Wiiware microtransactions

[Napalmbrain]

According to Famitsu, Genki is to release an add-on pack for its Wiiware title LONPOS for the rather hefty price of 500 points (the game itself is 1000 points), and Namco wish to include downloadable content for their Wiiware game Mojipittan.

Link: http://www.vc-reviews.com/news/2008/03/wiiware_microtransactions_good_or_bad_thing

What a rip-off! I wanted the Wii to become more like Xbox Live, but not like this. I consider microtransactions to be the biggest rip-off in the video game industry, especially in cases like this when the developer deliberately releases the game incomplete so you have to pay more to play the full game. And the fact that it's for Wiiware, which is already downloadable content itself, makes it even worse.

 

[Wii_BrEnDo2007]

i liked the image and yeah it IS a total rip off!

 

[madbeanman]

This I believe is in know way a total rip off. No- one is putting a gun to your head and forcing you to buy this stuff. I am delighted that Wii is finally letting people buy extra content for their games.
If you believe this is a rip-off surely you must feel that Pokemon ranch and Pokemopn Battle Revolution are bigger ripoffs because the games are next to worthless without a DS and PBR costs 50euro. That is a much bigger disgrace.

 

[gpoleweski]

No one said that they were being forced to pay for it. They're just angry that they WOULD have to pay another 500 for extra stuff. And you're just stupid if you get either of those pokemon games without a DS....

 

[Napalmbrain]

This I believe is in know way a total rip off. No- one is putting a gun to your head and forcing you to buy this stuff. I am delighted that Wii is finally letting people buy extra content for their games.
If you believe this is a rip-off surely you must feel that Pokemon ranch and Pokemopn Battle Revolution are bigger ripoffs because the games are next to worthless without a DS and PBR costs 50euro. That is a much bigger disgrace.

It wouldn't be so bad if they were charging half the price of the game for the extra content. That's 500 points (which translates to 5€ or £3.75) for extra content for a Wiiware game which by its nature is not going to be very big itself. Why not just put it in the actual game?

 

[Conan the Librarian]

Well well Napalm, it seems the tables have turned. Did I hear you use the phrase "rip-off"? It seems you could benefit from my powers right now, but I wouldn't want to upset anyone with my "bitching".

Wiiware is a terrible idea. It makes me think of the fall of Atari. A bunch of different engineers making a bunch of crappy games.

OK, I am not at full power right now, because I am very, very hung over. This will be short (some of you saying YAY). Kids, dont drink alcohol. Or smoke cigarettes.

But the point is, It doesnt take a psychic to know they are gonna be releasing crappy games at an inflated price. The VC sums up how much Nintendo doesnt give a **** about you. Its all about this$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

So do you want to throw down for a pie eating game with an online leaderboard? These games are gonna be about as good as the games on the SouthPark Website, and as much time will have been put into them. If the game was worthy at all, it would have been a Wii game, and put onto a disc for us to buy for $50.

Expansion packs for ****ing yahoo games? LOL Yeah, while im at it, let me buy an expansion pack for the "swat at the fly" game at the top of a random website where I "win a free MP3 player!"

Every time I hear someone say "no one is making you buy it" or the like, I want to violently attack the next human I see. We know that.

Back to sleep.

 

[madbeanman]

Why would you violently attack someone for saying the truth although I do take your point. No one wants to see the wiiware library full of rubbish. > dont see how anyone can argue with downloadable content. If someone said 10 more fully fledged galaxies in super mario galaxy for 800 wii points. would you take it. I know I would.

 

[Napalmbrain]

Why would you violently attack someone for saying the truth although I do take your point. No one wants to see the wiiware library full of rubbish. > dont see how anyone can argue with downloadable content. If someone said 10 more fully fledged galaxies in super mario galaxy for 800 wii points. would you take it. I know I would.

10 new galaxies for SMG would be fine. In fact that would be an extremely generous expansion pack, I doubt we would get 10 full new levels for only 800 points.

Expansion pack for a Wiiware game at half the price of the original game = fail.

