VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

[MrWrestling3]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

So do you go to the doctor, pay full price for an operation, only to be told at the end that to have anesthetics it's a few hundred bucks more?

Would you like to buy a "fully furnished" home with no wallpaper and no windows, and have to fork extra for those nice-to-haves?

How about buying a brand new car for hundreds of thousands of dollars, only to have key ignition as an optional extra for a few thousand?

How about a TV without a remote, which costs an additional $300?

Look, we are complaining because we've already paid full price for the ****ing game, ok? It's not about how long it takes, it's about how 2K deliberately mess with the game in order to entice you to pay for VC.

Why is the difficulty multiplier gone from MyCareer? Why increase the prices of everything? Why there's no previews of any purchases? Why can't we see improved stats when buying a new stat point?

I'm sorry, but these are deliberate and unethical decisions that 2K made in order to boost VC sales.

Personally I don't mind buying stuff in a F2P game. Heck, I've spent more buying stuff in a mobile F2P title than the money it takes to buy 3 legendary copies of 2K18. I spent the money because I wanted, because I was positively incentivized. In 2K18, I'm always negatively incentivized.

What's the biggest issue with VC? It's completely p2w. On day-****ing-1 you can already have a maxed out player, without ever setting foot in a MyCareer game. So I'm supposed to just lose in MyPark and ProAm because I didn't pay? Pray tell how the **** do you grind to a 85OVR in 24 hours, unless you used a glitch? That's nearly 200k VC to grind for, or 8300VC/hour.

Nobody would've complained if VC was to be used for timed small stat boosts or cosmetic items. How many game modes are there in this game? MyLeague MyGM MyCareer MyPark ProAm. Are you telling me my $60 locks me out of 2/5 game modes, and I have to pay $150 or grind for 1000 hours to unlock the other 2? Why do my offline enjoyment has to suffer because online snobs want to dick fight and cheese out in MyPark and ProAm?

Grinding for VC is a drag this year, and the only reason it is so is because 2K wants everyone to buy VC for their MyCareer dude.

That's the thing...it doesn't really seem to be the mere existence of VC that has people so upset, it's the way it is implemented.

As noted before,it is done in a very high profile, high pressure manner reminiscent of the more annoying freemium mobile games. for many, this sort of blatant effort to set up a "whales and dolphins" type of economy (if you don't know what that is google it) which takes advantage of addictive or vulnerable personalities is not acceptable.

As it comes to reviews, if one takes the whole 2K18 experience into account rather than just the technical aspects only, I find it difficult not to feel that some of the fun has artificially been gated off in an effort to get more money from me.

Does that mean the game deserves a 1 or 2 out of 10 solely on that aspect alone? No,it's better than that....on the flip side it sure doesn't deserve the high 8's and 9's it's been getting from some other reviewers either.

[geezy]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

Everything we buy should be tied to our gamertag and carry over like it did last year if u start a new MyCareer, especially our preorder items.

[Mweemwee]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4IZkZTWK2KI

[MoodMuzik]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

So do you go to the doctor, pay full price for an operation, only to be told at the end that to have anesthetics it's a few hundred bucks more?

Would you like to buy a "fully furnished" home with no wallpaper and no windows, and have to fork extra for those nice-to-haves?

How about buying a brand new car for hundreds of thousands of dollars, only to have key ignition as an optional extra for a few thousand?

How about a TV without a remote, which costs an additional $300?

Look, we are complaining because we've already paid full price for the ****ing game, ok? It's not about how long it takes, it's about how 2K deliberately mess with the game in order to entice you to pay for VC.

Why is the difficulty multiplier gone from MyCareer? Why increase the prices of everything? Why there's no previews of any purchases? Why can't we see improved stats when buying a new stat point?

I'm sorry, but these are deliberate and unethical decisions that 2K made in order to boost VC sales.

Personally I don't mind buying stuff in a F2P game. Heck, I've spent more buying stuff in a mobile F2P title than the money it takes to buy 3 legendary copies of 2K18. I spent the money because I wanted, because I was positively incentivized. In 2K18, I'm always negatively incentivized.

