The Unfortunate Reality Of Microtransactions, Gambling, And Desperate Publishers (The Jimquisition)

[@NMGardening]

That's why its Take 2. They're too greedy to just take 1.

[@attilapataki46]

they should rename themselves to take everything

[@MPdub]

...and/or because they can't get it right on the first take! Nah... yours was better.

[@Psycorde]

Take-All ...Up the arse

[@marksmithwas12]

All for one… And none for all

[@TheCosta5000]

Lol gold

[@Chtulhu1204]

In Norway a PHD student did a his dissertation on what loot-boxes are, if they were gambling by the simple principle of odds, or were the odds so high that you would get a rare, ultimate or whatever high-tier item you wanted without buying the game again. He got a grant to buy 70,000 loot-boxes and calculated the odds after all boxes purchases were made. The conclusion was, and is, that loot-boxes are glorified gambling that the government should take a look at and propose legislation.

[@BinBintheRiceCake]

Thats cool.........BUT THEY ESSENTIALLY GAVE MONEY TO THEM GREEDY ASSHOLES.

[@Yal_Rathol]

@@BinBintheRiceCake well yeah, but they have to somehow collect data. them collecting data like that allows the government to hamstring arguments against regulation.

[@DoveAlexa]

If you want something done right, do it yourself.

[@RandyRedCatAttack]

@YesteryearsGamer Sourcing 70,000 data points from other people would be tiresome, lengthy and open to bias and corruption. You'd save more money & time generating them yourself and it would be stronger evidence. It may seem like a defeat to have handed the money over in the first place but with that data you can do a lot, say a game advertises their drop chances, you can make a very accurate statement regarding how well it falls in line with they say, they mess up and you've got a fantastic legal argument. It's best that the data arrives to you from your direct purchase from the game as is, once you catch one way their fucking up, that sets the legal precedent, what's true in one court of law will be carried on to the next. Bit by bit, case by case, issue by issue you set these precedents. In the end that initial purchase can be quite gleefully seen as poisonous, they lapped it up and it killed them.

[@brofist4675]

@YesteryearsGamer if you havent noticed already, there are idiots who think lootboxes are fine. We shouldnt let them anywhere near that.

[@ItsAGundam]

All CEO's in the gaming industry look like and Act like Bond Villians.

[@azraelswrd]

They all went to the same business schools.

[@Timic83tc]

Its A Gundam oh shit

[@Sesshomaru474]

The funny thing is Bond villains are actually smart and more charismatic than Gaming CEOs.

[@donpacificbobcat9er615]

Which one’s?

[@HotBrobarian]

Papa Gundam!

[@greenhowie]

I like how "gameplay" is now called "the grind"

[@dinny1881]

Yep, like it's a full time job itself to play a game now.

[@ehoffart529]

I mean some games the grind is the gameplay. Destiny, Diablo, Borderlands. These games the grind is the game(usually endgame). However other games shouldn't need a grind. Overwatch shouldn't have a grinding mechanic(the lootboxes). The grind in that game should be linked to actual gameplay or just be buyable with money/ingame earned currency. Sure there is ingame currency but it isn't earned easily as they designed it to be scarce.

[@mezmerya5130]

just like you grind flowers in witcher 3? or souls and items in dark souls? or 5000 challenges for better gear in GoW 4?

[@disembodiedvoices1440]

2k called it grind because thats what they put in THEIR games, they dont care what other companies call it, to them it's a "grind" and they designed it that way too..... ahh video game industry

[@weregretohio7728]

That's reason enough for me to not patronize these companies. If the game isn't fun, why bother?

[@phil8855]

Jim, why have you never thought to use the term "Pubisoft" to discribe Ubi?

[@JimSterling]

Because you never said this sooner! Hot-damn that's good.

[@Alex-ne6pr]

hahaha that's gonna stick with me forever now, thanks Phil

[@captainanopheles4307]

He'd have called it Scoobisoft if it wasn't for those pesky kids.

[@madengineerkyouma]

Pubisoft, Pee-A Games, Kuntnami

[@BasilBonehead]

I prefer to use Bubisoft due to them acting like absolute boobs (the insult term, obviously)

[@RoverStorm]

"You can skip the grinding!" OK. *closes store page*

[@LittleNemoGaming]

And you still have the $90+ from not buying the deluxiest complete ultimate edition... that still has DLC's and MT's. You can skip the grind AND buy smaller /indie games that are great.

[@AdamGlory]

God, I wish I had your wisdom.

[@animorph17]

The only way these practices stop is if the players start boycotting.

[@nwildcat]

Yep. The unfortunate reality is that players will continue to whine and pout and fork over their money when things get frustrating or difficult with these companies. They have way too much goodwill with the consumers.

[@Rafael-rn6hn]

You can also skip the game.

[@Moantastic]

*A-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta* "You don't even know it, but you've done a dying" I'll be borrowing this line

[@wyrmh0le]

It was like I was watching the anime again.

[@johnmihelis1699]

"Ma'm i don't make the rules, i just come up with them and then write them down" - Every AAA company probably

[@ryuzmi5971]

"We're sorry that the game we designed and created was designed and created to be an excruciating grind, but it's out of our hands."

[@perditionedpossum5372]

Was thinking the other day how that South Park quote is perfect for these scenarios.

[@HollowHouse3]

It would be great if Belgium, in response to EA's defiance, just outright banned EA Sports games from being sold in the country altogether.

[@EagleGamer15]

I mean, yeah. But nothing is really going to be done about it until a much larger market than Belgium smarts up. I'd like to say the US, but...

[@vanigliacarogna6962]

As much as that would be sweet, it would be akin to censorship.

[@pocketfox743]

Forget banning them in just Belgium, how about the whole EU... fk it...the whole planet!

[@freeaxedv2]

Vaniglia Carogna That's got nothing to with censorship, they're not voicing an opinion, they're breaking our laws.

[@crystalsoulslayer]

Belgium's not saying that EA can't include certain players, or can't depict certain actions, or whatever. They're saying that you don't get to install a virtual slot machine in people's living rooms and claim it isn't gambling. It's regulation of business practices, not artistic content.

[@datriaxsondor590]

Can we not STOP calling them "micro" transactions? There's not been anything "micro" about them, in years now.

[@utisti4976]

How about “macrotransactions”?

[@Mayhzon]

Never was, either. They always were several bucks a skin, etc. +1 on macrotransactions

[@SuperQBoi]

They are considered *Micro* if you compare the cost of them to the cost of some of the gold,/platinum/ultimate/deluxe/whatever the fuck you call the triple dollar digit game packages nowadays.

[@HiSodiumContent]

The macro is buying the game and having the whole thing. The micro is buying parts of the game, even if you paid a "macro" price tag to play it.

[@jamesoren7238]

Micro these days refers to what you actually get for your non-micro expenditure. You used to buy expansion packs, then DLC, then character skins, now you buy parts of skins, and they decide which part you get for your money based on a slot machine algorithm using odds that would be illegal in actual slot machines. Coming soon - nano-transactions! For just $10 you can buy a pack of 64 random single pixel colours that allow you to slowly build up your skin atom by atom ... you know so you get the satisfaction of choice.

