The Microtransaction Investigation

Conclusions

We went into this investigation expecting to be infuriated by every game we came across. We knew TF2 was fine in terms of playability, but thought the pay-to-win situation had become rife and that microtransactions were ruining everything they touched.

It turns out we were wrong. Everything outside of Battlefield is either cosmetic or available for free, which is the absolute right way to do it if you’re going to at all - the fact that nobody likes Battlefield is a testament to this.

As you can see from player reactions to microtransactions in World of Warcraft and EVE Online, though, even just cosmetic items will breed a bitter culture of haves and have-nots if you can’t reasonably get them for free in a game for which you’re already paying.


Developers also need to bear in mind that grinding for items often isn't healthy for a hobby based on escapism, but at the same time players also hope to be judged on their achievements in game, rather than their bank balance and how ready they are to deplete it.

On the other side, microtransactions have allowed Team Fortress 2, Realm of The Mad God, and League of Legends to be completely free without upsetting their communities. This is obviously a good thing, as these are all excellent games - and the more people playing them, the better.

The worry, however, is that with microtransactions seen as an increasingly viable option for developers to pursue, the market may become clogged with lesser titles rushing to capitalise on the free-to-play markets.

The ABCs of DLC - You can buy two real-world, gold-plated monocles for less than the price of a pretend one in EVE: Online.