Micro-Transactions Coming To Team Fortress 2 Via Steam Wallet 161
whoop writes "Valve has announced that Team Fortress 2 will be getting a new Mann Co. Store to buy trinkets with real money through a service called Steam Wallet. TF2 is the first game to use this new Steam Wallet, but the money can be spent on anything in Steam, including full games. This would open them up to featuring gift cards, micro-transaction games, and more."
PC Gamer has an interview with Valve's Robin Walker about why they're doing this. Walker says everything they're selling will still be obtainable by playing the game, other than a few cosmetic items.
Price (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Price (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
No, there's new items... that are purchase only and can't be traded.
The model is ok, it's better than trying to charge monthly fees AND have a micro-transaction store... looking at you Cryptic you fucks.
Re:Price (Score:4, Insightful)
I haven't looked into it but apparently these items will be purely cosmetic. They'll probably just be things to identify the player as someone who has used the service in the same way that white Apple earbuds became available when you play TF2 on a Mac.
Re: (Score:2)
I was looking at the store last night and most of the items have "abilities". The soldier for example can get an Anti-Sentry rocket launcher and a backpack that causes nearby mates to take 35% less damage.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Those items can be crafted (Direct Hit + Reclaimed Metal = Black Box rocket launcher, Buff Banner + Reclaimed Metal = Battalion's Backup backpack) and drop from the random drop system.
The hats for the set bonus are what hurt, as there's no way of crafting a specific hat,
Re:Price (Score:5, Informative)
I have now looked into it and found that I was actually right.
The person I was originally responding to was expressing their disappointment at there being items which can only be purchased and not earned through grinding.
I said that these items do exist but that they are purely cosmetic i.e. don't affect gameplay. This is true (at least according to Robin Walker:
PC Gamer: Just to be absolutely clear: everything you can buy with real money is also available to find or craft for free?
Robin Walker: Almost everything. There are a really small number of cosmetic items that you can’t find. On the flip side, there are a few items that aren’t purchasable either. Our main goal was to make sure that all gameplay affecting items are findable, so that no-one can buy an in-game advantage over someone who’s choosing to find their items.
To be fair, if you ignore the context of my comment and consider it as an answer to a different question than the one I was answering then, yes, I was wrong. Similarly, your comment is incorrect as an answer to the question "What is the capital city of Sweden?"
For the record I stopped playing TF2 around the time they started introducing upgrades. Partly because I didn't like the upgrades and couldn't be bothered to keep track of- and grind in order to get new weapons but mainly because I just got bored of the game.
Re: (Score:2)
It's simply amazing that they thought charging more for items than the game itself could make sense.
Farmville.
Re: (Score:2)
That was a common initial reaction but think of it this way: All the DLC so far has been free, and some of us have only had to pay a one time charge of $20 for three years of one of the best games of all time (well some of us think so). So this is a way for some of us to say "thank you" to Valve for all the free updates.
I won't be getting the $50 thing but I might buy a few lesser-priced things like the trial rocket launcher and maybe a key or two.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
I agree.
But I think ultimately the success or failure of these "micro-transaction" systems depends more on how good the underlying game is than anything else. Need for Speed World won't work because the game sucks, not because of the micro-transaction system. If a Burnout Paradise 2 came out with a microtransaction system, I'd pay a few bucks for certain in-game items (well, maybe a buck or two). But there are not that many games
Re:Price (Score:5, Interesting)
So I guess the best way to make money with a game is to make a good game. I'm pretty surprised at how little quality there's been in games the past year
This doesn't really apply here, since TF2 has been out for about 3 years now and is a very high quality game. What people are failing to mention here is that some of the items being sold are made by the players. The designer of these items will also be getting paid every time someone purchases his/her item.
Re: (Score:2)
Burnout Paradise came out with basically a microtransaction system. Unfortunately, they didn't seem to make enough to sustain the process, as they moved on after releasing their initial batch of content.
