Has Activision gone too far with their patent to encourage purchase of microtransactions?

I think it's safe to say that the subject of microtransactions (and loot boxes) has grown into a hot topic as of lately. So with that fresh in mind, has Activision gone too far with their patent to encourage purchase of microtransactions? Well, here's my (Sharn Daniels, TGG) take on the matter.

[UCForce]

Oh man, Activision are just worse as EA. I remember they said Black op 3 MP won't have microtransaction and Weapon DLC, but later on they just added MT and weapon DLC in supply drop. Oh trust me, It's Activision and they will implement it one day.

[season84]

The same goes with Ubisoft as well. The Division wasn't supposed to have microtransactions, and see what they've implemented in the game now.

[TGG_overlord]

That was a really low and cheap blow with no doubt. So we can expect to get more of that matter in the future with no doubt.

[nX]

Activision has gone too far dozens of times but dumb people still support them every year.

[Eiffel]

Luckily they're only for cosmetics in The Division. Doesn't affect gameplay.

[Scar-]

They are charging for TDM also lol this is why I don't even play modern games that much anymore every developer is trying to milk more cash out you someway now. I turned on my ps2 yesterday and had an absolute blast with COMPLETE games it was refreshing.

[TGG_overlord]

From my point of view, I think that Activision has managed to top EA when it comes to greed, and that takes a WHOLE lot of effort...So it's just going to get worse from here.

[Littil_Devil]

If this keeps up, then I wouldn't be surprised if we have to pay for everything there is in their future games.

[TGG_overlord]

Here's the thing, if Gamers keep on buying their games no matter what. Then they're sending Activision the message that we're cool with this. In other words, Activision will then continue to implement even more stuff which we will have to pay for with real money...And then it's just a matter of time before everyone else in the industry simply copies Activision's microtransaction business model.

[Palitera]

^ Gamers will buy it. Simple as that. Most people don't even know or care about this kind of thing. So yeah, loot games/mechanics have a grin future ahead.

[UltraNova]

At one point we will be paying by the hour to play games online and thats after we pay for the OG game.

Want Destiny 3/4? Ok 60 bucks for the initial release with 8 hrs code for online play included! Then you can buy time packs for 0.99 for 1hr, 4.99 for 6 hrs, 99 for 24hrs and so on.

Mark my words guys thats^ the future.

[DarXyde]

Their business practices only have as much power as we afford them.

Activision hasn't made any money from me since PS2. I actually don't like their games as much as many others. They're an extremely profitable company so I know I'm in the minority, but I think if everyone stands by their principles, they'll check themselves.

[PhoenixUp]

Just keep microtransactions away from the next Crash Bandicoot game Activision

[TGG_overlord]

Don't give them any ideas now...

[ccgr]

Vote with you wallets!

[TGG_overlord]

That's the best way to fight this imo, because that will send them (and others) a really powerful message that we're not cool with practices of this kind.

[justsomeoffdude]

This!!!
If gamers would just stop giving ea, ubisoft and activision money then they'll definitely stop.. Sadly y'all be surprised ny the number of idiots out there that just keep dropping cash for mt items.

[Palitera]

I believe the idiots are the ones reading the whole situation in such an insanely wrong manner that they believe a dozen boycotts will make any difference. Only the masses matter. They don't care about the 60 bucks you swear you won't give them.

[nitus10]

In the gambling industry, there are particular terms which are used to describe a particular gambler they are Whales, Dolphins and Minnows. The most prolific gambler is the Whale at about 3% but spends almost 50% of the revenue while the Dolphin (about 5% to 7%) pretty much send the other 50%. The Minnow (about 80% to 90%) will hardly spend anything. http://chrislema.com/segmen...

These terms can easily be applied to the smartphone industry where about 16% fall into the Whales and Dolphins category. https://www.cnbc.com/2015/0...

We are starting to see more and more of the gambling (including microtransactions) being used in the console and PC gaming market basically the same terms can be used on these gamers that are used in both the gambling and smartphone gaming markets.

