14 DAY TRIAL // It baffles me how people accept not just questionable ethics, but outright bad and malicious intent, as something that cannot be avoided, as if those were the observable and intangible laws of the universe instead of simple decisions made by other people.
Like microtransactions in retail games, a trend that seems to be more and more popular (especially among EA games) and that people are starting to get used to, which is very worrisome.
We should thank EA again for killing Dungeon Keeper due to incompetence and greed, showing disrespect for a beloved franchise in the pursuit of gold. If all gamers did whatever they could to get maximum profits, without thinking about the implications of their actions, software piracy would reach 100 percent and nobody would make games anymore.
They only do it because they think that you're too stupid to realize it or hold them responsible. They do it because they want to make money, and not just some money, but all the money possible, and just like any 2-year old, they'll test your limits and do it again if you let them. And you buy the next FIFA and forget all about it.
Stop letting them do this. In the upcoming Assassin's Creed Unity, you'll be able to pay to unlock some fancy multiplayer swag, in case you can't be bothered to unlock it by actually enjoying the game.
In any case, while that doesn't sound that bad for people who would rather circumvent the grind and get instant gratification, the problem is that since it's a designed system, you could simply put an adult switch that gives you access to that, or better yet an item editor that allows you to distribute a number of points to certain stats, gaining the desired boosts.
But people are already defending the malicious practice in online discussions, stating that it's an optional feature that does not impact gameplay in any way, when in fact it does. People who don't put in the effort get access to fancy stuff get it by simply flicking a switch. That switch is made of greed and solely greed, and of your complacence and failure to see it for what it really is.
They could have put in an option to donate, for people who enjoy the game immensely to be able to show their support, but instead they're holding a feature for ransom, in a full-priced retail game. You should be infuriated by the practice, since its existence is the embodiment of greed and nothing more.
It does nothing for you and it detracts from the actual gaming experience because someone has to see how they can get the most money out of it at your expense.
Furthermore, such practices rely on tricks and psychological warfare against your patience, as free-to-play games usually create an artificial grind in order to wear you down and make sure that the system maximizes the chances for you to pony up the cash.
That's the system that will slowly creep into full-priced games. Instead of requiring three materials to build a doodad, you'll be required five, and then the option to purchase them "for your convenience" will tug at your sleeve, so the poor busy gamers who don't have time to grind five mats for everything won't have to waste their precious time.
The thing is, it's a false solution to a problem the developer/publisher created in the first place. It's like someone offering you boiling-hot coffee (at full price) and then offering to insulate your lips and mouth for a small price. What's that? Esophagus? Yeah, that's on-disc DLC.
While Electronic Arts is the main force behind the nickel and dime movement, inspired by King and Supercell's success in the mobile world, because that's how things work when you're stealing candy from children, Ubisoft is testing the waters too, and we have to stop them before it's too late, especially since it's not their first time.
What most people fail to realize is that while you have to accommodate the presence of gravity into your day-to-day life, because it's an omnipresent force that can't be shut off, every system in a video game is designed by someone who knows full well what they're doing.
What's more, that someone's work is based on the fact that you, on the other hand, don't know what you're doing, and you'll be complacent and accept this on account of the fact that you'll be grateful that you have another game to play, even though you paid for it and you're entitled to be critical.
Put it this way, if instead of paying full price for a game, you would rather give the publisher Monopoly cash and then supervise what they do with your money (which is only offered with a license to use, and does not include ownership of the actual currency) and take it back if you don't agree with how they spend it, because it said so in your EULA, which they accepted when they agreed to your payment, no publisher would sell you games anymore.
Why do you accept this from publishers then? Why don't you ask them to give you all the content when you pay all the money they're asking for? They don't trust you to be an adult and handle it, they think that you're stupid and they want to take all the money they can off you.
The only reason they're not doing this on a larger scale is their fear of opposition, not the fact that they have your best interest at heart. So, oppose them.