TF2 is a really high quality game, that they've been selling for less than the cost of a Starbucks run. They have made hundreds of updates to the game over the years, yet they haven't complicated the experience to the point where it is no longer fun. I'm just getting back into it on a new laptop, and it i
Final nail (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Agreed. "You can get it through grinding" is usually a cop-out for microtransaction systems, and it's no different here. The new item sets (which confer a bonus for having the complete set) make this especially silly - the odds of obtaining all of the items directly through the game's anemic drop rate are virtually nil, and crafting doesn't make this a lot better because you need to melt down dozens of items (including already extremely rare hats) when the results of crafting are a random class/slot weapon.
Also (Score:2)
The items aren't obtainable through skill, just through sitting there. Most games that offer things either in game or via a store, you have to work to get the in game version. Like say in DDO you want an item to respecialize your character. You can purchase it in their store or get it in game. To get it in game you have to run various quests, which get you items that you combine to what you need. So you don't just sit logged in hoping for the things you need to show up. If you are skilled, you can get it fa
Re: (Score:2)
TF2 already is like the Blizzard system. In WoW you can pay to re-spec, so it does allow you pay to make yourself stronger. Valve killed idle dropping in the fall 2009 update, which included the Cheater's Lament. You must now play in order to get drops. I had every single game changing item after about 80 hours of play. It's not an onerous task, if you enjoy the game and play it off and on. Personally, I am not planning on buying any of the cosmetic items -- and this doesn't penalize me in the slighte
Re: (Score:2)
>>as it used to be the best non-military multiplayer FPS on the market.
Right after the original Team Fortress, which was superior in every way except graphics.
(Or, cough, CustomTF.)
Re: (Score:2)
The autoaim cheats got annoying though. You know they are cheating when they can snipe you when you run and jump off a ledge, but keep missing you when you stand right in front of them and jiggle left and right very quickly- not actually moving from the spot, just jiggling
I found it mildly interesting that the autoaimer didn't have an averaging or manual option... Either t
Re: (Score:2)
Honestly, though, I was under the impression that the Polycount Pack ($50, includes all 5 sets including hats) were for people like me who have played the game for hundreds of hours and are still playing the game. I've clocked somewhere over 800 hours of actual play time for a game that I essentially spent $10 on. I'm willing to pay another $50 to Valve, no problem.
But don't expect me to buy individual items, those are WAY too expensive. Up to $17 for a hat? Pssh, I'll simply see if people want to trade
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
First, all the items other than the hats and the GRU are easily craftable, today. the GRU has a 50% chance recipe. So most of us have been able to get the most of the items we wanted in a matter of minutes, without paying a dime. We'll be able to get the rest in a couple of weeks worth of item drops.
Now, the hats were an issue, because the chances of hat drops are extremely low, so getting the rare hat that completes a functional set is very difficult. There's been enough complaining about it that Robin has
Re:Final nail (Score:4, Insightful)
Well I guess I will not be playing TF2 again. Despite the 'it's optional defence' some of the items will give advantages. You can still get them all randomly, so it's a choice of grind or pay up. I think I'll do neither.
It's amazing how angry people can get over the idea of paying for new content. In my opinion this is a much better model than releasing expansions that prevent others playing with the majority population without purchasing it. I recently reinstalled the game and to be sure, everyone has weird hats etc but I cannot say I found any noticeable disadvantage in having none of these gimmicks, my scores are middling same as they were a year or more ago when I last played it and I'm grateful to be able to still play with everyone without having to fork out 10 or 20 for the new maps and gear etc.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
These items don't give an advantage either.. they are better at one thing and worse at another. The items appear balanced in power but unbalanced in ability.
Re: (Score:2)
Some items are almost straight upgrades, but they are relatively easy to obtain without paying for them: Take the degreaser, almost strictly superior to the regular flamethrower for an experienced pyro, or the GRU, which brings a major improvement while just replacing the heavy's default weapon, which very few people would even use when playing even semi-seriously.
Once they make the hats that are part of a set craftable, we'll be in good shape.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Final nail (Score:5, Insightful)
Exactly! The first most frustrating thing about what Valve has done to the game over the last 3 years is adding the items. The second most frustrating thing is that server admins don't have the power to turn this stuff off. If you could run a "pure" server (to steal a term from Unreal Tournament) where it disables all purchased/unlocked items and makes it behave like the original 2007 game, then the vast majority of the complaints would stop.