The question to ask is are you a Whale (if so you could be a gambleholic - seek help), Dolphin (you are making it worse but the publishers do like you) or a Minnow and all the publishers hate you - Awww! 😎

[XbladeTeddy]

That's the problem, people are and it must be in favour of microtransactions sadly because casuals and mobile gamers.

I hate it, will always hate and will never touch that crap but sadly people like us are the minority clearly.

[Michiel1989]

I don't think we are in the minority, but there are so called 'Whales' they spend a crapton of money on lootboxes/mobile games etc. I think 1 of those whales outweighs a lot of ppl who dont buy MT.

[Palitera]

^ That's right.
About only 5% of the players actually pay for MT in mobile F2P games. And, from these buyers, less than 10% pay the bills for the companies.
That's what I heard in a F2P mobile company talk, non figurative numbers.

So yes, they do the whole cassino thing just to screw a few players. They don't really care about the others, except to act like fodder or social fuel.

[remixx116]

Lol it doesn't matter, stuff like this is exactly what happens when we let publishers and devs take things to far, it's cuz of clowns like moldy that this kinda shit happens.

The defend it like it's innocent then the devs take it a step further cuz there's idiots out there who would support them.

[Littil_Devil]

I didn't even like Activision before this, so I like them even less now.

[TGG_overlord]

I for one haven't bought a single game from them in at least 10-years time now. So I have no intensions to change that. Especially now that I know about their microtransaction patent.

[andrewsquall]

Dunno. I'm still in shock of seeing the Activision logo at the start of booting up Crash N. Sane Trilogy. Man, I haven't seen that logo video in a decade, lol, given how utterly easy it is to skip their games.

[TGG_overlord]

Hehe, I know right? :P It's something like that for me as well. So I'm just going to stick to other alternatives instead.

[Perjoss]

Its cool though, gamers are slowly learning and eventually nobody is going to fall for this crap. I like to stay optimistic so i believe that this is just a nasty phase.

If the actual devs made some kind of percentage of the profits from MTs and lootboxes I think gamers would be more willing to buy into them, like if you knew the people that worked really hard to bring you the games we play were being rewarded instead of the 'extra' money only going to suits are shareholders, I think that would make it way more acceptable.

[TGG_overlord]

I made a joke to my father the other day that "IF" it's been like this when the first Diablo game launched, then I bet that he would have spent tons of real money on items and whatnot in the game, because that's how freaking bad it is nowadays...There's just so much deception, lies and hidden fees. Not to mention the fact that "some" publishers and devs release half-broken games with a 60 USD price tag like it isn't no big deal.

I hope that you're right, because this has gone way out of hands. I guess that might explain why more and more gamers are buying old retro games instead?

[Rude-ro]

This mentality has been implemented for a while. Putting a patent on it is only testimonial to how well it performed. Putting a patent on it is proof it was successful and worth protecting.

[TGG_overlord]

Until they have sucked the market dry and end up with nothing because the market has boomed. That's what EA has been doing with their series, so it's no wonder why gamers are looking for other options.

[RabbitFly]

It is ultimately a pointless patent. It would only be effective in a pay 2 win scenario. I know people around here like to rail against any form of microtransactions, but the effect proposed here would when purchases actually makes an impact on gameplay.

Considering the short life of real pay 2 win games this patent would ultimately not work in Activisions favor.

Considering the statistics we now have on the subject. Activision would probably make more money on making a game where their microtransactions were cosmetic and promoted longevity. As most of the really successful games based on microtransactions are.

Companies put stuff into RnD all the time. Patents are usually filled to stop competing businesses to use similar tactics, more so than using it themselves.

I honestly don't see any worthwhile way they could implement this and it looks to me like Activision wasted their money in both developing this feature and with filing the patent.

[TGG_overlord]

Time will tell, but I get no-good vibes from this, because Activision (and others) will just continue to add stuff like this into their games if people don't say no to it (which they could do by voting with their wallets).

[RabbitFly]

That is kind of my point though. Pay 2 win has largely died out already. Because the model can not support long term play, effectively killing a property's potential revenue.

[XStation4pio_Pro]

If that’s true, then yes.

