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Videogame microtransactions are the scourge of the gaming industry in a lot of cases, but as I rarely dabble in online gaming, it’s something that doesn’t affect me, although it affects countless others, and the European game ratings board, PEGI, have stepped in to do something about it.
But what are videogame microtransactions exactly? Well, instead of working long hours throughout a game to get that next big weapon or other item, microtransactions mean that you can lay down physical cash to buy that item outright and give yourself a competitive advantage. Companies have been doing this for years, and things came to a head in November 2017 when EA included them to such an extent in Star Wars Battlefront II that once you bought the game, you could actually pay out hundreds of pounds to get all the gear, and then kick everyone’s butt at multiplayer from day one, thus making the game no fun for anyone. There have even been some games along the way that REQUIRE payments in order to progress, thus making them “Pay to win”.
There was such a backlash from fans and vloggers that EA were forced to remove these microtransactions.
They’re far from the only company who do it, though, and microtransactions can also mean paying for “loot boxes” where you spend the money on a box containing random items – a form of gambling, then, which is equally despicable.
The ever-popular Fortnite also includes them, but while I’ve not played it, I understand either most or all of them are cosmetic enhancements, so as to give your character new outfits (another option in other games) and new dance moves (something I’ve NOT seen in other games). However, bear in mind that Fortnite is a FREE game, so that’s a plus, but… the developers make tons of cash from those playing the game, whether it’s adults knowingly spending the money, or children stealing their parents’ credit cards.
From Christmas 2018, videogame microtransactions will be highlighted on the packaging by the above logo, which shows a hand holding a payment card. There’ll be no distinction as to what sort of items you can buy with this, but at least it draws attention to the issue, as a lot of parents won’t be savvy about this sort of thing.
One good vlog about this at the time of the Battlefront II controversy came from Dreamcastguy, which you can see below.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.