As it stands Steam holds the game hostage. There's no way to revert the game - you have to play the latest version as Valve intends it. For the traditional MP FPS crowd, being unable to control the game like this is simply mind-boggling.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Annoying is more likely. I used to enjoy |TF2 so much, I played in preference to any other fps out there. Not anymore. What's worse, grinding noobs for items in tf2 is even more boring than grinding mobs for items in other games - at least some mobs have interesting behaviors and abilities designed in, while noobs are utterly boring and predictable.
Re:Final nail (Score:5, Interesting)
The second most frustrating thing is that server admins don't have the power to turn this stuff off.
You are full of shit. There are mods that restrict the weapons you can use, and one in particular (Randomizer) even forces specifically chosen weapons on you.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
I'll back this up by noting that I play on a server that specifically does this for weapons that CEVO and ETF2L have removed. It's a server for those that like to practice for more serious matches the way they'll be played in the league events. You should see the rage some people have when they can't play with their favourite load-out.
It's not that it's impossible to make a 'pure' server. It's just that everyone hates them and the servers sit empty till the admin takes them down. The only exception to th
Re:Final nail (Score:5, Insightful)
This can't be true!
<rant> ...
After all, Valve are the guys that invented an online DRM system and digital download store that screws you but at least lubes you up first (not like the competition's online-DRM which uses no lube). I mean, just look at all posts from defenders of it saying how you can be offline for a while and still play the games or re-download them when you loose them - sure it's not as good as a simple serial number, but at least it's not as bad as living in North Korea
I'm sure that they haven't added must-have-pay-with-cash items to a highly competitive, fast-paced kind of game like an online FPS after releasing the game and after loads of people had bought it: that would be sneaky and deceitful, not to mention a lub-less screwing of customers.
This kind of thing is the purvey of Machiaveli-inspired companies like Sony Entertainment, not good guys like Valve.
Right!?
Right!???
Right????
</rant>
Re: (Score:2)
To be fair, they're changing the system to a microtransaction model 3 years after release, and 2 years after everyone else would have abandoned it. It was about 10 years in development, and at release it was about 1/3rd of the cost of a full game. It has had quite literally several hundred updates throughout the years, and is by far the most actively developed FPS I've ever seen. And while it is slow, you can supposedly grind the items that effect gameplay. As far as I can tell, the items that effect ga
A minor off topic nit... (Score:2)
I think this term pre-dates UT by quite some time. I used to run a QuakeWorld server back in the day and I could swear that I had the option of running a 'pure' server for that. I know I was running a Q2 server with that variable enabled.
Re: (Score:2)
It's interesting that you should say that you want the 2007 version of TF2 because there's always the XBox 360 version. Microsoft hasn't allowed Valve to do free updates, and so there it sits in all its 2007 glory. Valve has a perfect case/control experiment here. On the PC side, they've added items, grinding and now microtransactions. On the 360, the "pure" version is there in front of a much larger audience. Guess which one gets played, and which one doesn't.
Re:Final nail (Score:4, Insightful)
Why have you been playing at all? You've had to grind for items since the first patch, why does including an option to skip over the grind make the grind (which I reiterate, has already existed) intolerable? Have you thought this through, or is it a hyperbolic reaction to a new feature you don't like?
for a casual player who isnt in it for the items, it is somewhat acceptable that people who play for ages have some advantages (better weapons/items). You can somewhat side-step that by not getting into servers with only the best players (they will own you anyway, regardless of any advantages, they just tend to be more skilled/faster), however this pay-per-gun system wrecks the idea of playing among your peers, since the guy you previously were on equal footing with, will have spent a few bucks on the better gun, gaining an advantage, ruining your experience.
Allowing people to buy better weapons in games quickly gives rise to a prisoners dilemma, either you also spend the money (on top of what you paid for the game), or you will have your lunch eaten by the people that do, the only winning move is not to play...
(i had this experience in BF2 years back, the special forces expansion allowed people to use (better) weapons which they unlocked in SF to be used in the regular maps, giving SF-buyers an edge on the normal maps, in the end i ended up buying the expansion, mostly for the sniper rifle... although i did enjoy the maps as well)
Re: (Score:2)
Except that BF2's unlocks were almost universally Strictly Better whereas TF2's unlocks are things like a revolver that gives you extra cloak time on hits but does 20% less damage, a rocket launcher that fires faster and more damaging shots at the cost of virtually nonexistence splash damage, and so on.
