MLB The Show 18 Interview - Online Play, Gameplay Improvements, No Micro Transactions

[Jeffrey Smith]

There are micro transactions but they are 100% optional and unnecessary to progress. You can just grind away at the game to earn your in game currency.

Sent from my Lenovo TB-X103F using Operation Sports mobile app

[EnigmaNemesis]

Quote: Originally Posted by tyler289

"No microtransactions" seems incredibly misleading considering they still are in the game, just not directly in RTTS. This article is very misleading and if I just saw the headline (here on OS or on the actual site) I would think they're actually removed completely, but they're not.

It is not misleading, read past the headlines. They clearly explain it is no longer tied to progression, since games like NBA2K as well as Battlefront 2 received a lot of flack for that, and for good reason. This was the right thing to do.

They are not going to completely remove them. The monetization in other areas that do not cause problems in offline play or other modes helps us in the long run as gamers. It keeps the budget funded every year, especially in a baseball gaming market that is very niche now compared to other sports games.

[Caulfield]

Quote: Originally Posted by EnigmaNemesis

It is not misleading, read past the headlines. They clearly explain it is no longer tied to progression, since games like NBA2K as well as Battlefront 2 received a lot of flack for that, and for good reason. This was the right thing to do. They are not going to completely remove them. The monetization in other areas that do not cause problems in offline play or other modes helps us in the long run as gamers. It keeps the budget funded every year, especially in a baseball gaming market that is very niche now compared to other sports games.

Yeah, I'm thinking that what is misleading is that people are claiming SDS is misleading consumers with their microtransactions statement.

[EnigmaNemesis]

Quote: Originally Posted by Caulfield

Yeah, I'm thinking that what is misleading is that people are claiming SDS is misleading consumers with their microtransactions statement.

Yeah, some are not reading past the headline sentence of 65 characters or less.

They explained it not only in the live stream, but every interview I've read so far, and told you exactly what it was. If you only read the headline, you are being the one in the wrong, not them.

Sent from Tatooine using Tapatalk

[Dolenz]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jeffrey Smith

There are micro transactions but they are 100% optional and unnecessary to progress. You can just grind away at the game to earn your in game currency. Sent from my Lenovo TB-X103F using Operation Sports mobile app

I don't get this as a counter argument.

The micro transactions have always been optional and unnecessary. You could reach all 99's without ever spending a single stub, just by grinding away earning training points by playing.

Buying training points with stubs was an optional way to improve your RTTS player.

Buying equipment with stubs was/is an optional way to improve your RTTS player.

I don't get the differentiation. Just based on the info we have so far I would say that now people are actually more likely to use the micro transactions in order to get the good equipment to help them compensate for the caps. Though they will never tell us I would probably bet that more Stubs are spent by RTTS players in MLB 18 than there was in MLB 17.

I don't care either way but it just seems strange that they are touting no micro-transactions because they removed some optional micro transactions and left another optional micro transaction in the game.

And of course the insidious/cynical view is that all the people who do use stubs to buy equipment will need to do so again next year when they carry their player over because they will lose all of the equipment.

Oh, and lastly let's not praise them too much. Why did they remove micro transactions that allow you to buy training points? Because they removed training points. All they did was not replace the micro transactions that were made obsolete by the new advancement system

[Beelzebot44]

Quote: Originally Posted by tyler289

"No microtransactions" seems incredibly misleading considering they still are in the game, just not directly in RTTS. This article is very misleading and if I just saw the headline (here on OS or on the actual site) I would think they're actually removed completely, but they're not.

They're not even removed from RTTS. If anything there's more incentive for them there now.

[tyler289]

Quote: Originally Posted by EnigmaNemesis

It is not misleading, read past the headlines. They clearly explain it is no longer tied to progression, since games like NBA2K as well as Battlefront 2 received a lot of flack for that, and for good reason. This was the right thing to do. They are not going to completely remove them. The monetization in other areas that do not cause problems in offline play or other modes helps us in the long run as gamers. It keeps the budget funded every year, especially in a baseball gaming market that is very niche now compared to other sports games.

I'm saying the article/overall media covering this is really kind of misleading, the headlines/posts say "MLB18 removes microtransactions," but they're still in the game. I don't expect MLB18 to remove them by any means, but people are patting them on the back when they haven't really done anything special.

Like this writer basically is just feeding Russell talking points, fine. It's just a disservice to your reader to have a headline (and even copy) that says micotransactions are removed, but they're actually not, at all.

[Woodweaver]

Quote: Originally Posted by Dolenz

I don't get this as a counter argument. The micro transactions have always been optional and unnecessary. You could reach all 99's without ever spending a single stub, just by grinding away earning training points by playing. Buying training points with stubs was an optional way to improve your RTTS player. Buying equipment with stubs was/is an optional way to improve your RTTS player. I don't get the differentiation. Just based on the info we have so far I would say that now people are actually more likely to use the micro transactions in order to get the good equipment to help them compensate for the caps. Though they will never tell us I would probably bet that more Stubs are spent by RTTS players in MLB 18 than there was in MLB 17. I don't care either way but it just seems strange that they are touting no micro-transactions because they removed some optional micro transactions and left another optional micro transaction in the game. And of course the insidious/cynical view is that all the people who do use stubs to buy equipment will need to do so again next year when they carry their player over because they will lose all of the equipment. Oh, and lastly let's not praise them too much. Why did they remove micro transactions that allow you to buy training points? Because they removed training points. All they did was not replace the micro transactions that were made obsolete by the new advancement system

The vast majority of micro-transactions in RTTS were purchasing training points. We certainly could have designed a system to maximize these transactions, but we did the opposite. That was what was being pointed out.

They only reason equipment was brought up was because some folks were concerned that (without having even tried the new progression system) they would not enjoy RTTS without having a player with 99's across the board. The equipment is occasionally handed out for free or can be purchased with earned stubs without spending a dime.

There was no intent to be misleading or to "lie". If you feel that was the case, at least you found out now and can make your decisions accordingly.