How do you like your hardcore games? Perhaps with a side order of casual, and a dash of simplicity? Maybe a little bit of mobile-inspired microtransactions sprinkled on top? Well, if you like your main entree watered down to suit social gamers, you'll love the new microtransaction store in Dead Space 3, which is designed to give casual gamers easy access to the game's more challenging content.
According to an interview with CVG [via VG 24/7], the developers had to clear up a bit of a misunderstanding when the core audience found out that on top of a $60 purchase, Dead Space 3 would also sport a microtransaction, cash shop. This was done in hopes of not scaring away casual gamers who may have found it too difficult or time consuming to unlock bigger and better weapons or if they were having a hard time defeating more difficult monsters in the game, with Visceral's John Calhoun saying...
“There’s a lot of players out there, especially players coming from mobile games, who are accustomed to micro-transactions. They’re like “I need this now, I want this now”. They need instant gratification. So we included that option in order to attract those players, so that if they’re 5000 Tungsten short of this upgrade, they can have it.“There’s also the hardcore Dead Space players, who are reluctant to spend money outside the purchase of the game. Honestly, most of the dev team are that way, we’re kind of old school, a little bit older. So not only are the micro-transactions completely optional, but all packs are available to purchase using in-game resources that you find.”
What the frack?!
This is their damage control? That not only has the game been dumbed down to a typical Hollywood blockbuster to attract brain-dead Transformers fans in order to sell five million copies, but they've shoehorned in a co-op and a cash shop in order to get casual, mobile users in on the action? WTF? If you want to wallet-rape with microtransactions make a free-to-play MMO.
I feel bad for Calhoun having to defend EA's obvious attempt at milking the pot, because that's obviously what it is. You know what this feature used to be called back in my day? Cheat codes. Sometimes you could figure them out on your own, other times you scrapped them off a friend or scoped them out in the back of GamePro or Tips & Tricks magazines.
This is, by all accounts, a sad time for real gamers...watching brands slowly fade into literal cash grabs.
I remember when we used to joke about them cutting off and selling us the ending to games, and it happened. I remember when we used to joke about them making us pay for characters in games, and it happened. I remember when we talked about them making us pay for multiplayer, and it happened. We joked about them making us pay for cheat codes, and here it is. How about we go one step further and say that we'll be paying $60 as an entry fee to the game and everything else will have a price tag. Who wants to place bets?
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