The items that are broken aren't broken because they're Strictly Better, they're broken because the break the field that class is supposed to be in.
Re: (Score:2)
yeah, the only exception being the l85a1 in BF2, the medic unlock, which was a CRAP assault rifle, but did well as a pseudo-sniper.
Re: (Score:2)
I loved the L85A1, was a great weapon, but you are right, close range it was a pain.
TF2 unlocks are vastly different to the "unlockables" in other games. They are always balanced out. As a soldier, I use the old weapon, same as with demo, scout, heavy, I even use old weapons with medic. It's more about play style than upgrade.
Re: (Score:2)
TF2 weapons traditionally have tradeoffs (Score:2, Informative)
So far, Valve has been pretty careful to not make a weapon strictly better than anything else available in its loadout slot (the bonesaw/ubersaw being the exception). They always put in some drawback to a weapon that has new abilities. As a result, the proliferation of weaponry has tended to change emphasis on different styles of play vs. making the holder of a particular weapon mightier than anyone without it. There are usually kinks when a weapon gets first released, but once a strict advantage becomes cl
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
No unique fish taunt. :(
A Well-Executed Plan (Score:2, Interesting)
I'm going to jump in early on this one. If you actually read the fucking article, nothing being put up for sale is only available through sale. Everything can still be found and crafted the old-fashioned way, with the same drop rates and the same recepies. This merely gives people who don't like grind a means to skip over it. Furthermore, they've ousted my most hated aspect of microtransactions, Game Co. Funny Money, allowing you to put money in as money, not as points, which you can then use on anything on
Re:A Well-Executed Plan (Score:4, Insightful)
Just like in real life... (Score:2)
... if you want a hat *now*, go and buy a damn hat. If you're not prepared to buy it, do without.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
...We done here?
Re: (Score:2)
A game that emulated real life would be pretty boring (see also: The Sims).
Yet The Sims was one of the best selling games of all time.
Re: (Score:2)
But the appeal of games is they're not like real life. A game that emulated real life would be pretty boring (see also: The Sims).
Are you accusing Team Fortress 2 of being too lifelike?
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
I think that's the point. A lot of people will do without. They'll just go ahead and do without the whole game, in fact.
Re: (Score:2)
Just like in life! When they can't afford the hat, or don't want to buy the hat, they go and kill themselves.
Oh wait...
Re: (Score:3)
And that's what would suck about it: Just like in real life, the rich obnoxious bastard will be the one that can flaunt their fancy hats in the face of those who can't afford all those hats.
The difference being... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Just like in real life... (Score:4, Insightful)
If I wanted to make real world spending decisions about new hats I'd go to the mall. I even get a real hat.
I don't need to buy a game for the privilege of experiencing spending money 'just like real life' on things that don't even exist or belong to me after 'buying' them.
Further, if just like real life was a good reason to implement something than team fortress 2 would have you lose a limb in the first firefight and then spend six to 12 months teaching your avatar to walk with a prosthetic and try to build a new life far away from combat.
Games are about providing enjoyment and entertainment. If you want to argue that spending real money on in game hats is somehow more fun than other methods of getting in game hats then feel free to make that case. But falling back on 'its just like real life' is completely specious.
Re: (Score:2)
Just curious, is there ever a time in real life where you can either choose to buy a hat or just walk around until said hat appears out of the aether for free?
You realize that your just further arguing my point right?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Bullshit. I have 240 hours of play in TF2 over the past 3 years, and I have several hats. I've even gotten duplicates and crafted them together to make other hats.
Re: (Score:2)
Robin claims they'll add recipes for the set hats, which are the only ones that aren't purely cosmetic. If the recipes are anywhere near those for making a random hat, you'll be able to get said hats in 20-30 hours, which is nowhere near as bad as you describe.
Until they add said recipes, it's rather outrageous, but valve tends to release a quick update or two right after every major pack, so I'd be surprised if it took more than two weeks. Meanwhile, just hoard random items
Re: (Score:2)
You may be understimating just how long the grinding will take. 200 hours to get a random hat, of which there are 5, sound good to you? That's a lot of play time to get the one you want.
