Are UT modes, virtual currency etc. ruining sports gaming?

[GetBuckets]

**Edit to the poll: 2nd answer option is supposed to say: "(...)but it's NOT* the fault of(...)"**

I've always been a big sports gamer, but in recent years it's just been an increasingly frustrating experience. There's little to none innovation from year to year when it comes to the franchise modes and other offline modes. All the attention is put in to the different gaming franchises version of ultimate team. 2K is starting to put a lot of attention in to their MyCareer mode though, but not with focusing on making offline part better, everything is focused on selling VC via microtransactions in order for gamers to compete in the park and in ProAm. They cap the MyPlayer like crazy even if you're only playing offline, which makes no sense.

I understand that it's good business from the developers, but I really think it's getting out of hand. It's increasingly hard to enjoy the offline modes for guys - like myself - who enjoy sim, but there's also kind of an ethical dilemma in it. Kids are getting downright scammed on modes like Ultimate Team - this goes for 2K, FIFA, Madden, UFC etc. - and are literally stealing their parents credit cards to nurture their addiction. Pretty crazy to think about. You already payed for the game, so rational adults would know better than to additionally pay for a worthless UT card, but kids obviously doesn't have the same power of judgement and developers are taking advantage of that. It's similar to drug abuse, not even bullsh*tting here. Same goes for MyCareer/Park/ProAm: devs put crazy caps on the players and make it an incredible GRIND to see any progression at all, which makes kids more liable to go out and just skip some of the steps by buying some VC with real money. It's kind of a scam, and I really hope the consumer opens their eyes one day and make the responsible pay for it by simply stop buying the bs micro transactions.

Anyway, that's my opinion. Am I completely wrong here?

[Housh123]

Re: Are UT modes, virtual currency etc. ruining sports gaming?

Micro transactions in general are ruining gaming. Now you cant just buy a game and have that game. You basically have to buy the deluxe package because if you play online that's what everyone else is gonna have and nothing is more lame than getting a game at the same time as your best friends and being 20 levels lower than them. Game developers know this so that's why they keep making the content. Id be ok with paying for NEW content. Like content that they didn't even have in production when the game launched. Say after 6 months 2k creates a bunch of new celebration animations based off hot dances in the world. Id be totally fine with a little 5$ DLC with new celebrations and stuff. Id be fine with a 10$ soundtrack expansion. Pay 10$ bucks and get access to 15 more songs in the park and ect.


What gets me is when the devs know and already have the DLC made, and they just don't release it, then charge you 29.99 for a season pass. Or I hate it like in 2k and Madden's case where you HAVE to buy VC along with the game because if you don't youll be a 55 ovr and you realistically wont be able to compete in online modes. Live 16 started you at a 65 or a 70 I believe. 2K just drops you all the way down to a 55. I think that is clearly on purpose to make you buy VC. Also remember that VC from games doesn't cross over. That too is greedy. SMART. But greedy. Personally by the time the next 2k rolls around and is a month away I probably spend 250$ on 2k every year. Thank god I gave up on MyTeam in 2015 because I was probably spending 500$ on 2k before that. I usually have 3 guys I run with and I usually play MyGM a lot and may need 10$ worth of VC here and there to do something in MYGM.

[KingTocco]

Re: Are UT modes, virtual currency etc. ruining sports gaming?

Meh, yeah micro transactions are definitely running rampant especially in 2K but I really enjoy MT/Ultimate Team modes.

All these modes are playable without spending money. Some are great (MUT) content wise and others need to be vastly improved (MyTeam).

I always laugh when people say kids are stealing their parent's credit card. Do we know this as fact? Maybe it's on the parents for allowing their child to spend (insert amount of dollars here) on the game.

The games definitely encourage you to spend money and I'm not a huge fan of it in some modes (MyCareer) but I get it from a business standpoint.

I used to love the old 2Ks where you'd start even lower than a 55 and you'd have to grind up your guy by playing the game. I usually buy a small amount of VC at the beginning of the year or use it from my pre-order bonus and that's it.

It's possible to compete online or in any mode with spending money, it will take skill and effort though, it makes it exciting to me. A lot of people want to take the easy way/shortcut though and I get it.

Overall I don't think these types of transactions are going anywhere and unfortunately it's become the norm in most games.


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[beastmode2013]

Re: Are UT modes, virtual currency etc. ruining sports gaming?

I think enough people enjoy those UT modes enough that they will never go away. There just needs to be more, and more creative ways to earn stuff for those modes outside of MT. You guys are GAME devs, get creative! Put more into the simulation/single player modes and let us earn some kind of xp or currency. That way players who enjoy each mode would get a better experience from the game. I have noticed a big decline in singleplayer and even other online modes across the board, in sports especially. Cut and paste jobs with few tweaks and little bit faster loading times. Thats it.

It's not so much ruining sports gaming, but forces neglect to the other big part of sports games.

[Junior Moe]

Re: Are UT modes, virtual currency etc. ruining sports gaming?

I didn't see an appropriate enough answer for me. But no, I do not think that UT/VC are ruining sports gaming. It's just where the gaming market overall, is at. Sports games have adapted. At one point Sony's NBA game was the only one with a story element; now they all have it. I do think its on the company and devs to deliver a compelling enough franchise mode, though. It's not an either or thing. Some rightly (whether you like it or not) focus on the online stuff while essentially ignoring franchise. Others manage to do both pretty well. I also don't see the UT/VC stuff as the future, that seems like a more fickle fanbase that can/will bolt at any point.

