2017 was a shockingly good year for games, from Zelda and Horizon to Cuphead and Persona 5. However, Micro-transactions might have been the biggest gaming story of the year. After EA’s blundering with Battlefront 2, Micro-transactions got major coverage from the likes of CNN and The New York Times. Even though EA has rescinded the ‘pay-to-win” model that plagued Battlefront after launch, it still soured the reception of the game. It showed us and the industry that not even a franchise as large as Star Wars is immune to failure from Micro-transactions, which is a major win for the consumer. Moving into the new year, we are left wondering in what way are Micro-transactions going to effect us moving forward.
If a company as large as EA can take a public hit like what happened with Star Wars, there is the chance that others will see it and pull back on Micro-transactions. I in know way believe that Micro-transactions are gone, rather the companies are going to have to pivot their thinking. We have seen instances where Micro-transactions have been done right, Blizzard’s Overwatch and its cosmetic only loot boxes. There is also the example of Grand Theft Auto, where Rockstar has found an insanity successful longevity with constant updates and add-on packs that add content to the game. Companies like these show that there are Micro-transaction models that do work, the issue being that many other companies go the wrong way, i.e. EA with Star Wars.
Looking forward after the EA debacle, I wouldn’t be surprised if companies begin to pivot the way they think about Micro-transactions. That would be the hope at least, that they would look at the success of a Destiny or Overwatch and use that as the basis of their own in-game monetization. If they went that direction, they would have the ability to make both their shareholders and the consumer happy and that is the goal for a publisher. I might be In the minority, because I don’t think the idea of Micro-transactions are inherently wrong, just that companies go about them in the wrong way. When it becomes pay-to-win or pay for content that doesn’t add substance or even charging too much for small content, that is when they become an issue.
The truth is, that companies are going to do what they want in order to make money, even if is upsets the fans, but to quote Kinda Funny “we need to vote with our wallets”. Showing publishers that we wont accept the pay-to-win model of gaming will shift their idea of Micro-transactions. It’s not going to be easy or fast, but if we can continue the momentum we gained after Battlefront 2 we have a chance to take back our games.