Unless I am mistaken you can trade them with other players. Besides if you are playing 200 hours a the game just to get a specific hat instead of just playing the game to have fun with your mates then perhaps your looking at it wrong. It's more just rare icing on the cake that overly greedy players can choose to fork out with real money for instead.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
I'm going to jump in early on this one. If you actually read the fucking article, nothing being put up for sale is only available through sale.
FTFA:
Robin Walker: Almost everything. There are a really small number of cosmetic items that you can’t find.
What's that about reading the article?
Not that I care about cosmetic stuff.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
New compiler statement... (Score:5, Funny)
Steam is proud to announce a patch for GNU and Microsoft Visual Studio compiler sets, which enables the new 'ifmo' command in most programming environments.
The 'ifmo' statement is a traditional if statement, with one extra parameter, for the amount of money you want to be paid to make a given state true.
The 'ifmo' statement coordinates with the Steam framework in most OS environments to manage a list of opportunities the user has to pay for events to happen.
'ifmo' should be compatible with most common languages, from FORTRAN, to Visual Basic, to C/C++, to common scripting languages like Python.
'you get mo with ifmo!'
Ryan Fenton
Steam wallet (Score:2, Interesting)
I like the Steam wallet idea as a general principle, provided they develop it properly; gift-cards, in particular, have been a glaring omission from Steam for quite some time and I'd love to see them introduced. Yes, you can buy games as gifts for other steam users, but there's a relatively high barrier to doing so - you need to make an account, set up your payment details in it, mess around with the friends list etc. This means that unlike, say, Xbox Live, where you can just walk into a shop to buy a gift-
Not exactly micro (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Too much. But that's not the issue here. The issue is that you cannot opt out of this whole bullshit. You get wasted if you don't have the money or time to plow into these things. I want no upgrades, damn it! I used to love how the classes in TF2 were so well balanced and no-one got a free lunch. That all went out the window with the introduction of items.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
You get wasted without new items? I think you're just projecting your dying on whatever appears to be a likely suspect.
Yeah there's a lot of new stuff compared to vanilla TF2, but variety doesn't mean imbalance. Its all about playstyle and taste. Lots of people still use the old gear.
Does everyone use the kritzkrieg instead of the ubercharge? Not even close.
Does everyone use the huntsman bow instead of the sniper rifle? Definitely not.
Does everyone use the direct hit instead of the old rocket launcher? Yeah
Quick Question (Score:2, Interesting)
TFA is short and informative (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
With the age of the game this is a smart idea. It allows new players to spend some money and get items that will keep with equal with older players.
Re: (Score:2)
Very few of the unlockable/craftable/buyable items are universally considered a direct upgrade on what they replace, and of those that are almost all of them are unlockable by achievements (wangler, equaliser, axtinguisher, etc). The achievement milestones are easy to get, and the achievements required are designed to make sure you know how to play the game (While there are some uberskill and grind ones in there, you don't need those to unlock items).
The only item I have seen consistently equipped that's no
Re: (Score:2)
I have a Shiv, but I don't use it. It's just not worth it, as in the few instances a Sniper is meleeing with someone, the decreased damage in favor of bleed is useful against exactly one class: Spy.
Having said that, there's a new Sniper melee weapon that causes you to take +20% fire damage, but when you'd mini-crit, it
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
However, they also introduced "item sets" which require a certain combination of weapons and a hat (a previously cosmetic-only item) to complete.
Hats are very rare in-game (even more so if you need one particular hat to complete a set) which used to be fine since they never did anything until now.
Re: (Score:2)
No, they and the Name Tag also drop randomly.
The only item that doesn't appear to randomly drop is the supply crate key.
Microtransactions done right? Figures it's Valve (Score:5, Insightful)
I wasn't sure what to expect when I saw the post this morning, I'm not a fan of microtransactions in games, as I've never seen it executed in a way that didn't punish players into using it.
But I read all about it, and then checked it out for myself. It actually seems like this system was built with a fair dose of common sense, something I've come to expect from Valve.
