With Diablo Immortal's release two weeks ago, catching a couple Twitch streams about it, and watching Josh's recent video covering all the different microtransactions Diablo Immortal has, it got me thinking about the gaming industry and its potentially worrying future.
If you haven't watched Josh's video, I strongly recommend checking it out (video is below -- best to watch it in full screen). It's not needed for this blog, but the video could give some understanding as to why Diablo Immortal's microtransactions spurred me to even blog about this.
"The Immoral Design of Diablo Immortal" by Josh Strife Hayes.
MY THOUGHTS ON MICROTRANSACTIONS
To a certain extent, I'm okay with microtransactions. Any game that is released as free-to-play has to make money somehow. If you buy a game and you enjoy it enough that you want to support the developers further, I think that's okay, too. As long as the microtransaction stays optional, is reasonably priced, and is not essential for game progression (and if it wasn't originally part of the game and got removed to become a microtransaction [that's skeezy]), I'm fine with it.
Once microtransactions no longer feel optional; once microtransactions seem like the only way to progress reasonably and enjoy the game, that's where I draw the line. That's when I think microtransactions transform into something else -- something diabolic.
I will admit, though -- I've unwillingly spent money on microtransactions before. Not because I needed to for progression, but for another reason. I might talk about it in a future blog.
MY THOUGHTS ON THE FUTURE OF GAMING
Even though microtransactions aren't a new thing in video games, it stands out in Diablo Immortal because:
-the Diablo series was always a one-time purchase video game on the PC / console
-this is the first time a well-known North American video game company has released one of their well-known PC / console video game series as a free-to-play mobile game (please correct me if I'm wrong)
-its microtransactions are much greedier than many other free-to-play games (watch Josh's video on all the details)
This got me thinking about several things:
-will other well-known North American video game companies follow suit? Would such a shift be sustainable?
-will this change what is considered "acceptable" as a microtransaction, thus affecting game design?
-how will this affect a video game's history / longevity?
-will this mark the start of more people potentially falling into financial debt?
Since Diablo Immortal made a lot of profit soon after its release, I worry that other game companies might start to think that free-to-play mobile games with microtransactions are the way of the future... to which I vehemently disagree. I believe there should be a mix so players do not get burnt out of their time and money.
Just imagine this: you are a person who loves the following series: Kingdom Hearts, Dragon Age, Yakuza, Borderlands, Final Fantasy, Civilization, Ys, Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty. You can keep up with each series fairly well because the games release at different times of the year. The games are also one-time purchases so you can budget yourself and make sure you can afford them.
Now -- imagine that the next game for one of those series was released as a free-to-play mobile game. It's free so you download it and start playing it everyday, maybe spending money on some microtransactions. A month later, another game is released as a free-to-play mobile game. You download it and challenge yourself to play two games everyday, possibly spending more money overall on microtransactions (as you start getting used to spending money on microtransactions). Another month later, another game is released as a free-to-play game. Then another... then another... at that point, what would you do? (How is your wallet holding up by then?)
The simple answer would be to stop playing some of the older games so you can start playing the newer ones. But -- each game is still running. You technically haven't beaten any of them yet because more story will be released in the future. There could also be a fear of falling behind if you realize you want to continue those games again. Such stresses and dilemmas over something that's meant to provide fun and enjoyment.
I also worry that because Diablo Immortal made a lot of profit, it might be viewed as a benchmark for what would be considered acceptable as a microtransaction, possibly affecting game design. In other future games, will progression slow to a crawl after a certain level, encouraging players to pay? Will the best equipment or materials to craft the best equipment only be accessible via a credit card? And if it is, when would it stop? How many purchases would be made to have the best equipment, especially if what's considered the "best" keeps changing?
Another thing I think about is the free-to-play game's longevity and gaming history (I guess it's strange but I did think about it). The nice thing about one-time purchase games is that after buying them, so long as you still have a working console / PC / handheld to play them on, there isn't always a pressure to play them right away. You will be able to play them 5, 10, 15 years from now. There will almost always be come kind of record with potential access. Free-to-play mobile games don't always have that luxury. If a free-to-play mobile game (or any free-to-play game) doesn't earn enough profit to keep the servers running, the game will eventually shut down and will no longer be accessible. Ever. If the company is able, it may leave players with an offline version of the game, but that doesn't always happen. How many years will it be until Blizzard decides to shut down Diablo Immortal? If many more free-to-play games get released in the future instead of one-time purchase games, will there be a time when players will only be able to reminisce about what they played once all those games get shut down?
As for my wonderment on if more people will potentially fall into financial debt... with there being over 30 million players (I am assuming this because there were over 30 million pre-registrations), Diablo Immortal might be many players' first exposure to a free-to-play mobile game. Many may not be aware of the various tactics free-to-play games may use to encourage spending. Nobody likes to think they are susceptible, but -- as long a credit card is linked, there's always the possibility. Below is the story of a person who tried out a free-to-play mobile game out of nostalgia and ended up in financial debt.
Will I ever play Diablo Immortal? Never. And I love the Diablo games (what I've played of them, at least). I just don't love this.
That's it for this blog. Thanks for reading!
If you have any questions or comments, feel free. Just know that I know nothing about Diablo Immortal aside from Josh's video and what I've seen on Twitch streams.
Take care, stay safe, and until next time :)
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