[@TheNzFox]

*look at us, we are so generous, letting you skip the boring grind and just get right to the good stuff* oooor...and stay with me on this....you could maybe NOT make the game a boring grind?? O.o

[@Knights_of_the_Nine]

TheNzFox Why are people still buying it is the question.

[@AltimeterAlligator]

TheNzFox I never understood that. "Give us a fiver and we'll make the game shorter." I can make the game short for free by putting it in a garbage can.

[@SergioLongoni]

lack of alternative. If you want an NBA game you have this or you have to go retro. As much as I enjoy emulating "NBA Jam" i understand why people play this money grab franchising

[@TankDerek]

@@SergioLongoni Why do people need to play an NBA game? None of this is going to change until people realize they don't *need* to buy media products from their favorite franchises. I may enjoy Guardians of the Galaxy but if Disney told me I had to pay an extra 20 bucks to watch the scenes with Rocket in them, I wouldn't even bother buying the basic film in the first place.

[@leov3569]

You lost me at or

[@JinzoTK]

Boy do I wish Jim had a much bigger platform. He could inform so many unfortunate payers (sorry I can't afford the L). Not enough people are thanking God for him.

[@Loco11b]

Mr O the "sorry i can't afford the l" was gold. props to you sir

[@cixlo]

......... This is crazy.

[@DrWub]

2k doesn't know it but Jim has already killed them.

[@BannaChew]

NANI?!?!?

[@paladin181]

Nah, they killed themselves.

[@nohints]

2K ha mou... shindeiru

[@AlwaysANemesis]

"You're already dead."

[@JoninJordan]

@@BannaChew *BREEEEE*

[@Likainensielu1]

Red Dead Redemption 2 gameplay: Go to the bank and attempt robbery. Behind the counter, there is a slot machine, that will randomize how much money you are able to rob after you have transferred some real-life money for 2K

[@Feanarth]

@Michael Nilson what's the difference to normal banks then?

[@olo9127]

"Recurrent consumer spending opportunities". holy shit.

[@nfzeta128]

yea, they dress it up but when you think about any of that jargon they try to hit you with, you realise its just slimy predatory practices.

[@anothga]

Orwell would probably be horrified if he saw corporations decide to use doublespeak in real life.

[@SADevilRUS]

Ha-ha! Who could even think in their right mind that this words hide something good? CEO probably thought: "No one will know the maliciuos meaning behind this phrase", cunningly rubbing his hands.

[@Draclord35]

Nah. It's not targeted at us. It's just because most higher up business people like to feel smart and important and love to hear themselves talk.

[@SuperPerry1000]

"Quickly, more buzzwords! The sheeple will never know!"

[@bl3993]

EA vs. Belgium? Here's hoping EA gets pinned under a huge waffle and drown in syrup.

[@fix0the0spade]

Execution by molten chocolate! Maybe that's why Soderlund has left EA, although my bet is still that he got caught with his dick in someone he shouldn't.

[@InfernalMonsoon]

Don't forget the chocolate - that would make cannibalism worth it.

[@demizson576]

Jean-Claude Van Damme should spin-kick EA into a massive bowl of chocolate while in the background british actor David Suchet smiles under his fake moustache. (Yeah, sorry, I can't think of any more belgian people atm, not even fictional ones. -_-'' )

[@--Paws--]

Revenge sounds sweet...

[@Alien1375]

Let Manneke Pis piss on them!

[@Poki3]

Turning players into payers! Because playing is optional now.

[@markcobuzzi826]

Yep, that’s what “player choice” is apparently about now.

[@LuriTV]

you can pay your way out of the chores playing the game

[@trishahernz7809]

Get a new hobby.

[@spacebutter1121]

@@trishahernz7809 I paint Gundam models.

[@littlejohnny41]

A company going to court about an other nations choice of laws? To protect gambling? I lost my hopes for this industry.

[@Jasonvoorhees57469]

I lost my hope for the game industry in either 2013 or 2014. I haven't bought many new games since them. Only PlayStation 4 exclusives and a handful of indie games on steam.

[@freelanceart1019]

@@Jasonvoorhees57469 the banksters parasitic fake israelis did it.

[@evillecaston]

I love EA. Not because they're a good company of course, but rather because they're so stupidly evil that they ruin the evil plans of their supposed competitors. They're basically the villains that try so hard to matter, but keep failing miserably.

[@utisti4976]

So like Megamind? Except he doesn’t become the hero and stays a villain? XD

[@Mayhzon]

You mean like the villain who is so comically evil, he attracts all the heroes who come to save the day - Meanwhile the neighbouring small time villains leave in anger because they now no longer can make their scummy backroom deals while the defenders of justice are around?

[@Evokxi]

Team Rocket.

[@comyuse9103]

like all the good D&D players, but less fun

[@ognjentasic7537]

Ea = Doofenschmirtz Evil Incorporated confirmed

[@alexlindstrom9971]

That company statement at 3:15 is positively Orwellian in its doublespeak, *but nothing new there.*

[@ooombasa5080]

You know things are bad when publishers admit loot boxes are shit. But necessary. That's an unique spin if I ever saw one.

[@kyotheman69]

at lease CEO of Take Two admits its bullshit and just want make more money, unlike EA its all lies

[@theatomiclemon1]

"We don't want to keep kicking you in the stomach and steal your wallet, but we have to. It's a necessary evil, sorryyyy''

[@brainrich1358]

Wait...haven't publishers been saying for awhile already? Saying that the cost of making a game has skyrocketed so loot boxes are to make the money back and to support the game?

[@AlwaysANemesis]

I find it laughable in an age where Undertale, a game made on the budget of string-cheese and a bus stop token, can make obscene amounts of money just from being a competent title with a fair asking price. If a game that was super-glued together from rudimentary code can do it, why can't a multi-_billion_ dollar business be capable of it? If they're telling us they _have_ to rake in money hand-over-fist in order to survive, then they fucking deserve to go bankrupt, because *they suck at their fucking jobs.*

[@Darca1n]

They're talking out of their arse most likely, and if that really is the case then they're fucking awful publishers.

[@Azralynn]

Money, money, money Must be funny In the rich man's world...

[@nostalgiatrip1]

Uh-ha ha ha All the things I could do....

[@superthorc6894]

Azralynn let me add a bit here kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGrck6R_aNiaerM

[@FreeAimDog]

Azralynn if i was rich id spend every cent i had on weed. smoking pot is like sexual pleasure to me. id buy however much it cost to fill a whole sandwich bag and then keep rolling a blunt one after another one after another one after another, then id have to buy show wraps, then id continue until i ran out of weed (after smoking all of it one after another), but id be rich, so id buy another bag. then id be happier than i ever been in life.

[@watermelonmonsterman6027]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGa1pnZ7na2WfZY

[@Rhyas9]

Must be funny to be a moderator for Yolo Army as well.

[@Pikminiman]

Wow, I didn't realize GTA V is the most lucrative media product ever. That really brings home the point that 2K's problem is none other than pure, unfiltered, unabashed, and utterly shameless greed.

[@toledochristianmatthew9919]

Take 2 and Rockstar already made 6 billion dollars and yet they still push microtransactions on GTA online.

[@Duhya]

I can't believe I thought GTA Online would be fun.