First and foremost is the fact that all the items are still attainable in game. But wait, did they make them really rare drops or difficult to craft in order to push people toward purchasing? Nope, they're still the same as they've always been. Easily crafted by anyone who plays much at all.
But hold on, these systems always have stupid virtual currency that you can only buy in chunks that don't match the item costs. You want an item that costs 3500 neato-points but you can only buy points in chunks of 2000! Oh, Valve's system uses real currency tied to your steam account, that you can use anywhere on steam. That actually makes sense.
Surely there is a catch though. These new items must be overpowered and imbalanced to make them worth buying, right? That's what most games do (cough BF Heroes cough) but it doesn't really work when people can still get the items without buying them. And it turns out the stats are all in line with the way Valve has always added new items to TF2. They all have their ups and downs and are more a matter of playstyle and taste than outright better/worse. There are still plenty of people who used the old original items simply because that's what they're best with.
BUT HOLD ON, WE'VE FOUND THE EVIL PLOT! Most item's are community made, Valve is profiting off content they don't even have to make themselves!! Oh nevermind, community designers are given a cut of any sales their item makes, which is probably the coolest thing about the whole system. As someone who's mapped and modded Source as a hobby over the years, and having friends who actually made items in this very update, I think it is absolutely awesome that they're getting money out of something they'd normally love to do just for fun.
This is is precisely the microtransaction system I would expect from Valve. I have no problems with it and I have yet to read any legitimate arguments against it.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Easily crafted by anyone who plays much at all.
They've increased the number of items it takes to do your crafting. Also, item sets require hats, which you'll be lucky to get one for every couple hundred hours of playing (so for someone who doesn't spend all day in their basement, a couple months, and good luck getting the hat you actually want). So yes, while it's theoretically possible to get all the various sets through sheer grinding, you would probably never keep up with it if they start releasing new items/sets every couple months, and to me that's
Re: (Score:2)
Ya sorry Valve (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm not at all opposed to the idea of micro transactions. On the contrary, I like the idea when done right. Mass Effect 2 does a great job. They released a good game, well worth the money. However they've continued to develop for it and you can get new content. They just released an addon for $10. It adds a good bit of new, unique, gameplay. They spent a good deal of work developing it, new visuals, new voice tracks, etc. It is a worthwhile upgrade for the money, if you enjoy the game.
Well the TF2 stuff has two big problems:
1) The TF2 engine is a POS. Seriously, that game has all kinds of problems, owing to the age of its engine. If I am going to spend money for DLC, it'll be on a newer game that runs well on my system. I'm not saying it doesn't render frame fast, its older graphics insure that happens. However it stutters often because it doesn't handle streaming well, it takes forever to load content, its interface has a number of problems, etc. Sorry, but compare that to say Bad Company 2 and there is no comparison. I'm just not really interested in putting money in to a game that isn't well updated for my system.
2) More importantly, they have to get the fuck out of here with those prices. $5 for a gun? $18 for a hat? What the fuck is that shit? For the price of one hat I could get the new ME2 DLC and still have enough left over for one of their older DLCs ($7 each) or a few weapons packs if I really wanted (which are $2 for a pack with multiple items). They are completely off their rocker if they think it is worth that kind of money.
Really, if they need cash, I'd rather they just produce Team Fortress 3. TF2 is showing its age (though it still ought to behave better, I think Source is also showing its age in general) and maybe it isn't feasible to completely rework the engine. That's fine, do a new TF game with new engine, graphics, maps, etc, and sell it at a new game price. I've no problem with that, it is about 3 years old and I'm ok with the idea that for non-subscription games you have to periodically pay for an update. I also know it is easier to rework things in a new game than to continually modify an existing one.
However I'm not giving them nearly $20 to have a hat. Sorry.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
A game that comes with an achievement you can't get without buying DLC? (The Thief character). Personally I was very disappointed by this, otherwise I had no issue with its DLC.
Buy a kevlar for $800? (Score:2)
I wonder how long until I have to pay real $800 for my kevlar in CS:S....
I guess even at 1/1000th of the price this could get interesting as in the long run if you're decent you get more money then you spend in CS:S...
Perhaps they could balance it out a little and allow people to play with real money?