What's the biggest issue with VC? It's completely p2w. On day-****ing-1 you can already have a maxed out player, without ever setting foot in a MyCareer game. So I'm supposed to just lose in MyPark and ProAm because I didn't pay? Pray tell how the **** do you grind to a 85OVR in 24 hours, unless you used a glitch? That's nearly 200k VC to grind for, or 8300VC/hour.

Nobody would've complained if VC was to be used for timed small stat boosts or cosmetic items. How many game modes are there in this game? MyLeague MyGM MyCareer MyPark ProAm. Are you telling me my $60 locks me out of 2/5 game modes, and I have to pay $150 or grind for 1000 hours to unlock the other 2? Why do my offline enjoyment has to suffer because online snobs want to dick fight and cheese out in MyPark and ProAm?

Grinding for VC is a drag this year, and the only reason it is so is because 2K wants everyone to buy VC for their MyCareer dude.

To use your analogy, a doctor can entice me to spend more, but I don't have to.

Like I said, they've overstepped, crossed the line what have you, it's the absolute warped way the community decides to handle their displeasure.

[Vinsanity115]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4IZkZTWK2KI

VC will be the death of 2k. I mean it's turned a die hard like myself through 2k8-2k13 very bitter. I refused to buy the game new this year solely because of the VC excessiveness. I'm sure I'm not alone.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

[natelull]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

Any word on if they will be changing any thing to make VC more earnable or lowering prices ?


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[Vinsanity115]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

Any word on if they will be changing any thing to make VC more earnable or lowering prices ?


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

I would bet my house the opposite. The trend has been to slowly keep making it harder to earn/costs go up in hopes no one notices enough.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

[BA2929]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

Paying for attributes doesn't bother me at all, I'm happy to grind my rating up (although preferably at a slightly easier rate; making us a 75 or anything in line with the current rookie rating seems more realistic to the storyline at least) but paying for anything that isn't an attribute isn't good and should be reserved only for the premium items.

Let us have basic set of everything free and make us pay for the premium ones. Black or white headband should be free. Want a funky coloured one? Pay 1k VC. We should also have a selection of clothes and shoes etc free just not the premium brand ones. At least let us change the clothes COLOUR for free.

This is exactly how I feel about VC.

I don't mind a medium grind. That's fine. I like to feel accomplishment.

However, things in MyCareer just cost WAY TOO MUCH in relation to how much VC we earn being an NBA player.

I did some (possibly bad) math in another thread about VC and figured out that the minimum salary for a rookie on a full-year contract (like our guy is this year) is $815,000, which ends up being about $10k earned per game.
If that's the case (on average), and we're making 800 VC per NBA game (on average, not exact), then each 4,000 VC tattoo is technically worth $50k of real life money and each 1500 VC tshirt is worth nearly $20k.

That's where I have an issue with VC. It existing doesn't offend me at all. That's how games are nowadays. It's just a little over the top in how much this game relies on it since we have to use it to upgrade our attributes, get animations and buy cosmetic items. One of the three is fine, but not ALL three.

So I have a few suggestions for this if anyone at 2k wants to endulge:

1) Completely take out VC in regards to player level. Start us at a 70 or 75 and let us grind our way up by playing (leveling up at a reasonable rate, similar to first person shooters out there) by earning XP in each game we play. Treat it like an RPG. Make us know that those players who are an 85 or 90 actually earned it and didn't just fork over $70 to get there.

2) Give us VC from endorsements and NBA salary. Make endorsements special again. Right now nobody cares if Bob's Automotive wants to give us 150 VC to be on a billboard because 150 VC gets us nothing in the grand scheme of things. However, if 150 VC gets you enough to get that armband you wanted then it IS a big deal.