 

[Jay61]

Well well Napalm, it seems the tables have turned. Did I hear you use the phrase "rip-off"? It seems you could benefit from my powers right now, but I wouldn't want to upset anyone with my "bitching".

Wiiware is a terrible idea. It makes me think of the fall of Atari. A bunch of different engineers making a bunch of crappy games.

OK, I am not at full power right now, because I am very, very hung over. This will be short (some of you saying YAY). Kids, dont drink alcohol. Or smoke cigarettes.

But the point is, It doesnt take a psychic to know they are gonna be releasing crappy games at an inflated price. The VC sums up how much Nintendo doesnt give a **** about you. Its all about this$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

So do you want to throw down for a pie eating game with an online leaderboard? These games are gonna be about as good as the games on the SouthPark Website, and as much time will have been put into them. If the game was worthy at all, it would have been a Wii game, and put onto a disc for us to buy for $50.

Expansion packs for ****ing yahoo games? LOL Yeah, while im at it, let me buy an expansion pack for the "swat at the fly" game at the top of a random website where I "win a free MP3 player!"

Every time I hear someone say "no one is making you buy it" or the like, I want to violently attack the next human I see. We know that.

Back to sleep.

TL;DR

Anyway, in my opinion the biggest rip off in the video games industry is paying monthly for things like WoW when you (In some cases) paied full price for the game itself...

Phantasy Star Universe is a horrible one too, not only do you need to pay £40 for the game and then the LIVE ontop of it, you then have to pay a monthly fee! What the hell?!

Erm..sorry this has nothing to do with the opening post but it made me think of all this.

 

[madbeanman]

10 new galaxies for SMG would be fine. In fact that would be an extremely generous expansion pack, I doubt we would get 10 full new levels for only 800 points.

Expansion pack for a Wiiware game at half the price of the original game = fail.

I think your making to much of the half the price of the original thing. It could be completely worth it. We have no idea what exactly the content is. Also this may not be the standard for all DLC. I guess we just wait and see.

 

[Napalmbrain]

I think your making to much of the half the price of the original thing. It could be completely worth it. We have no idea what exactly the content is. Also this may not be the standard for all DLC. I guess we just wait and see.

I'm wondering why they couldn't just put the extra stuff in the original game, especially given they already know what that extra stuff is going to be. They're basically selling an incomplete game- for the hefty price of 1000 Wii Points, I might add- then expecting people to fork out another 500 points to get the full game.

Have you have ever been on Xbox Live? If you've seen some of the crappy downloadable content they put on there, which is usually at prices disproportionately high compared to the game itself, you'll know why I'm worried.

 

[Budo]

At the very least, this will shut some N-fanboys up about Live's pay/transaction services/fees now that Nintendo is doing pretty much the same thing, or will be in the near future. I personally hate most micro-transactions, but that just leads to the bigger 'problem' with consoles in general.

Consoles are good because they are a closed platform that allow developers to create a game specifically optimized for one set of hardware. But that closed development process also makes them very bad for the add-on community. No user can make his/her own add-on for an already existing game (mod) for a console, which would pretty much nullify all this horse armour garbage :lol: ... well until the PS3 came along - best of both worlds my friends, best of both worlds :yesnod: :ciappa:

 

[madbeanman]

I'm wondering why they couldn't just put the extra stuff in the original game, especially given they already know what that extra stuff is going to be. They're basically selling an incomplete game- for the hefty price of 1000 Wii Points, I might add- then expecting people to fork out another 500 points to get the full game.

Have you have ever been on Xbox Live? If you've seen some of the crappy downloadable content they put on there, which is usually at prices disproportionately high compared to the game itself, you'll know why I'm worried.

Again I will go back to my Galaxy comment. If you got new downloadable galaxies would you say the game was incomplete without them. I wouldnt

Also I dont think 1000 Wii points is hefty for a WiiWare game with WiFi support. Again I dont know what exactly the game is like. I guess value is subjective, personally I think Mega Drive {Genesis in the US} games on the
VC are overpriced. I couldnt imagine myself crying because they added a few extra puzzles to Lonpos and I cant get them.