[@stevangonzalez5908]

Duhya I always just played the campaign. Got my moneys worth with that. It's fun and theres a lot to do

[@StrazdasLT]

Also there is a mod that unlocks all online stuff in singleplayer by literally changing a single number in the code. They deliberately made all the DLC not work in singleplayer to force people into multiplayer.

[@KhayJayArt]

This shit is why I want communism.

[@ilankapelian1860]

Take-Two: "We are actually under-mone-" Jim Sterling: "You are already dead."

[@tafua_a]

"You don't know, but you've done a dying"

[@cheaddos]

Underrated comment.

[@tinkertrainbreach]

Community: Omae Wa Mou Shindeiru! EA: NANI?!

[@TraustiGeir]

It's difficult to believe that, years ago, I was actually dreaming of working on EA titles. I considered it an honor and a privilege. Well, that ship has fucking sailed...struck an iceberg...and exploded.

[@wearsjorge55]

A whale came along, at the ashes, turned it into spunk and left it to float in the ocean after an unsatisfying wank

[@Oops-All-Ghosts]

@@wearsjorge55 Please don't make their dreams weird, Jorge.

[@RAFMnBgaming]

I think it's about time to take your childhood dreams out back and put a cap in the back of their ethereal head.

[@blasterjosh]

it was probably a good thing? There was a thing a long wwhile ago about how bad EA is about crunch time

[@TraustiGeir]

+HASEnoncorperated Oh, don't worry. That corpse is rotting in a shallow grave right now.

[@kami12kaze87]

I hope EA loses that trial. The ruined lootboxes once for everyone during the Battlefront 2 debacle. Let them burn it to the ground this time.

[@yellow242]

lootboxes were ruined day one

[@l0gikk]

Wait. Gambling is gambling even if it's gambling?

[@nfzeta128]

NO. It can't be. This... This is PREPOSTEROUS!

[@PhotoBoothDisaster]

"But, and stay with me here, what if gambling WASN'T gambling, even if it's gambling?" -Every AAA CEO and mouthpiece ever.

[@LadyBrightcynder]

Wha-wha-WHAAAAAAAAAAT?

[@puppyu2849]

This is woke as fuck

[@oddbin3261]

What a concept

[@imperialmovo]

2K: ”It’s unfortunate reality for video games” Jim Sterling ”No u”

[@shoukokomi6419]

"you're mom gay lol"

[@Mayhzon]

Best No U a man with a weird hat has ever uttered.

[@dariusrosso3783]

What I love about capitalism and the free market theory is, that when a company gets a lot of money and successful, they would respend the money or improve the products further. You could imagine, that this improvement would be to make a realy good game without microtransactions. You know, giving something back to the users, earning some trust, showing that the money, the users invest is well spent. But the reality shows that companys who get money do everything to squeeze more money out of the customers, spending less to get more. It is shown in gaming, but also by Volkswagen, the fracking Oilindustry and so on.

[@leonluong1384]

Darius Rosso well, the whole goal of businesses are to make money, some companies like ea and 2k do it by nickel and diming players. Others do it by gaining customer good will like cd projekt red. It is the responsibility of consumers to reward companies that do good things and punishing customers that do bad things. This will force companies to respond to market trends and do better things.

[@adamg7984]

No, it's not purely on the customers especially when you're dealing with companies who have fucking monopolies on sports games. At that point the customer doesn't hold the power, the company does. It's either play our NFL, NBA or NHL licensed game or fuck off because there's nothing else available. And usually it's customers who've spent the better part of 10 or 20 years building loyalty to those games and sports brands. So when these scumbag companies finally throw the switch, it's not like it's just as easy "oh well i'll just quit playing then." It's more like, well now I have to break a habit and find something else to fulfill the time lost if I decide to quit playing. These companies know how manipulative they are, you just don't want to accept it I guess. They're fully aware of what they're doing. I'm so sick, so fucking tired of seeing people rationalize and justify these disgusting, economically ruining practices that these companies perform. People want to play video games to escape from their fucking financial nightmare and woes, not be confronted by them. What these companies do, what all of corporate america does is despicable. All these piece of shit corporations are doing is hoarding the money the make, they don't reinvest it into anything on the customer or consumer side anymore. And frankly, people are accustomed to it now. They have no idea what self respect is anymore because their's very few other options available. It's either play AAA games or don't, there's no picking and choosing because nearly every AAA game is developed by a scumbag corporation. When's the last fucking time you've seen these corporations take their massive boost to earnings and reinvest it into their life's blood, the customers? The corporate culture is just absolutely poisoned right now and it didn't always used to be that way. It's run by analytics and scumbags who literally only care for profit and pleasing it's investors, consumers are expendable. And their's blame to be given to the customers but don't act like these corporations aren't fully fucking aware of what they're doing. They knowingly perpetuate this trash instead of growing a spine and treating customers with dignity like CD Project Red. The problem is that there is very little choice left because of all the anti-competition behavior by the biggest corporations left, they've bought out or strangled all the other competition that's kept them in check from going purely greed driven.

[@leonluong1384]

Adam Grasinger There are other sport titles you can play. For example, for Basketball games you can play nba live and nba jam. For any other sport, Or you can stick to any of the past iterations of their games. Completely agree with you about big corporations being greedy, but thats to be expected. If people boycott their games, they HAVE to do something about it because its all about money. At the end of the day, its just video games. We don't need to get government involved because some our sports video games suck.

[@crystalsoulslayer]

It may be a bad idea to use NBA Live as an example when it also has microtransactions and loot boxes (EA makes it). The last NBA Jam game came out in 2011. And the whole point of these sports games is to be able to build fantasy teams with your favorite players, so having the recent catalog is kind of relevant. The expectation of ethical behavior should not be placed solely on one party, whether we're talking video games or anything else. If you're going to start justifying unethical practices because those practices make money, you're going to get in horrific territory pretty quickly.

[@RAFMnBgaming]

A not so bad idea, ruined by an abundance of that guys on our planet.

[@Beriorn]

You know who are the real losers in this debacle? Those poor sods who had to model the armpit hair for all the players in NBA 2K19.

[@MidoriMushrooms]

kinda pedantic but they probably didn't model that, there are ways to 'airbrush' effects onto a model that behave a certain way depending on the angle the camera is viewing the model so you can give things like hair or water or grass a certain appearance. Shaders and bumpmaps are pretty interesting things to look into, sometime you should check out all the visual tricks games like HZD or BotW use. TL;DR No GPU today would be capable of rendering that much armpit hair at once.

[@technopoptart]

MidoriMushrooms ....way to be unfun there.... i was having a right good time imagining the poor peon who's job it was to ACCURATELY apply each follicle of springy dark armpit hair onto the players then re-imagining it is the personal hell of the group who came up with "player choice"

[@TheRogueWolf]

Don't say that! I'm studying to be an armpit hair model!

[@drmegaman]

You could probably just use a program like SpeedTree and make teeny tiny trees as the armpit hair and call it a day.

[@reNINTENDO]

+Dr Megaman There's a part of me that absolutely loves the idea of someone using SpeedTree to make armpit hair. It's simultaneously a clever idea and a stupid idea at the same time.

[@Katy133]

Jim: No, 2K Games. Virtual currency isn't "an unfortunate reality of video games." _You_ an unfortunate reality of video games. Daaaaaaaang.

[@DLinton]

NBA playgrounds is the antitheses of what they're saying.

