Examples of Damage Control in Gaming: The Assassin’s Creed Microtransactions Odyssey
It’s been nearly a week since the release of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and indications suggest it’s one of the more enjoyable titles in the series. It’s impressive that Ubisoft was able to assemble another gigantic game only a year after the also-gigantic Assassin’s Creed Origins released, despite how the core games are assembled by different teams. The AC games were known as stealth action adventures, but Origins shifted the series to the stealth action RPG path, with the games taking inspiration from CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher series. This is also why the games themselves are far larger in scale — perhaps too large, depending on who you ask.
Creating AAA games with large open worlds and several story options doesn’t come cheap, even for big companies like Ubisoft. Given their prevalence throughout this console generation, it was no surprise to discover that Odyssey has microtransactions for several features. It has around $80 worth of in-game purchases, which include options to purchase XP boosters, defensive gear, upgrade materials, and more. The mere thought of a $60 game having loads and loads of optional purchases that cost real money is exasperating, because it always seems like a clear attempt to gouge players who want to make their playthroughs easier.
It’s the “optional” aspect that makes this easy to excuse for several in the gaming audience and press, since current indications suggest that it’s easy enough to go through the game without spending a cent on them. Most items sold as microtransactions can be obtained for free inside the Olympian Gifts, which provide random items, weapons, and equipment of varying worth. Yes, they are loot boxes. Odyssey’s might have piqued the collective interests of investigators looking into the legality of loot boxes in several territories, but these can only be obtained in the game. Ubisoft explained to Kotaku that every material available for the microtransactions can be obtained in the game, which sounds fair enough.
The Ubisoft representative also explained that the RNG for obtaining a premium item from a loot box is more generous than it was in Origins. How much friendlier it is remains to be determined, but the thought that players can obtain a specific item easily through spending money still feels scummy, though most players will likely want to earn them for the sense of accomplishment involved. But the temptation to just buy them will always be there for some.
The game also doesn’t allow for players to obtain its rare in-game currency, Orichalcum Ore, for real money, nor do they have plans to. They do plan on making them less rare soon, though, likely through the next update. They’ll cross a line if they allow for players to purchase them through microtransactions.
Odyssey also has maps that help the player find treasures and other collectible items. These were obtained in the game in the older titles, but they became premium offerings as of Origins because we can’t have nice things. They were $2 each in Origins, but they’re $3 this time because the treasures offer more materials. They justified this by saying one map can provide the player with a plethora of Ore to obtain, which can be used to buy several premium items also available as microtransactions. That may be, but it never looks good when items that were free in previous games suddenly require paying extra, especially when the main game isn’t any cheaper to compensate.
Ubisoft also denied the accusation that the difficulty was altered to steer players towards using the microtransactions, which appears to be true according to several player testimonies. Kotaku’s staff claimed they were able to make their way through the game without approaching the microtransactions, and others playing or who’ve played through it said the same. Some, however, noted that some missions require a little grinding before they’re able to partake in them, but it helps that the side content is also fun. This is inherited from Origins.
Despite how it’s reportedly easy to play through the game without spending a cent on microtransactions, the mere thought that a company implemented the option to pay more to speed up a gameplay playthrough is still scummy. Games cost a lot of money to develop, and it’s understandable that Ubisoft wants a larger return on investment from the process; but that shouldn’t be done through passing a bit of the burden to consumers. Video games will only become more expensive to develop from here, so there’s justifiable concern that these practices will get more aggressive.
Ubisoft is impressed with Odyssey’s sales thus far. It had the best launch week sales of any Assassin’s Creed title in this console generation, though didn’t provide a specific number. As several sites mentioned, they likely mean this based on revenue, and not total sales of the main game. The press release noted how the “player recurring investment in value” is included in its sales, which is the most creative name I’ve seen for “microtransactions” yet. Given how other publishers have touted the sales of microtransactions, they’ll stick around in all these games, and be implemented in more of them in the future. This could get ugly, and whether the gaming audience will take a firmer stand against them if, or when, they become too invasive remains to be seen.
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Geoff
News Editor | Geoff is some nerd who writes for a blog and thinks he's knowledgeable. He write a lot about video games, but is capable of writing about other subjects, too. Twitter
