Vote with your money on micro-transaction DLC: Microsoft

Micro-transactions are firmly entrenched on the gaming landscape, and the launch of the Xbox One and its exclusive titles has proven that Microsoft isn’t shy about embracing the model.

However, Microsoft Studios head Phil Spencer has said they are still learning about how to best approach micro-transaction market.

Killer Instinct is a free-to-play Xbox One exclusive, but you’ll have to pay to unlock more characters or be stuck getting really good with the only character available for free, Jago.

Ryse has multiplayer armour packs gated by player experience level, which some were quick to label as a “pay-to-win” scheme. Developer, Crytek, and Microsoft responded by saying early access to armour is merely a convenience factor and doesn’t impact gameplay – all purchased items can be obtained through regular gameplay.

Do you like my pauldrons? They only cost $2 on special – it was basically losing money not to buy them and it saved me so much gameplay time. Now prepare to die!

Forza 5 is Microsoft and Turn 10’s flagship racing title, and it uses some pretty contentious DLC micro-transaction models, which fans of the series say has hamstrung the traditional gameplay.

For example, you can buy in-game tokens with real-word money which can be used to unlock vehicles. This allows players to otherwise avoid weeks of race-grinding for tokens. Forza fans say this has essentially made playing the game a tedious chore, with the high-end cars made intentionally difficult to attain in order to exasperate players into purchasing the DLC – for the sake of “convenience”.

A further sleight, when purchasing car DLC packs for vehicles not included in the base game, players still have to spend tokens in order to unlock the vehicles. This means further race-grinding, or yet another micro-transaction for in-game tokens.

The lines between convenience and fleecing the consumer are evermore blurred. Arguably, the ultimate convenience for the gamer would be to make the cars immediately available based on game progress, and not through a game economy that is designed to waste your time which you can pay to opt out of.

Turn 10 creative director Dan Greenawalt most recently said they are monitoring feedback on the Forza economy, and could enact changes if deemed necessary. Greenawalt also defended the design decision behind the Forza 5 economy.

Forza Motorsport 5 Lotus F1 car – you’ll need to invest money or time to drive this bad boy

Speaking during an interview with Kotaku, Microsoft Studios head Phil Spencer discussed the micro-transaction business, saying “We’re still learning.”

Spencer said that Xbox One games will include feedback mechanisms so they can assess the success of DLC packs. If gamers don’t like a micro-transaction, then they mustn’t buy it, said Spencer.

“I want to be able to learn from what we put in. So let’s make sure we are crafting the game and the analytics so we can see what the consumers – the gamers – like and don’t; if you assume buying habits are a reflection of what people like. So that we can craft the experience better for the gamer,” Spencer told Kotaku.

“It’s easy to say something like: ‘I’ll never allow somebody to buy the win of the game, I won’t let them buy victory’; but that’s kind of a trite answer.”

“I guess I have that line, that [we wouldn’t have] ‘Pay five bucks and get 1000 achievements’ or something stupid like that. I’m always pushing against that. But, in reality, that’s not what the gamers are looking for. They’re usually looking for customization and their gameplay style opening up,” said Spencer.

Phil Spencer of Microsoft Game Studios speaks at the Microsoft Xbox E3 media briefing in Los Angeles, Monday, June 10, 2013. Microsoft focused on how cloud computing will make games for its next-generation Xbox One console more immersive during its Monday presentation at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. Microsoft announced last week that the console must be connected to the Internet every 24 hours to operate, and the system would ideally always be online.

Phil Spencer of Microsoft Game Studios speaks at the Microsoft Xbox E3 2013 media briefing in Los Angeles.

So what do you make of Spencer’s comments? Obviously gamers want a variety of customisation and gameplay options – but isn’t that what we’re paying for in the first place?

Are AAA games featuring micro-transactions undermining traditional design practices, or is it just a nice convenience for those who value their time more highly than their bank balance?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.