[@Chapperino]

Loved that bit

[@MrMind5]

It was a sick burn!

[@CKing97]

Sterling on his Supa Hot Fire shit

[@Neverhoodian]

2K Games: NANI?!

[@wickedcaitsith]

I guess using tax havens is also an unfortunate reality.

[@Shajirr_]

well, that is more of an unfortunate reality of shitty USA law system, which encourages such practice

[@theresastarmanwaitinginthe5149]

Lootboxes are a scam. Plain and simple.

[@Calvin_Coolage]

Any form of gambling is a scam, by that metric.

[@KingLich451]

it is

[@skepticalbadger]

@@Calvin_Coolage Yup. At least conventional gambling has a chance of giving you real money rather than pointless, pointless 'upgrades'.

[@randomzombie9192]

2K as in "We want you to spend $2K on our games" 2K should be called spend 2K

[@entitledOne]

Fa Mulan You don't get all the content for 2k. That's just the gold delux version. You can also buy the platinum delux, delux delux, ultimate, ultimate delux delux ultimate and platinum gold ultimate versions of the game for even more content. And obviously if you spend 10k for the ultimatest edition (second most ultimate edition) you get nearly all the content for free and you just need to grind then more weeks. For those who are too impatient to grind, they can buy the Whale edition for 20k.

[@KdogPrime]

The issue with microtransactions isn't that gambling can occur, or even if that gambling is illegal under the laws of certain countries. The issue with microtransactions is that they represent what Jim has been saying for years; unbridled greed. Now, I don't have anything against the idea that a video game could turn a profit of 6 billion dollars. What I have a problem with is that money not being used to make better games. At this point, 2K has made more money of GTAO than most small countries do in a year. And yet, I look at GTAO, and I see rampant cheating, no graphical improvments, no additional single-player content for GTA V, and grind increasing exponentially which encourages people to buy Shark Cards instead of actually playing the game. Now we know that 2K is going to make Rockstar put microtransactions into Red Dead Redemption 2 and start the cycle all over again. And where is that money going? Not towards improving their games, I can tell you that much. Triple A games these days are what is now known as MVPs or "Minimally Viable Products". A developer puts out a game that just barely meets the standard the community expects, and then sits back and rakes in the cash while pushing out the occasional bit of DLC to keep interest high. Truth be told, it's not just big publishers doing this either. Indie studios like Piranha Games and Wildcard are guilty of the same thing. But what's even more disturbing is that it _keeps working_ over and over. It keeps working because gamers on the whole are stupid. Gamers are trend-chasers. Gamers want what's new and hot. If gamers were nearly as intelligent as they claim to be, they would not let these companies use them as cash-cows.

[@theallinonegamer8482]

goverments across the world need to update customer rights so that buisness can't abuse thier customers by using predatory tactics

[@mehmeh1031]

The reality is they are too busy taking plain brown envelopes stuffed full of cash to turn a blind eye. The corporations hold the worlds purse strings.

[@cellsec7703]

Corporations cannot abuse customers when the free market and healthy competition are allowed to exist. You can simply take your business somewhere else.

[@DameonStarflame]

And yet... how often does that work out? How many places are pure monopolies simply because the companies on top have done exactly as "meh meh" said and the governments aren't trying to break up said monopolies?

[@redwolfjo3_647]

governments across the world are beholden to corporate influence. Not every government, and not the entire government of those who are, but enough to let this continue for decades if the public doesn't make more noise

[@IAMSTRINDOM]

Objective Realist 420 bro, that's a bedtime story. free markets are antithetical to competition, the rich are only incentivized to psychotically hoard wealth by any means necessary in real world capitalism

[@MrKryonix]

This is what happens when oligopolies form, all these AAA publishers have likely agreed to be non-competitive in terms of the removal of microtransactions and loot boxes. They are doing this because the game market has reached a point where AAA publishers and developers are basically invulnerable, if AAA companies feel threatened by smaller ones they can just take the company in question to a lengthy court battle to indirectly drain their assets. This is all legal btw, the tech industry has been doing the same thing for decades and now Amazon is doing it too with online shopping. People need to start voting with their wallets, if there are microtransactions or loot boxes in something don't buy it period, if you do don't whine about the proliferation of microtransactiopns because by buying the game you are reinforcing the industry's belief that people want this BS.

[@Rhino1004]

Didn't Anthem, a giant blockbuster by *EA* of all companies, announce that it wasn't going to have MTX in it? I'd say that that's competitive.

[@bfrehksdhf]

Indeed it's no accident all the AAA publishers are basically doing the same thing and won't undercut each other with any fresh ideas or undermine the money spigot. Works the same in any industry.

[@w1mark275]

I doubt they even need to "drain their assets" most of the time, I am sure there are plenty of smaller business that simply get bought out, they take the good will of their company, spoil it with common AAA practices and watch them go out of business after their market has dried up. Or they basically patent troll and own the rights of their games and do absolutely nothing with them.

[@the_gratefulgamer]

*And stop supporting pre orders. Gotdamn Sheep*

[@s-kazi940]

Voxel Spark- Capitalism 101.

[@Cyan-hide]

"You can skip the grinding" translating in progress "You can pay to not play the game you paid for"

[@Tecolote41]

WoW be like

[@XaldirGodofGood]

You remember when there were Cheatcodes to skip "the Grind of the game"? I remember

[@SixDeadMice]

I just miss games being balanced properly so the "grind" was basically only in RPG games and actually worked for them because it was balanced properly to be fun.

[@XaldirGodofGood]

Ye... but Cheats were Superfun too. I miss them really hard.

[@skiltonjackmusic]

Remember cheat phone lines? Now that was a good scam.

[@seenbett3rdays642]

What even is a cheat code?

[@XaldirGodofGood]

You serious or just joking?

[@ThenVersusNow_]

In any other industry these companies would be in prison. Despicable. To all the kids out there that are pouring their parents money into these companies wake up! Buying a game and then not spending another dime on it is punk rock!

[@jthom0027]

They wouldn't be in prison in America. We let the banks and wall street do the same stuff and they ended up getting bailed out and the CEO's still got their bonuses.

[@ThenVersusNow_]

True

[@iluvj00]

Not sure, look at the food industry, putting poison in kids food. Proven toxic ingredients. High doses of adictting cocaine-like sugary foods. Transgenic sugary delights.

[@ThenVersusNow_]

Wow I forgot yes the FDA allows companies to kill us. The FDA is by far the worst offender.

[@kaios26k90]

I really wonder what Sports games would look like if actual competition was allowed in the market. Exclusive licenses for the NFL, NBA, FIFA, etc, have completely neutered any incentive to innovate or even attempt to try new things, as the games themselves have devolved into Skinner Boxes.

[@MrGainzzzz]

I'm playing yakuza 0 atm. It's my first one. Really fun game. Good story. Glad I got it. Only paid £10 too. Very happy.

[@AnalSeepageForDummies]

Smart choice! One of the best releases this gen and NO MICRO TRANSACTIONS OR DLC!

[@LordMarshalGremlin]

paid full price for every Yakuza game on PS3 and PS4 and they ALL were fully worth it. Even a couple I had to import from Japan. That's a great example.

[@rwalker0130]

Tony Sahni yakuza 0 was my first as well and I wanted so bad to like it but I just couldn’t get into it.