3) Allow us to unlock animations with XP or VC we earn and give us one animation unlock token per level. So if we go up from 70 to 71, we can unlock an animation, or we can speed up the process by using our XP/VC to unlock something we really want. If someone wants to spend extra cash to get that Allen Iverson crossover at the start, he/she can do that. You could even make special animations, like the Jordan dunk package, cost 2 or 3 tokens.

4) Make VC specifically for cosmetic items. Group them by tier. Common/All Star/HoF/Legend. Common headbands and socks should not cost us anything. If you want to charge us for a crazy colored headband, make it realistic. 50 VC at most. Now, if you want that retro Shaq Mitchell and Ness jersey to be 5k or 10k VC, then go for it. Someone will buy it. But it makes it special.


Those are my suggestions. I'm sure someone has thought of these before, but I'm bored at work and felt like typing them out.

[ph33]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

So I have a few suggestions for this if anyone at 2k wants to endulge:

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Every single bit

[hesko]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

backlash and all, it's still an option to actually buy vc. i think the backlash comes honestly from the "grind" being too dam real this year. im want to use a hairstyle, not buy an in-game Ferrari. side note. does anyone have the air 2k's show up at foot locker when they try on custom kicks?

[hesko]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

That's true too. the amount of vc you earn from endorsements cant even get you an accessory at the nba store.

[HeatLifer]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

I kinda wish 2k would take out VC entirely BUT keep the level system just the way it is this year ( like it used to be).

Grind or die. No time to play? Well no VC either so you get your actual wish. By the time you get to play everyone that does make time for the game will still be insane levels higher than you.

So no VC... actually fixes about nothing unless coupled with faster leveling which is trash.

[Ivysaur]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

To use your analogy, a doctor can entice me to spend more, but I don't have to.

Like I said, they've overstepped, crossed the line what have you, it's the absolute warped way the community decides to handle their displeasure.

"Absolutely warped way?" It's not like people are posting in random threads about the VC issue... the discussion is confined to this thread.

VC has absolutely ruined my favorite game mode. I don't play MyCareer anymore. A $60 yearly-release game has not just become pay-to-win, but also pay-to-customize nearly everything in your career. It sucks and completely destroys the pleasure of playing out your virtual NBA career and turns into an absolute chore.

The problem duplicates for every additional save file you choose to make for MyCareer,. That's without getting to MyGM, MyTeam, MyPark and the other modes that rely on VC, which is awarded sparingly. And there's even been glitches where people haven't been awarded the VC they already earned after games.

It's a freaking mess. I would say there isn't enough backlash.

The gameplay is great. It's the best it's been in years. That just makes how 2K's handled VC even more egregious.

[HeatLifer]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

"Absolutely warped way?" It's not like people are posting in random threads about the VC issue... the discussion is confined to this thread.

False. Look no further than the latest gripe, Shammy Wells complaint thread, page 1... literally the first page someone chimes in "hell id pay 50,000 VC just to get rid of him!" Next poster "with the way things are going i bet that'll be an option!".

Let alone the 3 (at least) VC complaint threads that have already been 15+ pages long.

Visit any MyCareer thread, youre bound to find more comments about VC there.

An article about 2k rated anything... You're bound to find VC comments there.

It's the equivalent of someone walking into your store and rating it a 3/10 posted all over for the world to see because they solely don't like your prices. Could be the best simulator/prodct the world has ever seen to this point in history, but no, a price that you don't have to actually pay causes the world to see your product a 3/10.

Fair.

The telling thing is... again go figure it's hardly mentioned, is that this is actually the developers discussing whether or not VC has crossed the line.... THAT is incredibly telling on the character of those employed by 2k. Instead of the "corporate sinister greed it'll never stop they'll just keep increasing this and lowering the yield that", instead here in front of our face is that actual topic discussed by the devs.

Great step forward don't you think? But nah, let's not acknowledge anything positive.

[Nza]

Re: VC in NBA 2K18: Have We Crossed a Line of Acceptability?

I think that just shows how pervasive the displeasure on VC is. It is pretty much accepted as a joke. One plenty of people will overlook, but a joke nonetheless.