'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
After a long wait, Palia was finally made available on August 9 for its open beta phase. Interested players have been eagerly signing up and diving into the idyllic bright gameworld. The title allows them to build their own house, decorate it, farm crops, increase their lot, hunt, and plenty more. While the general perception of the game is positive, there have been a few complaints regarding its microtransactions.
Microtransactions have slowly and often regrettably become an integral part of the video game industry, including various genres like MMO and MOBA. Be it single-player or multiplayer, developers have included options to purchase new premium items or cosmetics for existing characters.
While they can sometimes be craftily done where players eagerly want to buy the offered content, it seems like, with Palia, that is not the case. In a lengthy Reddit post on the game's subreddit, u/SyleSpawn broke down why they characterized the MMO's monetization as predatory and hoped that the developers would address the concerns at the earliest.
Palia's monetization is under scrutiny from upset players
Dividing the post into various points, u/SyleSpawn spoke of how the current currency system prevalent in the game feels increasingly predatory. According to them, this stems from the fact that you have to buy Palia Coins by means of real-life money through preset bundles.
- 25 Coins: $4.99
- 1,000 Coins: $9.99
- 2,050 Coins: $19.99
- 3,650 Coins: $34.99
- 5,350 Coins: $49.99
- 11,000 Coins: $99.99
u/SyleSpawn addressed further that buying cosmetic outfits in-game was by using Palia coins. They quickly broke down the matter as follows (verbatim from the Reddit post):
- To buy a 2550 outfit, you need to buy a $30 pack. So that's $30 for one outfit + remaining coins.
- To buy a 1700 outfit, you need to buy a $20 pack. So that's $20 for one outfit + remaining coins.
- To buy a 2175 outfit, you need to buy a $10 pack and a $5 pack. So that's $15 for one outfit + remaining coins.
- To buy a 850 outfit, you need to buy a $10 pack. So that's $10 for one outfit + remaining coins.
According to them, this pushes players to buy a new outfit with the remaining balance and another bundle purchase.
"I don't think there's a lot of people out there that feels good about wanting to purchase a singular outfit just to have to spend extra to purchase coins that will end with leftover which might then be the catalyst to buy more packs to round off more purchases. This psychological behavior have been studied, is known and is taken advantage in almost every game that has some level of monetization."
They would rather have the developers provide the cosmetic outfit at a $ price so it could be directly bought instead of through the current method. The Reddit post also spoke about the pricing of the present offerings and the lack of quality in the lower-end ones.
While Palia is indeed a free-to-play title, the current cash shop, the price tiers, and the coin bundles are likely alienating many players from wanting to spend their hard-earned money in-game. Time will tell whether developers will look to address the matter or resolve it anytime soon.