[@ryanrathwell6175]

I got it was well, but was off-put by how long the tutorial holds your hand. How long does it last? Should I give it another shot?

[@pierce7993]

The tutorial lasts for around 2 chapters. There are 16 chapters in the game. Stick with it, and I promise the payoff will be worth it.

[@Chaser5D]

You've already sold me on Yakuzatatata.

[@Szanth]

What system is it on?

[@warriorcrab1319]

What a wonderful phrase

[@TheAssirra]

It gets better. The voice of protagonist is actually the same actor as Kyryu.

[@luciano9755]

The gaming industry is heading to another crash.

[@nfzeta128]

I really hope so.

[@burningphoenix6679]

Luciano idk. I think it’s way too big (like my dick) to crash. The industry is larger than Hollywood now back when it crashed last time it was still a somewhat niche hobby. However we might be able to drive certain companies out if we try hard enough.

[@RAFMnBgaming]

Some people just want to watch the industry burn. I just want to watch the industry burn.

[@RAFMnBgaming]

@@burningphoenix6679 wasn't the Titanic too big to crash? Wasn't the Soviet Union too big to fall? Let them be complacent, it's only a matter of time.

[@RAFMnBgaming]

@@jfvfhdbhc4046 well for one those studios might be filled full of people who love video games and want to make them regardless of the economy, rather than snivelling money vampires and their army of poorly mistreated programming renfields. There's some people like that still out there, but mostly they seem to end up being swallowed up by Dracula before too long.

[@KentTallKid]

I don't know why I ever thought I wouldn't like your stuff. I always heard others say "he's cynical, he's crude", taught me a lesson about listening to twats.

[@arbitratedshan2783]

He is cynical and crude... But in all the ways glorious. All of them.

[@shughan666]

He can get a bit insufferable when he goes on a political/morality rant, like when Steam decided not to do any QC anymore and he wanted games he didn't like banned from the platform. However when he sticks to real gaming issues he is almost always on point.

[@IK4MS]

I don't really like his stuff, but I certainly despise and abbhore anything even loosely related to the shit AAA publishers try to pull and Jim seems like one of the few news outlet to even touch on it because he wasn't offered two fucking billions (which I assume is pocket change now) to talk about games in a nice way.

[@KomamuraSajin]

He is cynical and crude, but he also speaks truths and can be entertaining. There's really nothing negative here. You can hope for the best but still expect the worst, because that's the reality of the world and humanity in particular.

[@mychem20]

i know right, now go ahead and thank god for jim fucking sterling son

[@Philboh8]

I feel quite bad for devs. Because they just want to make a good game and this bullshit gets thrown in

[@utisti4976]

It’s not just publishers that are doing this..

[@Nuvendil]

At this point, I don't. 2K has been shit for ages as has EA. Most of the devs there CHOSE to go there. So I'm done playing a tiny violin for those people.

[@Philboh8]

It's the publishers putting pressure on the devs to fit this into their games. Like Jim has said, they had to completely re balance progression in Shadow Of War and Battlefront 2 when the microtransactions were changed

[@johnpatz8395]

You hit the nail on the head near the end when you said something like "if you are playing AAA games" to which I have to ask, WHY? Why is anyone still buying their crap, Totalbiscuit, you and a couple others broke me down and I finally gave indie games, and games from smaller studios a chance and I haven't looked back since. Oh sure I buy some AAA games, but not until the GoTY edition is down to like $10, although CD Project Red titles and Metro ones are exempt as they have shown that they believe quality is important and just aren't trying to come up with more ways to empty our wallets. Sure I "missed out on" a PTW StarWRs skinned Battlefield game and paying extra to not play Shadow of War, but instead, and for less money, I've added dozens of amazing and fun games to my library and played the hell out of them. To name just a few there is Astroneer, Subnautica, Frostpunk, They are Billions, Offworld Trading Company, Raft, Project Zomboid, West of Loathing and Distrust. Not a stinker on the bunch, and none even approach the $60 mark, most are a third of that price or even less, and while Offworld trading company does have some dlc, it isn't just things hacked out of the main game, but actual expansions, to new planets and moons. I dont support victim blaming, but shit, when are people going to wake up and accept that as long as they keep buying everything EA and it's fellow scumbags put out, there is no reason for the to stop doing any of the things people complain about because if people truly were upset by these sleezy tactics, they would stop buying games from these predators. If you are lured to a white windowless van, with the promise of free candy it's not your fault, but if the same guy, lures you to the same van with the same promises 20 or 30 times, maybe, just maybe you need to consider that you share some of the blame, not for the other person's actions, but for your own as you are the one who keeps allowing it to happen, despite knowing better.

[@StrazdasLT]

Basically what you want to avoid is western made AAA games. Eastern ones tend to be good (stalker, metro, witcher, mafia)

[@drankydrank1]

This video ended and I unironically thought "Man... thank god for Jim Sterling."

[@asbestosfish_]

*_”ALL OF ROME IS MERELY A FOREST OF NECKS WAITING TO BE CHOPPED!”_* -Emperor Caligula of Rome, reportedly. _Remind you of anything?_

[@IIBomerII]

They let you "skip the grind" that they spefically designed so you would want to "skip the grind."

[@monkeywage]

Your money or your life! See, I'm giving you a choice! What, you want to pick option 'Walk out of here with both'? No! You can't do that!

[@BlackZynfyndel]

It’s almost as if when arcades died, and they couldn’t make games quarter eaters anymore, they decided to fuck over the home experience.

[@IIBomerII]

@@BlackZynfyndel the arcades and their coin eating games can't really be blamed for this. That's far too long ago. This all comes from the mobile market where paying to skip things has proven to be a piggy bank. (Clash of clans, candy crush etc.) It's been slowly seeping into the pc market through browser based games such as Tribal Wars & farmville. After 2k had huge success in GTA Online's money making schemes their attempts have proven successful and see it as the best way to make money. :/

[@Hoopla10]

+Robin, Sorry boss you're misinformed. There's a very good reason why EA are consider greedy scumbags and largely creating the rise of micro-transactions is another reason. Check out this video (by Skill Up) if interested, it does a good breakdown of EA's history and the originator of the shitshow we have today kzbin.info/www/bejne/hoWvd4GiqpeBla8

[@IIBomerII]

@@Hoopla10 cheers! I'll take a look!

[@zentu5408]

I literally learned NOTHING new in this video. but its important. like bible studies every week. We need to NEVER forget that for these companies it will NEVER enough to just make "some" money. it always needs to be ALL THE MONEY ON THIS EARTH!!!

[@KenjiTamada70]

I never knew I needed this until now: I want a Venn diagram of people who watch Jim Sterling every week and people who study the bible every week.

[@tiredstories]

I'm in the watches Jim and studies the Bible demographic lol. I wanted to say also that while I don't agree with Jim on nearly everything, I love that he won't stop talking about this. Developers rely so much on consumer apathy that if people don't get bored and move on it's going to be a real problem.

[@drmegaman]

There probably aren't a lot of us here, but I'm also a Christian who isn't an uptight virtue signaling judgmental sleazebag.

[@johnpolsen]

Add me to your Venn diagram.

[@wish]

Ah yes, studying a 2000 year old book of ancient fairy tales is so mandatory and important.

