What's this about Majest 2 being Microtransaction?

[unmerged(160955)]

A friend sent me to a dev blog that suggests that Majesty 2 is going to be following a microtransaction model.

Is this true? Am I going to have to forgo buying a game I've looked forward to ever since I completed the first one because I don't want to pay $40 for half a game and then be nickel-and-dimed to death for the rest of the content?

Please, say it ain't so...

Update: Please see Fredrik II's reply concerning release date DLC (and the lack thereof)

 

[Peter Ebbesen]

1. Wait for reviews (or demos or word of mouth) of the game from some of those who don't compete in "who can review the quickest by not playing the game much"
2. If you like the reviews/comments, buy the game and play it, hopefully enjoying yourself
3. If you do not like the idea of microtransactions (and who can blame you for that?), do not take part of it once it is offered. This is not hard to do: all it takes is one act of will for you to not buy something you could use, but which isn't necessary.

In other words, if you are satisfied with the initial content of the game, your

Is this true? Am I going to have to forgo buying a game I've looked forward to ever since I completed the first one because I don't want to pay $40 for half a game and then be nickel-and-dimed to death for the rest of the content?

is superflous and false by default; If you are NOT satisfied with the initial content, then you probably shouldn't have bought the game in the first place, i.e. probably should have waited before buying and done better research.

The "initial content + DLC should all be part of the initial game, and, since it isn't, they are nickle and diming me to death to get the full experience" is a delusion in your mind, not in their business model. It is (sorry to say it) just as silly as those players who keep insisting that expansions "should have been part of the game in the first place, because they improve the game".

Since I personally (as a user) hate microtransactions as an annoying business model, my choice will, naturally, be not to buy anything made available via microtransactions and if it turns out against my hope that Majesty 2, as released and with pathes, feels as if it contains too little content for my taste, the solution is obvious: I'll not buy 1C's next game or next expansion. It really is very simple.

 

[unmerged(160955)]

It really depends on what the microtransactions are

expansions != microtransactions. I own every expansion of NWN2, paid for it, enjoyed it, did not feel that I was getting ripped off or that the content should have been included in the original campaign. Ditto for Civilization expansions.

It's not delusional to pay $40 for a boxed game and then be angry that I'm not getting all of the content for the game that is available at the time of release. If new spells, monsters, heroes, and scenarios are available later on as an expansion (a la "The northern expansion"), I don't mind paying for an expansion that was developed after the release of the initial game. However, if I pay "complete game" price for a PC game, and I still don't have the complete game because I have to shell out extra $ for extra content that's available at the time of release, then I'm going to feel cheated. Sorry, it's not delusional, it's called being a savvy consumer.

 

[unmerged(136196)]

As Fredrik said in an other topic microtransaction won't give multiplayer advantage. It will give only new singleplayer content. So if you think that the content of the retail version is enough for $40 (in EU for $57.. ) then buy it and if you think that it's not enough then don't buy it. I hate microtransaction too but as the source says: it will be a test. I think that if everybody hates this method and nobody uses it then they won't force it and they will change the new-content-plan to dlc-s or expansions.
Sadly there is only one "Team Fortress 2" where the developer gives every single new content for free. Other developers (and even Valve in other cases) collect tons of ideas (concepts, units, maps, storylines) and select the best ones and says that "this will be a good deal for $40" and then they monitor the success of the product and if it is great then they will pick some of the skipped ideas and resume the developing. This is the procedure even in case of expansion. Microtransaction is only a different market strategy and not a different development method. If a game shouldn't be released until all things that developer plans is finished then the game will never be released I think. Ideas born faster than implementations.
In an expansion you get 10 more maps, 5 new units, 5 new upgrades for $40. In microtransaction you will be able to buy these updates one by one for $2-$2 and you don't have to wait for all of them.

 

[unmerged(60143)]

What if they lump all microtransactionary things in a bundle and sell it as an expansionpack? Would that be ok?

I'll just do what Ebbesen wrote and see.

 

[unmerged(79717)]

I suppose if you are patient enough consumer, you can wait until a "gold" edition of Majesty 2 comes out that includes everything for one low price.

 

[unmerged(136196)]

I suppose if you are patient enough consumer, you can wait until a "gold" edition of Majesty 2 comes out that includes everything for one low price.

If I know well Paradox wants to make this game multiplayer-oriented. And I think that Gold will come only when not too much player is left. So you can wait but most likely you will miss the tiptop of the fun (if you are interested in multiplayer). I hope that there will be a lot of player on MP. Perhaps we should open a topic about who will be interested in MP

 

[arstal]

Seriously, Paradox is worrying me with its DLC kick lately. They're acting like Capcom or Namco, and I have not seen any other similar PC publisher do this.

One thing I will say is that I was on the fence for this game, and this announcement tipped me towards no sale. I'll still pick up the last EUIII expansion, but Victoria 2 will depend on whether Paradox goes with this model.