[crazychris4124]

As of today: Hell Yea

2 years from now: Remember the good ol days when we only got paired with people that bought cosmetic stuff and didn't have to pay every time we booted up the game

[UKmilitia]

kids with mums credit cards fuel this bullshit

[ziggurcat]

Well, as with all patents, they don't necessarily see the light of day. Is there an actual, real-world application of this patent?

[opinionated]

“Grown into a hot topic lately”

I wonder why 🙄

[Poli_Games]

Oh hell yeah they have, Activision has NO problem trying to milk its audiences.

[kevinsheeks]

we might as well give up they aren't doing this because it isn't working . .it's working very well . .you have to fight people to not be fools . .and it's not a battle I feel like fighting you got money to blow on things that should be in game . .go for it . .you wanna pay for day 1 dlc on top of pre order dlc . ..go for it . .you wanna buy the super humble deluxe edition for 99.99 and still have to pay for micro transactions and loot crates. . .go for it

and you have people who will say "well we don't know how this will turn out" we have all the proof staring us directly in the face at this point you're either naive or paid

[kevinsheeks]

why not just make day 1 dlc mandatory right when you purchase it a notification should pop-up "hey we noticed you purchased tales of insanity for 59,99 this is a great and will likely keep our lights on for 1.5 hours but if you really want to help you'd buy the halls of lunacy bundle dlc for 39.99 you're going to need this dlc as it lets you get past the beginning area which is otherwise an impossible task ;)" as soon as you purchase the bundle another pop-up appears "hey you're doing great but there is a lot of competition out there *shows you screen of op players wielding insane weapons/Armour* for 19.99 you can get 100k wonky points(original retail value of 59.99) to invest into your character but act now!!!!!!"

[Realms]

This is why some of us are so outspoken about MT, it's only a matter of time when Activision decides to implement this BS, and yet we still have some people defending these corporations it's truly confounding.

[GamingCentaur]

No game is using this patent.
Next.

[datriax]

Let's see here, they are conspiring to manipulate people, through dedicated hidden research techniques involving human tendencies, to spend money that they normally would never have thought of spending. I dunno about everyone else, but that sounds like a resounding YYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSS SSSSSSSSS!

They're basically researching how to con people out of money.

This is really no different than the 12 year old kid, who tricks the 5 year old kid out of his weekly allowance. Yes, that is the intellectual difference between marketing firms, and the "average customer" on this planet.

Why is this stupid question even being asked?

[Scar-]

I feels like if gamers would actually put there money were there mouth is then we wouldn't have this problem. The fact that EA and Activision have been doing this shit for YEARS and are still selling millions is the reason you are seeing other publish try there hand. We can complain as loud as we want to but as long as there selling there BS it means nothing. I have yet to see gamers collectively blacklist a publisher and developer for their practices. Yet every year roles around and the same people complaining pick up the latest cod, battlefront or ANTHEM. This is why they don't take gamers seriously we have a Dealer/Junkie relationship with developers and publishers.

[OhNoes]

Yes. Stop buying AAA games completely. That's the only way to make a dent in this system. Just refusing to buy microtransactions/microgamblin g (call it what it is) doesn't do enough when the games still rake in money.

[r3f1cul]

this is about around the most morally bankrupt thing i think ive ever seen in gaming honestly ... way to go activision just when i think you cant be any worse you go and prove me wrong ... even if they never use this(which is highly doubtful seeing how they paid for the research and the patent) its still just about the scummiest thing i can think of that they even researched it to begin with honestly

[nawaz10]

This is the serious issue that can go horribly go south if didn't handled properly!

[Many-hat5]

This is one of those rare issues that most gamers can unite around. Even people who don't really care now, understand it could be detrimental to gaming in the future. And while It's true our community on N4G is just a very small fraction of a much bigger gaming population, we can change things,together. Avoid the worst publishers and Devs that blatantly abuse their customers in pursuit of greed. Use your knowledge to inform others of what's happening. You only have to read the passion with which gamers defend their chosen platform to know how we feel about our pastime. Let's take a little of that passion and use it for the good of all gamers. Publishers and developers aren't inherently bad - after all, they provide the games we love to play. But they do make mistakes, and MT's are one of them. Just do your bit, guys.