• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

Spending money on games

Feb 2, 2016
9,855
6,598
41
Chattanooga, TN USA
Visit site
✟267,316.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
It's no lie that game developers have honed in on peoples psychology, and they have learned that many have addictive personalities when it comes to playing video games. And in turn they spend lots of money to win. This cuts the competitive edge out of the whole thing. And now people who choose to pay have the upper hand across the board. Does anyone have any ideas on how the average player can compete based on skill rather than spending money?

Looking at the bigger picture: How can the industry change to allow everyone to play on the same level playing field without people advancing merely by paying money?
 

Solomonf1776

Newbie
Jun 9, 2013
59
4
Augusta, GA
✟26,053.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Constitution

So this actually goes to the issue of morality and ethics, in business schools today ethics are not being taught anymore its become does it make money.

Consider something I witnessed when I was running my own business with card games, as following what’s happening with the makers of the games and such just makes sense, Upper Deck had the licence for YuGiOh from Konami for North America and other parts of the world, at some point they started making counterfeit YuGiOh cards. Oh it gets even better as the president/ceo of Upper Deck was directly involved too.

Now when it comes to large scale games like Magic, Pokemon, and YuGiOh the owners are often on the look out for counterfeits entering the market Konami found these in packaging, if you’ve ever been in the aisle with cards its one with a bunch of cards not in the original boosters or decks, in a toysrus they went to the company who supplied the pack to the store and from there the company said they got them from Upper Deck this lead to an investigation where they discovered Upper Deck’s activities.

This lead to Konami basically pulling the licence from Upper Deck by lawsuit, who then counter sued trying to take YuGiOh from Konami for breach of contract. In the end Upper Deck settled and admitted to their wrong doing.

The problem really comes back to morality and ethics, I’m sure you’ve seen the memes of some one making a suggestion, everyone looks at them angrily, and them getting thrown out a window. That’s almost how it is, if you are the only person in the room who makes the argument against these manipulations you’ll be on the out.

And for the people who believe the government is the solution consider this paradox most states ban gambling but how many states have lotteries, forty-five do and five don’t, and one of those five is ironically Nevada. Should the government ban these activities what necessarily stops them government from doing the same now they would be the theoretical monopoly. Theoretical as you would still have outside the US for now.

As for the solutions really there are only four,
1. one don't play any games,
2. only play games from trustworthy and honest companies,
3. only play games with absolutely no monetization or only monetizes cosmetic items
4.
Play older games.

Seriously, they're usually better.
 
Upvote 0

mothcorrupteth

Old Whig Monarchist, Classically Realpolitik
Jun 3, 2017
498
439
39
Huntsville, AL
✟49,844.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Constitution
Well the bigger problem looming behind all of it is the principle of "skin in the game." Companies like Nintendo have to watch their ethics very closely because their target audience is children. So they can get very, very big and not have a huge disconnect between the people in charge and the people they serve. (It also helps that Shigeru Miyamoto still has a big role in the company.)

But companies like Activision and Ubisoft have always had mature gamers as their target audience. In the old days, that meant PC gamers who had very niche interests. Consequently, the companies that made those games were small and consisted of people who were very passionate about the product. But as the install base got bigger with the geek chic fad that emerged around Big Bang Theory, and as the production expenses required bigger teams who in turn needed the bigger budget of big business, the incentives changed. Make a product for a niche market, and you make niche profit; make a product for the casuals, and you make beaucoup profit. And the people running these companies start becoming professional businesspersons, not gamers. They're out of touch with what hardcore gamers want, and they're contractually and financially shielded from the negative effects of their out-of-touch decisions. So we go from the incredibly tactical multiplayer and challenging single player of the original PC Call of Duty to annual releases that seem to be watering down both experiences while they milk you with lootboxes. We go from the very finely crafted puzzles of Sands of Time to... Gosh, I don't even keep up with Assassin's Creed any more. I got bored with how samey Brotherhood was to 2. (Oh, yippee. Another flag collect-a-thon--but it's on the Colosseum!)
 
Reactions: Solomonf1776
Upvote 0

bekkilyn

Contemplative Christian
Site Supporter
Apr 27, 2017
7,612
8,476
USA
✟700,228.00
Country
United States
Gender
Female
Faith
Methodist
Marital Status
Celibate
Politics
US-Others
Gosh, I don't even keep up with Assassin's Creed any more. I got bored with how samey Brotherhood was to 2. (Oh, yippee. Another flag collect-a-thon--but it's on the Colosseum!)

*hides hundreds of flags under her white assassin's cloak* I have no idea who would ever do anything like that..... *ahem*
 
Upvote 0

S.O.J.I.A.

Dynamic UNO
Nov 6, 2016
4,280
2,643
Michigan
✟106,234.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian Seeker
Marital Status
Single
gaming companies, like companies in other sectors, don't care about fairness. their only concern is making money.

don't play games that have microtransactions that severely nerf your ability to advance in the game if you don't buy them or deal with the DLC mess where you're initially sold a crippled game and have to buy the rest of the game to make it complete.
 
Upvote 0

CaptainToad

Active Member
Feb 7, 2015
331
108
✟28,139.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Private
Honestly, I wouldnt care too much about it and just work with what you get for free, and if that doesnt make you happy than leave it.

Companies run a business so they need to make money. However, what is happening is they got exceedingly greedy and prey on those who are vulnerable.
 
Upvote 0

Solomonf1776

Newbie
Jun 9, 2013
59
4
Augusta, GA
✟26,053.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Constitution
There are plenty of games where the paid content is only cosmetic. Play those.
The problem is that those companies are just as likely to turn around and start selling $100 a year memberships with game play benefits, if you don't know the reference, fallout 76, which is a paid game in the first place. At this point it's best to avoid any game that has micro-transactions. If a business doesn't want to act morality (good) they don't need your business.
 
Upvote 0

iluvatar5150

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Aug 3, 2012
29,552
29,260
Baltimore
✟763,815.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Democrat

Is it common to add gameplay-impacting paid upgrades to a game after it’s shipped? If a game doesn’t ship with it, I wouldn’t worry about it coming down the pike later.
 
Upvote 0

S.O.J.I.A.

Dynamic UNO
Nov 6, 2016
4,280
2,643
Michigan
✟106,234.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian Seeker
Marital Status
Single
Nintendo, in the times where I've purchased DLC, has done it the way it should be done.

you buy what they accurately call an "expansion pass". you pay for the pass and whatever they add to the game as DLC you have access to without paying any extra money. they did this with BOTW and xenoblade chronicles 2.

not sure how they've handled smash though.
 
Upvote 0

Solomonf1776

Newbie
Jun 9, 2013
59
4
Augusta, GA
✟26,053.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Constitution
Is it common to add gameplay-impacting paid upgrades to a game after it’s shipped? If a game doesn’t ship with it, I wouldn’t worry about it coming down the pike later.

So I really need to point out a lot of AAA games (not mobile) are getting micro-transactions added after their initial releases this has only thrown gasoline on a giant bonfire of anger in the gaming communities. Especially when many are what are referred to as pay to win, want the best armor pay $100 best weapon pay $500, want the best npc companion pay $1000, and for people who actually payed money for a game only to be added after a refund period is nothing short from corrupt.

And by extension my personal concern is people are starting to push for government intervention, intervention from people who don't understand the internet nor gaming.


I wish it was still that simple, after the new mobile game Mario Kart Tour I question that as Nintendo developed it in house.
 
Upvote 0