[@crazedevil1]

Remember the days when you bought a game and that was it? Happy days.

[@nfzeta128]

I mean DLC was a great idea. Until publishers got their hands on it.

[@budakbaongsiah]

I miss expansion packs. The Frozen Throne, Mask of the Betrayer, Shivering Isles, Opposing Force... Those are content that probably will never happen if their basegame were published now.

[@Rayen015]

Halcyon Days. Unless you live in the indie market.

[@RAFMnBgaming]

There was a happy days game?

[@DrMcMoist]

My biggest bugbear with modern gaming is when I buy a game that I intend to play on a console and then it ends up installing for several hours, scuppering my entire plan. Mafia III is a particularly egregious example.

[@selfloathingweekly]

Using the "it's a choice not a force" makes you an enabler. Stuffing a game full of microtransactions is just like putting booze in front of an alcoholic or a bag of coke in front of a druggie. It's temptation and psychologically manipulative

[@KdogPrime]

That would be a solid argument...if every single gamer had the same level of self-control as an alcoholic or a coke-head. Frankly, it's not illegal to tempt someone. Cops do it all the time with stings. No one is forced to do anything. If you take the drink, or snort the coke, or pull the handle, it's no one's fault but yours. Video games are just as addictive as anything else. This is not new information. If you want to keep your money, don't open your wallet. It's that simple. As for those that do open their wallets, they are not owed a safety net by society, or the government. You can tell them it's not a good idea. You can show them how they are being manipulated to spend their money on pieces of digital fluff. But at the end of the day, no one can stop them except themselves.

[@selfloathingweekly]

@@KdogPrime have you ever given a person under 18 $200? They have no self control and they make up almost all loot box buyers The 10-16 demographic

[@KdogPrime]

@SelfLoathingWeekly Not the government's problem. That's their parent's problem.

[@KdogPrime]

@redweaver Who, me?

[@KdogPrime]

@redweaver I'm sorry your parents didn't teach you the concepts of self-control and personal responsibility. Empathy is not the only part of the equation. Frankly, I feel sorry for kids whose parents don't love them enough to teach them discipline. But that doesn't mean that those kids are absolved of any responsibility for the choices they make. It certainly doesn't absolve grown adults for what they do. Once they hit eighteen, they've legally responsible for themselves, and that includes their own finances. If they spend all their money on lootboxes, that's their fault, not society's or the government's.

[@fai1t0liv3]

Remember that zombie apocalypse fad a few years ago. Well it never really ended. Instead of undead human, we have undead game franchises.

[@oddbin3261]

Congrats on buying the game! Oh you want to play it? You'll need to have energy points which you can wait for *OR* Buy premium currency to get more of it. Oh you want to customize your self? Loot boxes over there for $3 a pop Oh you want to play with other people. That's a $20 online pass thank you. Aren't you glad we've given you so many ways to pay us!

[@thenethralking6032]

ODD Bin the worst part is that there is an ACTUAL game exactly like that

[@ince55ant]

jim: fist of the north star is basically yakuza but fist of the north star me: NANI!?

[@MaddDogg316]

Omae wa mo SHINDEIRU!!

[@mychem20]

jim: ta ta... ta ta... ta ta...

[@Herald_of_Perfection]

Carl Lewis dip shit

[@MechaFoxs]

jim's ta ta ta ta ta, made me laugh, it was so.... western

[@Nersius]

You don't know this just yet, but you've done a die move.

[@HasidicKaiju]

The answer is simple. If you stop buying micro transactions (that aren't DLC expansions), they'll stop making them.If you buy them, you are a part of the problem. If your friends buy them, tell them they are part of the problem.

[@darvender]

It won't work because their are too many around that will buy it. They don't need everyone to, just a few big spenders.

[@spacebutter1121]

@@darvender nuke the whales.

[@Rotkreuz]

The vast majority of Micro Transactions are held aloft by the 1% of the player base.

[@AdmiralWalrus]

If literally everyone stopped buying microtransactions, base game prices will go up significantly next gen. May end up happening anyway.

[@HasidicKaiju]

That's fine. I'd rather pay more for good games, then 60 for half assed, micro transaction laden shit fests.

[@GusGusk3]

Lately whenever I buy a game from companies like EA, Activision, Ubisoft, I only do it due to not knowing it was from them. While technically a games value wouldn't decrease due to the publisher. This companies pretty much admit they want to get every penny from you, and so, I try not to buy from them. It may be only 1 copy, but the copy I didn't buy + the copies other people didn't buy, make the difference. Sadly tho, the more time passes, the less developers/publishers I feel comfortable buying from. Might be time to go back, sail the seas and pillage as I please.

[@charlx8979]

GusGusk3 yarr harr fiddle dee dee, lets be pirates sailing the sea

[@danielkatzman3406]

If you dont want to grind there is a thing called cheat codes... Paying to skip the game is just bollocks!

[@frederickschnabel1685]

After the overwatch and 2k removal of loot boxes in belgium. I've seen some people say it's a bad thing, because it makes the grind unbearable and that the law works against them. I've had to explain to these people time and time again that that is an argument that proves loot boxes and microtransactions are shitty, not that they are good. It proves that the game is intentionally balanced in a way that makes you feel like you 'have' to purchase them.

[@sjakierulez]

It also doesn't help that people are convinced that they need to be rewarded for playing a game, while before playing the game and having fun was the reward.

[@sunlightprince3173]

People are fucking stupid, they lierally not realize a game is only grindy to encourage you to pay. If playing a game is not fun (without spending money) it is not worth your time

[@mrwensveen]

How are transactions of $99 still considered 'micro'???

[@Taliasaurus]

Thank God for Jim Sterling!

[@InfernalMonsoon]

Jim Fucking Prick Sterling, son!

[@Swat_Dennis]

I hope that any games that have lootboxes now get banned for sale in Belgium and the Netherlands... Maybe then they will feel the pain because the gaming community in the Netherlands and Belgium is pretty big...

[@mwperk02]

I just hope the United States doesn't lag to far behind on banning lootboxes.

[@BeansOnToast420]

With how lobbying works I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.

[@DJMavis]

If it goes to court, it might well fall under an EU-wide jurisdiction, and that's a HUGE market for games. I hope EA just shat the bed on this one.

[@scatterkeir]

For a few seconds I thought you said "Indian second-tier games" but then my brain parsed it properly.

[@neat3468]

I heard that too

[@xkiroxX]

Seeing this makes me wonder why red dead redemption 2 is so hyped. have we forgotten what they did with GTA online?!

[@Gormathius]

A. Cruz probably, yes. Because the average gamer seems to have the memory capacity of a damselfly.

[@cwalu]

Yes - exactly ... remember EA - Sim City ? EA - Mass Effect Andromeda? EA - Dungeon Keeper? ... everybody was hyped for BF ... and after that everyone was hyped for BF2 nobody ever remembers the shit once something gets announced.

[@TheCaptainkitten]

I mean if it has as many hackers as GTA odds are you can just cheat your way to the top

[@AugustEpilogue]

Gormathius Nightstrider yeah not like us superiorly intelligent gamerz right?

[@ShadowFlummer]

Wasn't the GTA singleplayer pretty good without microtransactions?

[@mud2479]

Oh please! I hope EA gets rekt in court.

