To charge or not to charge

You hear that Bungie? Lame!

I dislike the idea. What kind of world is it when I buy a game, and you buy the same game, but you have serious advantage because you forked over cash for new weapons??

terrible.

IMO, if a developer wants to add content to an existing game, they should develop an expansion pack with all sorts of new goodies, just like they've been doing for many years. No ala-carte purchasing for single items. rediculous.

What in the !*$#*& are you talking about? "How does MS convince them that the microtransaction tools are worth using?" You guys don't get it, so let me enlighten you.

Microsoft does not make direct profits from microtransactions. They're providing them so that GAME DEVELOPERS can make profits from them. It is provided as a TOOL - a way of generating revenue out of the normal stream. And Microsoft knows that the developers WANT microtransactions.

Why?

If you had actually listened to J. Allard's GDC talk, you'd know. He spelled it out: it's the age of customizations. Where were those stupid ringtone and cellphone wallpaper commercials 2 years ago? The customization and personalization business is taking off, and it makes sense for it to spill over into the game sector. Game developers can sell custom skins for GTA characters, or special aftermarket parts for cars (that some people want, but others don't care about), or special skins and colorizations to give your Halo clan a specialized look.

But it can't work (and game developers can't provide that sort of customization) unless there's a feasible economic model for it. Coding and developing extra features COSTS MONEY. And making everyone pay for a skin that only a small handful of people are going to lose? That's retarded. Enter microtransactions.

Microsoft doesn't need to convince anyone to use microtransactions. Game developers are CLAMORING for it. It's an additional, self-subsidized revenue source. And if you'd talk to game developers, or actually listen to keynote speeches, and not just pull rumors and uninformed rants off blogs, you might know that already.

Epic have offered extra content for their fans for FREE for years. FREE content, developed by them not users. Why can't other developers do this?

Little shitty "micro transactions" are what is putting me off the next round of consoles. Why should I pay for something that has been free on the PC for years?

With as much money as Epic makes from engine licensing I would demand free content from them as a gamer. My $0.13 cent donation for a blue laser beam instead of a green laser beam is not going to make an indention on their bottom line.

Rewarding customers instead of draining every penny out of them, WHAT A NOVEL F'N CONCEPT! Epic will most certainly continue to get my money.

yup, UT2k3 and UT2k4 were sheer bargains in terms of amount of content Epic threw in, both on discs and as bonus packs...

I wouldnt hesistate to buy the next iteration...