I don't mind paying for full expansions, and usually go , as I'm a completist, but I really don't like paying for "horse armor", such as the HoI3 models (I wasn't going to pick that up anyways, so no loss to you guys there)

I've probably given you guys about $200-$250 in my lifetime, but your current DLC kick will lower that amount in future (no, I'm not boycotting you guys, but it will make me less likely to buy new series from you guys)

 

[unmerged(161019)]

I totally agree... if they go this route it's going to take a very good review to get me to buy the game. And don't count on me paying for any of the "microtransactions", because I think that's silly.

 

[Liljagare]

DLC so far has been a excuse for companies to release unfinished games.

Hope Majesty 2 do not follow this trend.

 

[unmerged(140617)]

I think you guys are over reacting. You don't even know what is being planned as nothing is final. I also doubt Majesty 2 won't be finished considering it's been delayed.

 

[tryan]

I suppose if you are patient enough consumer, you can wait until a "gold" edition of Majesty 2 comes out that includes everything for one low price.

Agree. As a general rule, PI games are usually best purchased a month or two after release when the first few patches irons things out. This assumes, of course, that you can wait a month or two, which isn't really a problem for me.

 

[Spiderman]

And I think that Gold will come only when not too much player is left. So you can wait but most likely you will miss the tiptop of the fun (if you are interested in multiplayer).

There's people getting Majesty Gold now... not sure how the MP scene is going though...

 

[grumbold]

You can add me as a microtransaction hater. One of the things promised for HoI3 when first announced was more sprites so you're not stuck with only one sprite per unit for the whole game, yet come release day they've been split off and you have to pay extra to get them and only available as DLC. Very sorry to see that Majesty 2 also seems to be being released in pieces like this. Looks like I'll have to wait for the Gold pack.

 

[unmerged(160955)]

I can't speak for everyone, but we just want to know "Will Majesty 2 have microtransactions: yea or nay."

And if "yea", then when is not a bad follow-up question. If there's a bunch of DLC on day zero, I'm going to want to know why that wasn't part of the bundled game I paid full price for. I call this part of making an informed decision. And I think Paradox has every right to know (in advance) how some of its customers feel about MT, so that they can make their own informed decision about whether or not it's really worth it to go ahead with.

If you can buy $2-5 campaigns a month or two down the road, that's another matter. Giving fresh content that was created *after release* for a game that may have gone a little stale after initial purchase isn't something I'm going to take issue with.

On another forum, someone purportedly to be the game's EU/US publisher said that Microtransactions were not even part of the game's source code, which is fine. If it works for the Russians, more power to them. But I'd like to see a Dev on the official forums confirm or deny the microtransaction thing.

 

[Fredrik II]

I can't speak for everyone, but we just want to know "Will Majesty 2 have microtransactions: yea or nay."

And if "yea", then when is not a bad follow-up question. If there's a bunch of DLC on day zero, I'm going to want to know why that wasn't part of the bundled game I paid full price for. I call this part of making an informed decision. And I think Paradox has every right to know (in advance) how some of its customers feel about MT, so that they can make their own informed decision about whether or not it's really worth it to go ahead with.

If you can buy $2-5 campaigns a month or two down the road, that's another matter. Giving fresh content that was created *after release* for a game that may have gone a little stale after initial purchase isn't something I'm going to take issue with.

On another forum, someone purportedly to be the game's EU/US publisher said that Microtransactions were not even part of the game's source code, which is fine. If it works for the Russians, more power to them. But I'd like to see a Dev on the official forums confirm or deny the microtransaction thing.

We have not planned any micro transactions or DLCs on the day of release. Depending on how the game does we will continue to develop the game. Hopefully we will develop some add-ons in the coming years.

Fred

 

[unmerged(160955)]

We have not planned any micro transactions or DLCs on the day of release. Depending on how the game does we will continue to develop the game. Hopefully we will develop some add-ons in the coming years.

Fred

Thank you for the confirmation! Obviously, I'm very happy to hear this and I'll be putting in my pre-order (this way, I don't have to take a "wait and see" approach).

I hope that the game does very well, and if you happen to offer a la carte expansions and content, I'll definitely keep my eyes peeled and see what sort of deals are to be had. I've been looking forward to this sequel for a long time!

 

[arstal]

That's a satisfactory answer for me as well. Day 0 DLC is ridiculous- at any price. No excuse for that with HoI3.

 

[Kwintus5]

I sure hope there will be an expansion, add-on or even DLC! I hereby want everyone to command everyone to go buy Majesty 2. (And may the doom of God himself come upon anyone that harms the copyright!)

 

[jamhaw]

I suppose if you are patient enough consumer, you can wait until a "gold" edition of Majesty 2 comes out that includes everything for one low price.

Thats what I'm hoping that they do.