Sad Panda (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I guess it's a case of "each to his own" but I'm not prepared to put that much faith in games companies that I truly believe the add-ons they want to sell me are just that, rather than stuff they deliberately left out of the original game to sell to me later on.
ME2 and DA:O were two prime examples. The first DLC for both was obviously built at the same time as the core game and just detached for separate release, to the extent that ME:2 has a "space" on the character select screen in the basic game for a character who is only available with DLC, while DA:O has a DLC character standing right in your camp trying to sell you a mission. I have to say I bought both and enjoyed them and don't regret the purchases, but yes, pretty cynical move on the developer's part.
Re: (Score:2)
this is a logical progression (Score:2)
there's been a lot of us asking for steam cards for a long time, this is good progress imho.
Granted, I stopped playing tf2 like a year ago. I can see community mods being offered for micro-transactions.
Unfortunately this is the end of free community modding. But it's a step forward for PC gaming. It's an evolution. It will bring more talent and games back to PC gaming.
More sinister than it would appear (Score:2)
First off I should preface this by saying that I love Valve and hate microtransactions.
That being said there are some "devil in the detail" points which leave a nastier-than-normal taste in the mouth.
For starters - the item set hats (that you need to get the set bonus) aren't craftable. They (apparently) drop but with the number of items in game currently and the already very rare percentage chance to get a hat the idea that you could complete an item set by getting the hat via an item drop is about as unr
"Micro"? (Score:2)
25 (Score:2)
The sky is not, in fact, falling. (Score:2, Insightful)
1.) The default weapons are some of the most powerful, flexible weapons in the game. Rocket launcher, minigun, scattergun, butterfly knife, sticky bombs, medigun (etc.) are all core to game play, and you'll never be at an item-based disadvantage playing with a stock loadout. The new items (all the way back to the medic update), range from situational to strict downgrades. The only real mistake was version-1 backburner, when it gave 50 health, and that only las
Market Segmentation (Score:2)
I really like this choice for one big reason: it segments the market well. In general you have to major categories of people : people with lots of time but little extra money and people with extra money but not much extra time. This update helps to let those two groups play the game equally. I have friends who are in college and lots of free time. They have logged hundreds of hours in the game, usually at least an hour a day. They have tons of hats and all the items. I only have enough time to play a
A better user for this technology.... (Score:2)
A much better use for this technology would enable you to Tip the server host and the authors of any current mods running on the system. Sure, right now you can pretty much do it through paypal, but it's time consuming.
If the game gave me a way to 'tip' my current server, and that tip was appropriately split between the server host and the mods he runs based on back end points ( like shares in a film ), we'd end up with a new economic model for mod/map/hosting development.
It could reach a whole new level if
I am not bothered by this. (Score:3, Funny)
Want to know WHY I'm not bothered by this? Because the achievement-whoring douchebags will probably just buy the items they want and get back to ACTUALLY PLAYING instead of burdening their teams with their ineffective half-assed play while they try and grind new HATS. And anything that lets Valve make more money off of the kind of people I detest is good for Valve, me, and the gaming ecosystem in-general.
I have some faith that Valve won't misuse this idea. Honestly, letting people buy the items if they want to benefits everyone. I don't really think they're going to do something like, say, start charging for molotovs in Left4Dead. Maybe they should charge for ragequitting. Let people buy $0.50 'get out of game free' cards, as it were, to keep them from getting a negative reputation for quitting in the middle of games! ;P
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
All of the items in TF2 have some sort of tradeoff. The new Spy knife does an instant disguise (of the "blink and you missed it" type), but removes the Spy's disguise kit; once the Spy with the new knife is undisguised, he *has* to backstab someone to redisguise. This makes the Revolvers significantly less useful.
You can get every single weapon in the game through the game's random drop system. The Polycount pac
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Even without trading, you can turn 1 refined metal into 3 reclaimed metal. Each of the 12 new non-hat Polycount items require 1 Reclaimed Metal + whatever item it's the most similar to in effect... TF2Items has a list of recipes [tf2items.com] (new items are above the legend near the bottom).
Unfortunately, if you crafted away all your items... sucks to be you. Of course, some people are willing to give away their extra base items if you need them.