[MrBallaBoy21]

Re: Are UT modes, virtual currency etc. ruining sports gaming?

It's not ruining sports gaming.

But 2K's MyTeam doesn't have a mode where you are limited in how good your roster can be so I don't play it online.

I'd really enjoy a salary cap type mode like what Madden does. They even have a pro circuit for it which is way more frequent and fun to watch for me than 2k's annual Pro-Am championships.

You don't need micro transactions to build a good team so the team building part of the mode is fun.

[MarvellousOne]

Re: Are UT modes, virtual currency etc. ruining sports gaming?

In my opinion, I think it does ruin modes like this although you can go through the process of earning in game currency most will not take that road and rather pay to win....in 2K's case MyCareer has suffered completely imo once micro-transactions (VC) was incorporated into the mode.

There needs to be something more innovative with modes that deal with micro-transactions, not sure what but in my eyes micro-transactions shouldn't have made it into console gaming at all. DLC is fine because it's added content to the game but paying to win basically is just bad for gaming to me.

[Smirkin Dirk]

Re: Are UT modes, virtual currency etc. ruining sports gaming?

We're lucky that 2K puts more effort into offline franchises than any other sports game.

I don't mind these cash cows because they generate income for the game.

[illwill10]

Re: Are UT modes, virtual currency etc. ruining sports gaming?

We're lucky that 2K puts more effort into offline franchises than any other sports game.

I don't mind these cash cows because they generate income for the game.

I agree. 2k can afford to put a heavy effort in microtransaction-led features, because their Offline modes/Association mainly is very deep and arguably the best in sports games. That isn't saying that there aren't flaws and nothing else they can do with it. It means that they put the effort into it to point where they can experiment with these types of modes. If not, a lot of people would be angry that MyCareer is different story each year or that Park/Pro AM gets a lot of attention. For example, Madden. Their fans don't like that the limited resources was used for Longshot & MUT.

[Hustle Westbrook]

Re: Are UT modes, virtual currency etc. ruining sports gaming?

Nope. MyTeam is my favorite mode and I've only spent 30 dollars on VC so far.

[powercord55]

Re: Are UT modes, virtual currency etc. ruining sports gaming?

I flat out refuse to look into the UT type game modes. A couple of times I started reading about it, but it just seems bland, I have no idea how it's become such a thing.


Offline franchise mode is the only thing for me in sports gaming (I keep forgetting what that's called in NBA2k, I think it's MyLeague?).

[Black Bruce Wayne]

Re: Are UT modes, virtual currency etc. ruining sports gaming?

We're lucky that 2K puts more effort into offline franchises than any other sports game.

I don't mind these cash cows because they generate income for the game.

Especially when it comes to having legends in the game like Michael Jordan. I remember a article saying the Mike only does business deals starting at $9 million. So I assume that that's what 2k paid to get him in the game? Now what about the other legends. If transactions help pay for this then I'm good.

[MarvellousOne]

Re: Are UT modes, virtual currency etc. ruining sports gaming?

Especially when it comes to having legends in the game like Michael Jordan. I remember a article saying the Mike only does business deals starting at $9 million. So I assume that that's what 2k paid to get him in the game? Now what about the other legends. If transactions help pay for this then I'm good.

I don't think micro-transactions help them pay for legends. They got MJ before they even implemented micro-transactions but since then, they haven't really gave a ton of new legends that wasn't in the game from before and during the time micro-transactions wasn't in the game they was increasing in sales on a yearly bases. Now you can say maybe micro-transactions are helping in funding these college teams into the game, that much I will agree with. From a business stand point it makes sense most definitely.

[Black Bruce Wayne]

Re: Are UT modes, virtual currency etc. ruining sports gaming?

What gamers don't understand , especially very young gamers, is that all of these gaming companies have "shareholders" , basically higher ups, who make these decisions. The people who actually develop the games don't have control over things like this.

So harassing Ronnie 2k or Scott etc about things like this doesn't make sense. These are companies trying to make money. They have investors who want to see returns. Welcome to real life.

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[MoodMuzik]

Re: Are UT modes, virtual currency etc. ruining sports gaming?

The other thing that is COMPLETELY left out of this debate... time.

I set aside time in my life to enjoy the coming up, enjoy the grind, to the level up, to increase stats, to hit the gym in practice, put in the reps.

A lot of other people? Don't have the time. So, what are they supposed to do? Not enjoy the game they like to play when they have the time? Just because others like myself can grind to "level 55" and they don't have the time in their lives to get to level 10? That's pretty rough.

Or, how about, they can spend some of their hard earned coin (which is more of a dilemma I supposed because spending money on the game you purchased already is kind of a penalty, so the complainers really don't have much of a leg to stand on in the end) so that way they can remain competitive in the game they enjoy, when they have the time to enjoy it.

Or.... the game can just give everyone everything right at the beginning without any challenges needing to be completed or effort or time put into the game whatsoever maybe that then. Just a simple ol' "unlock code" and you have all the diamond Steph Curry's and max contracts for everyone!!!!!!