If you were still paying for microtransactions for a SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD GAME, congratulations, you played yourself.
I’ve managed to take part in this boycott ever since I stopped playing TF2 in 2008. It’s not hard, and the fact that this even has to be suggested is pathetic.
TF2 didn’t even have microtransactions until 2010, and it both pretty much invented them and let you trade/sell them (albeit for steam bucks), so there are definitely worse games you could be throwing money at.
I bought the Orange Box the day it came out, and when I stopped playing TF2 a decade ago I sold all my items (which I mostly got from buying other games that I would have bought anyway) I ended up with more steam money than I had ever actually spent on TF2 directly.
TF2 didn’t even have microtransactions until 2010, and it both pretty much invented them
Many years ago, when I still read printed video game magazines, there was a story about microtransactions in Korean or Chinese games. I clearly remember how baffled I was after learning of that super weird and stupid concept.
My first exposure was when DDO went from subscription model to free-to-play but with microtransactions in 09.
At the time I thought it was a great idea as it ended up cheaper to sustain for me than paying monthly (since many dungeons were skippable and you could also earn cash shop currency by grinding) which led me to have a confusingly positive association with the concept of microtransactions for quite a while.
How many games have microtransactions that disappear within a few years? Seems like team fortress 2 is the one place where you can buy an in-game item and still have access to it over a decade later. Not many games can say that.
I don’t get the hate for cosmetic microtransaction, that’s the best kind.
The problem with cosmetic microtransactions is that it gives the creators a monetary incentive to make sure nothing you can earn in the game is as appealing as the microtransaction items, or that their availability (in cases where you can earn the same items in-game) are low enough that you’ll never reasonably earn what you want.
You can say ‘Cosmetics don’t matter!’ but the astronomical sales of cosmetic items pretty much proves that to the majority of players, that is not the case.
They also often intentionally create game mechanics specifically to ensure that players who aren’t paying see the better-looking players who did pay.
Obviously, paying customers would want to look and feel premium. Plenty of events and rewards provide content that look good.
It’s the desire to look different that drives the high volume cosmetic sales. If someone can’t afford it, they don’t lose out on content but still able to access a full-fledged game.
That’s a great thing, not possible without microtransactions.
You can say ‘Cosmetics don’t matter!’ but the astronomical sales of cosmetic items pretty much proves that to the majority of players, that is not the case.
Is it a majority of players or a minority that pays unsustainable sums?
Play a match of Valorant. EVERYONE has skins. There are whales that buy every $100 bundle sure, but even the regular players often end up buying a $20 skin or $50 bundle pretty often.
The problem with cosmetic items is the payout % to the artist. It’s so fucking low, I have no idea why artists work so hard for it.
If this works, I imagine Valve will just pull the plug.
