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'Fallout 76' update adds contentious 'pay-to-win' item
Bethesda started the microtransactions controversy on consoles with horse armor, and since 2006 it has extended to every annual sports game, Battlefield V, and anything you can squeeze a loot box system into. In just the latest controversy for Fallout 76, the company has made a decision to add an item to the game that players feel comes far to close to being "pay to win." Once Patch 8 rolls out later today, players will be able to use "repair kits" to patch up their damaged or worn out weapons and armor instead of relying on other resources that take time and effort to gather. While Improved Repair Kits that give your items even more power will only be available in rare drops, the basic repair kits that instantly restore an item to 100 percent health have to be bought using the game's currency, Atoms. You can get that through gameplay, but you can also buy it with real money. As Kotaku points out, players who drop cash can not only avoid the grind of collecting materials or Atoms, they could also potentially have the edge in PvP fights by instantly fixing key weapons or armor in their Pip-Boy and continuing on almost indefinitely.
Devs quickly move to new models after in-app purchase change
It was just yesterday that Apple announced they would allow free apps to enable in-app purchases, and developers are already jumping on the "get the app for free, buy the content later" business model as quickly as they can. ngmoco came out swinging, as Touch Arcade reports, with both a free intro version of Rolando 2 out for purchase, with later chapters of the game as add-ons. They've also been working on a shooter called Eliminate, and we're now told that title will be free as well, with extra content to buy later. The creators of Urban Rivals, an app that is based on a virtual trading card game, have let us know that they too plan to go the free-with-microtransactions model as soon as their app is released, and though we haven't actually heard from Tapulous, Andrew Lacy told us outright that the only reason Tap Tap Revenge 3 had a 99 cent price tag on it was because of Apple's limitation, so we'll expect that app to go free as soon as it can. Clearly, there's a drive for this model on the developer side, but the question will be just how much this echoes with consumers -- certainly the "download a trial, buy more later" model has worked well on other platforms, so we can expect it to work here on the App Store as well. But on the other hand, just as when the App Store first opened for business, it's a very "wild west" moment -- everybody and their brother is offering up in-app transactions, and they're all of varying prices and quality. My guess is that we'll see a few "hits" -- a few free apps that everybody buys content for (Tap Tap Revenge 3 is a good guess; considering that because you know most of those songs, there's much less guessing on what the quality of the transactions will give you). At the same time, there will likely be apps that everyone agrees aren't worth the in-app purchase (it's the old story of "horse armor" when Xbox Live started doing microtransactions). Until we find a good balance, where quality meets price, odds are that it'll be tough for consumers to know just what's worth it, and thus tough for developers to convince them that their content is.
Oblivion DLC gets half off, except horse armor ... which is doubled
As of this week, it's been three years since the entire internet exploded with the news that purely decorative horse armor would cost 200 MS points ($2.50) to add to your copy of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. To celebrate that happy occasion, you'll be able to buy all of Oblivion's fine Xbox 360 DLC for half of its normal price during this week. All the DLC that is ... except horse armor.No, if you want horse armor, you're going to have to pay double the normal price. Seriously. And speaking as a group of guys who like to look like they've got a little fantasy cheddar in the bank when they roll into a new village, let us tell you: Worth every penny.[Update: Just to clarify, this isn't a joke. Well, it's not our joke. Bethesda promised us that this was totally true.]
Bethesda ranks Oblivion DLC, Horse Armor still selling
Considering that the term "Horse Armor" has become a common idiom when referring to unnecessary, costly DLC, we find it somewhat surprising that people are still purchasing Oblivion's equestrian plate mail. However, a recent Bethesda Blog post which ranked Oblivion's available add-ons by their total sales figures claimed, "even Horse Armor continues to sell daily." While pondering the type of folks who would drop two-and-a-half American dollars to trick out their virtual ponies, check out how the rest of the DLC measured up: Wizard's Tower Thieves Den Mehrunes Razor Spell Tomes Vile Lair The Orrery Knights of the Nine Shivering Isles Horse Armor Fighter's Stronghold
Ninja Gaiden 2 'horse armor' now on sale
Let's face it, we hardcore gamers are always looking for an excuse to play ninja dress-up. After obliterating tens of thousands of nameless, demonic foes, what greater satisfaction could there be than in donning a leopard print bodysuit and doing it all over again? That's the thing, palette swaps used to be bonuses for our hard-earned mileage; easter eggs buried at the end of the playing field. Not premium DLC.In the real world, buying a sassy lil' getup can be a cathartic release. In virtual land you just feel like a chump. So Tecmo, Team Ninja, Microsoft, whoever, take your Ninja Gaiden "horse armor" and shove it!