[@Spinnie1]

EA is on a suicide mission. Just wait till the European union steps in. Than EA is fucked beyond repair.

[@lamichka]

they will try to buy their way out. Lobbyst fuckers on golden throne.

[@Spinnie1]

Bigoun Big That doesn't work in Europe though. The EU smacked apple and Google with big fines. EA is just dessert for them.

[@VuldarLeveL]

'Player choice' when it come to MC in these games is like an armed robbery; your money or your life is a choice but we all know it actually isn't.

[@WEIRDxGRIM]

Metal of Honor already died. Edit: And I pray that Borderlands 3 will not come with lootboxes or any microtransactions that change the gameplay (ok the 2 extra playable characters get a pass from me, but that's the line and don't dare to cross it).

[@ehko9989]

You're made a mistake in your edit, let me correct it for you "And I pray that Borderlands 3 will not come with lootboxes or any microtransactions that change the GRIND". I think that's how you should say it nowadays.

[@Calvin_Coolage]

Borderlands 3 is literally going to save or destroy Gearbox. It's their Hail Mary, and I don't think they're stupid enough to do this to the one powerful franchise they have left.

[@WEIRDxGRIM]

+Mi Ke, Borderlands 2 got microtransactions, it's just there is no ingame store, but they are on the Borderlands store page on steam.

[@theallinonegamer8482]

The Unfortunate Reality Of Microtransactions for publishers this means if people figure out that they are not needed for them to gain profit

[@differentlyabledmuslimjewi4475]

Looks like I'll pirate every EA game I'm interested in for this move. They obviously have more than enough money to take a country to court over some stupid lootboxes that literally no gamer wants.

[@StrazdasLT]

EA probably has more revenue than the country in question anyway.

[@DanielIXVIMCMLXXXI]

"They give me some bunk, I'll give it the D" - Jim Sterling

[@g.zoltan]

Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?

[@TheNN]

No, I haven't.

[@Tybis]

It's not a story Disney would tell you.

[@g.zoltan]

@TheNN I thought not. It's not a story the jedi would tell you. It's a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a dark lord of the sith so powerful and so wise that he could use the force to influence the midichlorians to create life. He had such a knowledge of the dark side that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dieing. The dark side of the force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural. He became so powerful the only thing he was afraid of was losing his power, which of course he did. Unfortunately, he taught his apprentice everything he knew, then his apprentice killed him in his sleep. Ironic. He could save others from death, but not himself.

[@tominatorxx]

So basically to give people an idea of the situation with the Belgian gambling commision. If EA doesn't comply to this (and it seems that they are exactly doing that), then this will indeed go to court. Andrew Wilson has said that it isn't gambling since people know exactly how many "objects" they get. With that statement he is referring to the famous Panini stickers. However... Peter Naessens who is the head of our gambling commission says that's a completely false statement. The thing with Panini football stickers is that every footballer gets printed in equal numbers. It's no roulette between stickers with a common rarity or unique rarity. Which is the case with the Fifa games. He then continues to say that the game has lost its innocence. "This way players lose thousands of euros. We reacted because of complaints from parents, but also from the gaming community itself." If this goes to court, the judge will decide wether it's gambling or not. "If the court decides that we are in the wrong, then we will advocate to revise the game of chance laws, so that we can address this issue of loot boxes."

[@ryanwelch1272]

Long story short, dumb and stubborn executives doing something dumb and stubborn.

[@Hero_Puddle]

Yet the extent in which they do it has warranted days worth of Jimquisition content

[@joedoe1096]

Alternative take: Ashkenazi doing what Ashkenazi do best. Strauss (Zelnick).

[@Alurkerdood]

And buy Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise.

[@nukeomega724]

It’s a choice not a force. You designed your game as a pile of shit... to get more money to skip it... how about I just don’t buy your shit game. There! Player choice at work.

[@RAFMnBgaming]

It's a choice to make games this shitty. Not a force.

[@theotherjared9824]

Fun fact: NBA 2k18 legend edition gold is still the most expensive game available on the switch, at $149.99

[@gamerbill2174]

It's unfortunate for Take 2 that I will be playing Fist of the North Star: Yakuza Edition instead of most there shit. Probably won't see this comment, but your "favorite" publisher Koei Tecmo is doing your "favorite" fighting game thing. They just announced a highly popular character (Nyotengu) will be day 1 pre-order DLC and another character will be included in the digital deluxe edition, presumably day 1 as well, both of which were DLC for DOA5. Koei Tecmo finally managed to do that fighting game thing "everyone loves" where they strip out people's mains to be sold back as day 1 DLC, while also doing there own thing of making DLC from the last game DLC again in the next game, and combine them both into one super fuck you.

[@synthetic240]

It really is the hand-wringing on the part of publishers, going "What will we do without microtransations in full-priced games?", the hat-in-their-hands begging for forgiveness or expectant adulation for removing microtransations, that really pisses me off. You're absolutely right, Jim. They control how the game is made, so they control how long it takes to complete. They control who gets hired for voice- or mo-cap work, so they control how big the game's budget is. They control what happens with the $500 million in microtransation profits from another game, so they control how big the new game's budget is. These corporate mouthpieces act like they aren't in control of their own company, that it's all unavoidable, and that it's what people want... but they're wrong. The lowest lazy common denominator want to pay to win and the laziest executives want to let them. Normal people want to have a good time playing a game and normal game developers want to make a good product that they can both feel good about making and will also turn a tidy profit. Why bother making a good game and support continued development financially with good quality expansions and DLC when we can just let Johnny Brofist feel like he's got a big dick because he spent $200 on the best in-game stuff? Seriously, what does Jim Sterling think about Paradox Interactive's business model?

[@memnarch129]

As Meouff said the publishers are in a catch 22 here. If they push Micros harder they risk, and are in current risk of, being regulated like casinos which will see a lose of profits. If they pull everything and sell games at "Just" 60 dollars then investors see a minimal ROI, sell their stocks, and the publisher goes down the hole. Gaming isnt like the good old days, where the sales of game A from a developer were used to make game B. Now both games have absolutely nothing to do with each other and the failure of one doesnt mean shit for the other.

[@ognjentasic7537]

10:40 i paused. Is it "PLAYYYER CHOOOICE"

[@ognjentasic7537]

FUCK YEAH

[@RAFMnBgaming]

You bet your gold plated lootbox it is!

[@bombaya85]

My brain is going: "Fist my Northstar" And I'm like:"FFS brain, thats not what he said!"

[@krvys7226]

...it could be! NANI?!?!

[@pierce7993]

In other news, that Fist of the North Star/Yakuza game is pretty dope.

[@Luinta]

You must use the techniques taught by Master Baition to defeat Bigus Dickus and save the world.

[@fieldy409]

Right up the Northstar!

[@Healermain15]

That is totally something Jim would say.

[@funoff3207]

Really nice of Ricky Larou to make you this new gold dust intro. It's just the right amount of cringe.

[@GReniker]

Jim, you have been on it since day one. I won't buy a game that asks for more money after I buy it. Keep up the great work!

[@geraltofrivia9752]

Me: Excuse me there are hairs in my food. Waitress: well that’s just an unfortunate reality, that’ll be a extra £50 please.

[@scorpion3128]

But I saw you take the hair out your head and out it in my food... you deliberately put a hair there, that is not an unfortunate reality.

