Gamers will be the first to fume whenever they see that the titles they are excited for would have, ugh, microtransactions. Since these menial transactions with real-life currency were introduced to modern gaming, enjoying games at their fullest meant milking every dollar from players. It was only a matter of time before it evolved into parasitic practice.
Every new game released today has some problem with going overboard with microtransactions. Since the problem is getting out of control, it is worth looking back at some of the worst microtransactions in gaming history. Big publishers simply refuse to learn their lesson!
Horse Armor DLC in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
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Perhaps the earliest example of a microtransaction is the Horse Armor DLC from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, if not the first. The paid DLC was priced at $2.50 when it was introduced years ago, but it set a precedent that no one expected to last until the present day.
At the time, the gaming community dismissed the idea. Players thought no one would fall for it and pay extra for cosmetics in a video game. But today, gamers are expected to pay as much as $100 for limited edition skins. And the community believes that the Horse Armor DLC was the catalyst that started it all.
Item enhancers in Pokemon Unite
click to enlarge + 6For the past few years, Pokemon games have been the subject of much controversy, most of which is deserved. One of the games criticized is the mobile MOBA spinoff Pokemon Unite, which was a resounding success when it first launched. It had one glaring problem, though.
Pokemon Unite had item enhancers, improving a Pokemon's loadout before stepping into a match. Players can earn these for free but with the caveat of excessive grinding. The game also allows players to pay with money to bypass the grind to maximize these enchancers.
Apart from the parasitic business model, it also disrupted the matchmaking process. Every match was often imbalanced since players with maxed-out loadouts always had the advantage. The developers addressed the issue by streamlining the grind for free players, but the problem was bad enough to earn backlash.
Extra features and costumes in Dead or Alive 6
click to enlarge + 6The Dead or Alive franchise competed with its contemporaries in the fighting game genre for most of its iterations. But, as with most examples on this list, horrible business practices reduced the quality of the following games.
Dead or Alive 6 is more of a dress-up game than a fighting one. This is not to say that dress-up games are bad, of course, but it took a turn for the worse when it introduced steep prices for all of its season passes, costume bundles, and even hair color! Owning the entirety of the game would cost nearly $500!
VCs and Player Packs in NBA 2K
click to enlarge + 6For years, the gaming community has criticized every iteration of NBA 2K because its gameplay never changes. Its developers have done little to address this, as it still has a pretty casual audience that doesn't seem to mind. Since then, the game has attracted 'whales'—players who will shell out money to create more powerful players in multiplayer.
Virtual currencies, or VCs, have earned the ire of players who want to enjoy the game without paying extra. Like Pokemon Unite, matchmaking is horrible when most opponents pay for their characters to become the next Michael Jordan. If the player is willing to spend, every shot will be on target without issue. But unlike Pokemon Unite, the practice continues annually without its publishers addressing anything.
Post-launch microtransactions in Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled
click to enlarge + 6You can always count on Activision to monetize every IP they have. It should be evident from each new Call of Duty released that they are out to get money in any way they can. But the most heartbreaking inclusion of microtransactions comes from a title that was so beloved, ruined by Activision's greed toward its players.
Older gamers rejoiced when Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled was released since it captured the magic of the original games. However, a few weeks after release, Activision slowly snuck in microtransactions in the form of Wumpa Coins for unlockables in the game. Earning Wumpa Coins without paying can be tedious since the competition is too fierce online while the rewards are disproportionate.
Loot boxes in Star Wars Battlefront II
click to enlarge + 6Much like the impressive John Williams-composed theme for the franchise, the announcement of Star Wars Battlefront II was highly anticipated. That pretense alone could have made the game a success while raking profits in. But even after all that hype, it seems that EA Games couldn't help themselves but chase more money.
Players who bought the Deluxe Versions of the game were disappointed to find out that playing as popular characters like Darth Vader required an excessive grind. Players were expected to pay even more to unlock them than they would initially shell out.
Star Wars Battlefront II's blunder was so big that even the Belgian government decided to step in to fix the problem. Fortunately, today, the game has significantly improved, even streamlining its progression systems to ease the egregious grind of playing their favorite characters.
The gaming community can be toxic in some areas, but it will band together when it comes to microtransactions. Microtransactions should fade into obscurity and let gamers once more have complete experiences when they buy a game. However, until we all decide to stop buying even one, publishers will continue to force them in until the end of time.
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