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The video game industry has seen several shifts as technological advancements have taken it to the next level. Much of the progress has been positive, but some are completely poor.
Several practices, in particular, have come with the advent of live service video games, which, unlike conservative titles, get fresh content from time to time.
While it sounds great, most of this content costs extra, over what players have already paid. This content often comes with other negative aspects that seem outright grabby and awful.
Five uncharitable video game practices that developers should avoid
5) All-time online requirements
The internet has developed magnificently, with the price coming down and the speed and reliability rising. When a video game requires internet connectivity for offline mode, it doesn't seem fair.
Gran Turismo 7 is one such title that requires a network connection. When enquired, the developers always seem to give a vague reason.
Internet connectivity is needed in a game mode that requires it. There shouldn't be continuous sync in offline modes in titles. This becomes even more pertinent if the video game keeps local saves that don't automatically get uploaded to the main servers.
Despite all the advancements, a large part of the world still has to choose between necessities and internet connectivity. The least developers can ensure is that they make their games less data-hungry and do not require it for no reason.
4) Loot boxes
Gone are the days when a gamer knew what rewards they would get. This change has been a particular brainchild of live service games, and it feels awful how the mechanism promotes gambling.
Mainstream titles like the FIFA series have faced major flak from legal authorities over how they implement predatory tactics in their Ultimate Team mode. The football simulator is not alone in this.
In a certain sense, battle passes look far better than players who at least know the rewards they will get. However, a few games have started handing out loot boxes as part of BP tiers or levels, making the matter even worse.
3) Exploitation of FOMO
If Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is epitomized by anything, it's the early access to games. Often combined with costlier additions, developers often make gamers feel that they can play earlier than others.
In reality, the former controls the release dates, and early access is essentially nothing but locking a portion of the player base who refuse to pay more.
To make matters worse, several costlier editions of titles hardly have anything substantial. Far Cry 6 gives unique skins as part of the Ultimate Edition, while the game is FPS!
The way modern developers can exploit FOMO is genuinely terrible at times and should be done away with. If a particular edition of a game costs more, it should offer something substantial in return.
2) Microtransactions in full-priced games
Microtransactions have increased in volume recently, and several games released have this feature. Several pieces of content are added to titles, which users can purchase in exchange for real-life money or its equivalent. Things like battle passes and loot boxes are some items that fall under it.
A free-to-play game with microtransactions is seen as a standard move in video games. After all, every developer has to recoup costs and make profits.
When fully-priced AAA games have microtransactions, gamers don't like it. The situation gets worse if those items can directly alter gameplay. A recent example is the downfall of Babylon's Fall, whose microtransactions include items that directly affect the game's economy.
Gran Turismo 7 is another title that revealed microtransactions after its early reviews were done. More names can fall under this category.
1) Unfinished games
The term 'live service' is often misused by some titles whose developers don't bother to release a finished product. Video game making is a difficult task as games become more complex.
In some cases, the deliberate lack of quality and quantity becomes readily evident. When Battlefield 2042 was released, gamers took very little time to understand its state.
To make matters worse, many missing features are added later in-game, being tagged under DLCs or update patches. Some of these can be core additions that should be there from the start.
Sometimes, the core story of a game is left unfinished, and then parts are added to it. Some of these additions can also cost money in the form of DLCs, and unfinished products being released for the total price is the most anti-consumer practice to follow.
Disclaimer: This article reflects the writer's opinions.
