Microtransactions — the very word fills gamers with a sense of dread. While the advent of DLC was meant to extend the life of video games in a way that made sense for gamers, developers, and publishers alike, microtransactions have hurt the overall perception of DLC. Thankfully, some developers have started to move away from that particular business model as more and more gamers voice their disdain for the practice. Xbox One owners in particular can breathe easily regarding the upcoming title Bleeding Edge. In an interview with Dark Side of Gaming, Creative Director Rahni Tucker said that the game will not feature any kind of microtransactions when it releases later this year.
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“There is absolutely none right now. So you can obviously pre-order the game and you’ll get the Punk Pack with that. The Punk Pack has got some cosmetics in it like skins, and a hoverboard and some stickers and stuff. But everything else is earnable in the game including all the cosmetics. And we would absolutely never sell anything that would affect the game because it’s really important that it’s a competitive game, right? We don’t want to affect the competitive nature of the game by selling things.”
Tucker’s use of “right now” notably leaves the door open for a future change of heart. That said, it is good to see that the developer is well aware of the risks involved, particularly when it comes to building a player base around a new, competitive game. Titles like Bleeding Edge can only thrive if players feel they’re worth investing time in, and making sure there’s a fair learning curve for everyone is key. Tucker’s comments certainly bode well for those excited for the game, at the very least!
It seemed the industry reached a boiling point with microtransactions with the release of Star Wars: Battlefront II. The game received heavy blowback from fans upon release, as Battlefront II‘s microtransactions gave an unfair advantage to those with deeper pockets. Since then, EA has made significant changes to make the game fairer, but as a result of the debacle, it seems the industry as a whole has learned a hard lesson about what kind of DLC gamers are willing to pay for.
Are you interested in Bleeding Edge? Are you happy to hear that microtransactions won’t be part of the game? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