[@spacebutter1121]

@@scorpion3128 More like Me: There is hair in my in my food. Waitress: That'll be $40. Me: No. Waitress: Why do you hate woman?!

[@probe1765]

@@spacebutter1121 what does that have to do with literally any of this conversation or video

[@geraltofrivia9752]

Probe 17 I’m sure SJW’s would think of something.

[@sevenseven3263]

I feel so sad that game developers have to go through this type of shit. as an aspiring game developer I just can't see this as a healthy thing for the industry at large and the fact that companies only ever care about stocks and money, so they force studios to do this type of sleazy monetization is truly just sickening P.S. since microtransactions are a choice, I guess they wouldn't mind if I made the choice to pirate their games while advocating the piracy of said games

[@RAFMnBgaming]

When I grow up I wanna be an indie! Nah I'm kidding, no fucking way I'm reaching maturity.

[@Natasmodis]

Seems like I've been living under a rock as I've just found Jim's account yesterday, but he seems like such a loveable, funny and down-to-earth guy, I think I might stay for a very long while. Awesome video!

[@UnivegaSuperSport]

NBA2K is not fun. It's not intended to be fun. It's not marketed towards people who know how to have fun. It's an activity disguised as fun for people who don't know how to have fun. That's why it can survive and thrive and will have tons of defenders.

[@BungusThe3th]

I like the way Jim says "triple A" in a funny voice

[@MelodicQuest]

"Tripal Eyy" Games Industry

[@TeeQueueSA]

Roses are red. Violets are blue. OMAE WA MOU SHINDEIRU.

[@Rickzenbackzer]

NANI?!

[@ChristianNeihart]

That's right, in fact, you're already dead.

[@I.Fumblebee.I]

I do wish Tetris had the option to skip the grind and would allow me to buy the scoreboard.

[@carcillian]

I believe that Rockstar gets away with skirting the backlash because all the microtransactions in GTAV are for the online version of the game and not the core game itself. I can play GTAV completely by myself in a single player experience and never have to buy one thing to effect my experience. That all changes in the online experience, which I tried a few times and found it to be a bastion of racism and toxicity. If I heard a 13yr old white kid from the suburbs scream the N-word one more time! This separates GTAV from the rest of the pack but NBA2K and Star Wars are directly effected in the CORE GAME by the gambling. They design them to push you to buy loot boxes and other crap and it is GAMBLING! These practices need to be banned outright from games or at the least different versions sold. The only way I can vote on this matter is with my wallet and if a game is riddled with microtransaction gambling, I simply won't buy it or play it.

[@Mayhzon]

Lol racism. Get outta here man. The rest of your argument is on point, though. Since it's an online mode you also cannot avoid the cost without getting banned or massive grinding, either. It's pretty clever in all the wrong ways.

[@mwperk02]

of course lets also not forget GTA V's Shark cards are also not lootboxes which is what has everyone's attention. Rockstar certainly isn't stupid.

[@Malidictus]

This is such hypocrisy. Even when I've defended post-launch monetisation, it's always been with the caveat of "if you want post-launch development support." The microtransactions go (or should go) to fund additional development that you - the developer - have chosen to budget for. This isn't an unfortunate reality of video games, it's a deliberate choice on the developer's part which doesn't have to be there. And 2K aren't even doing THAT! What, pray tell, is their post-launch development comprised of? How do you even make that STUPID argument for an annual franchise? Next year's sales ARE your post-launch monetisation, you hypocrites!

[@mindisfrozen]

"Giving people the ability to skip the grind" yup, giving me flashbacks of MMOs that give story/level jump potions and you know what happens? You have high level players that can't play s**t because they have all of these abilities that they don't know how they work and fights that are "too hard" because they skipped the tutorial fights that explained the mechanics!

[@pastel_witch-j9m]

I hope all these triple A companies die like MMORGPs did.

[@mindisfrozen]

@@pastel_witch-j9m no, WoW and FFXIV are still going strong. Hell I did enjoy XIV til they introduced the jump potions. So I had players on my level dying to simple mechanics because they didn't know that red area is death.

[@BigFrenchNose]

I am loving the fact that Abba's "Money, money, money" is playing on the background of the video! Very nice touch!

[@TheBestFelipe]

"Playing not Paying - *** there is an L in there." Well that's a nice shirt right there.

[@tn7403]

Always wait for review, never pre-order and never ever buy VC. DLC maybe, after a review.

[@KingLich451]

honestly, dlc is a good idea IF the stuff sold is proper and worth, it should be, either DLC(for mini content) or expansion packs (for real content)

[@the_gratefulgamer]

Now put this in *bold* for the slow ppl in the back of the class, who still have yet to graduate.

[@smjaiteh]

Omae wa mou shindeiru = You don’y even know it, but you have done a dying!

[@KatarnandKanos]

10:40 Damn, I guessed "Games are too expensive to make."

[@kublaikant]

Everything they are doing has a psychological explanation for why it works so well to make them money. So . . . yeah . . . the rest of the game industry will look like the mobile game industry in a few years - derivative and copycat games that are all but unplayable unless you keep spending. If there's another industry collapse, it will be the over saturation of the market with games that aren't really games until consumer trust is all but destroyed. That's pretty much what happened with Atari - consumers lost confidence in an industry that forgot it was supposed to be making an honest, fun product.

[@CameronHuff]

I look forward to the collapse. I have plenty of games that I haven't played yet so I don't need to buy any new ones (except maybe Cyberpunk 2077).

[@peterb8904]

So basically a bunch of Publishers aside a few like Nintendo will collapse

[@MishaFlower]

I am looking forward for the collapse too, Here is hoping the steam indie market doesn't fall for that shit so i can keep myself entertained through the apocalypse.

[@alfredwinchesterjr]

kublaikant Has jim mentioned this? Also the enviroment is much diffrent now to then,for instance someone like jim could tweet "ay this aint shit" and have people consider it,along with the relative new ease of creating games...

[@devinport.]

I am not even ashamed to admit it that every time I see an EA , Activision and 2K game the first thing that comes into mind is pirate it. Edit: forgot to include Ubisoft in that lineup.

[@markcobuzzi826]

Personally, I prefer to just not get their games, period. I imagine that it gives a bigger middle finger to them, when someone finds their games to be so unsavory that he/she does not even want them for free.

[@Kernub]

Not even worth the bandwidth

[@evillecaston]

You can't pirate MTs though, so there's no real point anyways.

[@Mayhzon]

I'm with the others. Why bother incriminating yourself to play a game that is awful to begin with? All the good parts of their franchises have long been taken out. The early games of the Need for Speed games had stellar physics, but now the driving always feels like that heavy Burnout driving from these trainwreck developers. None of the games these mainstream companies release are any good with very few exceptions.

[@lennysmileyface]

+Mayhzon Never been caught pirating my dude, there are ways to cover your tracks anyway.

[@EvolvedParasite]

This is why I am really concerned about Red Dead Redemption 2. I am worried the single player is going to be dumbed down and the focus and attention on the multiplayer with micro-transactions. I hope I am wrong.

[@Tecolote41]

The wont fuck with single player but the multiplayer is different. It’s such a buggy mess... they could just make a working game, make stuff worth buying with real money and boom, roll in the money. But companies usually arent that smart imo