Oblivion: Downgraded for PS3, not happening on Wii [update 1]
When we learned that the PS3 version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion would not feature the majority of downloadable content found on the Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game, it was a blow to fans of horse armor everywhere. An episode of The 1UP Show (02/02) provides the follow-up hook as 1UP relays a juicy bit of info from Bethesda. As it turns out, it may be due to a memory limitation with the Playstation 3 itself.1UP says that Bethesda simply could not find a way to load every piece of downloadable content without affecting the performance of the game. Considering that the Xbox 360 can pull off this feat without a hitch, that seems quite odd. Bethesda will still be looking into getting that content available for PS3 users, as addressed by their VP of Marketing, Peter Hines, who also comments on the "rumors" regarding the memory issue in an IGN interview.As for the PS3 version of Oblivion trumping the 360 in the visuals department, it just so happens that the new shader techniques applied to the PS3 will also be worked into the 360 version of the game. And thus, they are equals once more. Unless you want some horse armor. In which case, you're boned.Finally, Shacknews sat down with Pete Hines and questioned their plans beyond the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. When it comes to waggling your remote in Oblivion, "It's not really going to run on a Wii for example, but if it could we would put it there. Our philosophy is to make a game and make it available to as many people as possible."Read - The 1UP Show, Oblivion Expansion Preview (9:40)Read - IGN Interview with Pete HinesRead - Shacknews, Interview with Pete Hines[Update - We swapped out the Mark Rein quote with the more recent IGN interview to pull the feedback away from gritty, armchair analysis of tech specs and back into the content involved. Cleaned up some wording to not sound so definitive on a complex and unresolved issue. Thanks!][Thanks, Stephen!]
Bethesda's Christmas present to all
Tis the season for giving, and gaming companies are starting to get festive about it. THQ has released a Christmas theme pack for Saint's Row ... completely free. How Bethesda is getting into the spirit. Mehrunes' Razor, a 250 point Xbox Live Marketplace add-on, is being offered for absolutely free starting tomorrow through December 31. The quest, which was big jump in quality compared to the infamous horse armor (which we're sure they should have packed in as a freebie as well), is a wonderful way to thank all the loyal customers who purchased Oblivion. We just hope more companies do this next year, since all the new consoles now have some kind of online option available out-of-the-box.
Microsoft to take a bite out of "consumables"
Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade and Marketplace have been hot topics this week, especially following the announcement of XNA Game Studio Express on Monday. Speaking at Gamefest 2006, Microsoft has further clarified some of their plans to enhance their online nexus of downloadable demos and managed microtransactions, most interestingly annoucing their intention to make a meal out of Marketplace "consumables." As enticing as the prospect of downloading a slice of lemon meringue pie might be, the experience is considerably dulled when you have to watch your in-game character devour it. Items that would be considered as consumables would be ones that you could purchase multiple times and whenever you needed them, and the example cited by the 1UP article points to this being a potentially ludicrous concept. Let's say your level 54 sorcerer (call him ... Tim) is in need of a Phoenix Down, but your party doesn't have enough gold to purchase one. Solution: rather than traipsing through a dungeon and obtaining items from slain beasties (why was that dinosaur carrying a potion?), you could be hitting the Xbox Live Marketplace and buying more gold.So, let's see if we understand how this goes. Use your real money to buy Microsoft's fake money to buy fake gold in order to buy fake potions from a fake in-game marketplace. Obviously, this is a rather extreme way of looking at consumables, but it certainly provides food for thought -- especially so should you consider the fact that by purchasing the game, you've ostensibly purchased the entire game world, marketplaces and overpriced inns included. Thankfully, just as with any marketplace transactions, it's still up to you to decide when something is worth the extra money and when it isn't (hint: equine items of protection).
