impact in competitive or online play.
2. They are the only realistic way to enjoy and succeed in a particular mode (like RTTS).

For a good example of #2, I remember a few years ago in NBA 2k My player mode I spent a couple years playing games over and over and still never even got my player to the level of "decent". His skills were so bad he was overmatched in NBA games. And he was so overmatched in NBA games that I never got many points per game, to improve. It was an endless cycle that eventually led to me selling the game and not returning to the franchise at all.

The only way I could have ever gotten my player to a fun level of talent was by spending money on points.

Anyway, I don't think anything in The Show has ever fallen into either of the above 2 points, not ever.. It seems like they kind of overreacted or overcorrected for a problem they didn't have.

I mean don't get me wrong, it's way better to have too few microtransactions than too many. I absolutely give SCEA props for trying to be socially ethical and "do the right thing." It could be way worse, and we could be on the other side complaining about how The Show has been ruined by these micro's.

But still, I don't think the change was necessary.

[Beelzebot44]

Re: Microtransactions, SCEA, and RTTS.

Exactly, and it has already been noted that RttS microtransactions were some of the most purchased in the game.

They could have easily pulled an EA or 2K and expanded on them even further making them even more Insidious/intrusive, instead they chose to completely remove them from progression and make them optional for equipment.

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Except then they turned around and made equipment 100% essential for progression if you want to avoid their stupid caps.

[cervin29]

Re: Microtransactions, SCEA, and RTTS.

Except then they turned around and made equipment 100% essential for progression if you want to avoid their stupid caps.

You can always adjust user sliders to compensate as well and that is free of charge. In years past I would boost user sliders for speed and arm strength because to me it made no sense that these skills were so low to start. They are a skill you have it or you don't.

I agree with what was mentioned earlier as to using contact money to gain equipment making your salary negotiation important and relevant. The ebb and flow would balance well if they implemented this with the new archetypes, which personally I like the idea of.

I like choosing the kind of player I'm going to be, and then working to build on that by playing the game. I'm skeptical of the progression system, but it's year 1 so we'll see how it goes. I think as you progress they could make your agent responsible for getting you equipment sponsorships to boost your player, and your salary is used to unlocked better items. The better you play, the better sponsorships you can get.

This does two things, 1 it completely removes micro transactions from RTTS because you no longer have to deal with the online market to acquire equipment to boost your player. 2 it adds another layer to the RPG aspect of the mode. Not only will you have to play well to get sponsors, but as an extra caveat you have to meet certain goals and expectations. There could be performance metrics you have to get to keep or boost your equipment perks. I don't think it would be too hard to implement things like this and it improves the immersion into the mode.

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[Beelzebot44]

Re: Microtransactions, SCEA, and RTTS.

I agree with most of that, but they have no intention of removing microtransactions from the mode. If anything they're more likely to add more of them. At the end of the day they are a company trying to make money. It sucks, but this is what sports games are turning into.