No One Likes MicrotransactionsÂ
Gears 5 has come out of the gate with resounding success. Reviews have been great and so have it’s sales. However, some fans have voiced concerns over the presence of microtransactions in the game. It has gotten so bad that the head director of The Coalition has had to respond to mobs of angry fans on Twitter.
Microtransactions really only exist in the multiplayer portion of the game at the moment. Something that should not be much of a shock. Items in the multiplayer like skins for weapons or characters are all able to be bought with in-game currency, but there is a catch. The amount of grinding that is required to buy certain items is absurd. This is of course done purposely in order to nudge players towards just giving up and purchasing them with real money. Fans are unhappy that they feel almost forced to pay in order to get all the high tier cosmetic items.
Rod Fergusson, the head director said, “We’re learning as we go. This is a completely different economy from Gears 4 so it will take a little time to work through any issues.” He then continued by adding, “Our first attempt is not our last and we will continue to evolve until we get it right.”
It sounds as though Fergusson and company are sincere in fixing this issue. But there is no time frame for when this problem will be addressed. Or what the actual “fixes” will look like. It is not uncommon for games to engage in these sorts of business practices. Despite that, they are universally loathed by gamers everywhere. Hopefully, they are able to come up with actual solutions to this problem.
Gears 5 is currently available for the Xbox One and PC.