Hearthpwn

Quote from FortyDust >>

And once again I have to point out that purely optional items like skins cannot "ruin" anything. If you don't want to spend money on them, don't.

Even more pointless is the complaint about bundles, which by definition offer a product for a lower price than you would normally pay. If you want to pay full price for the same item, I'm sure Blizzard won't mind.

Finally, the term "cash grab" has lost all meaning these days because people will apply it to literally any product that hits the shelves. Drugstore selling ibuprofen? Cash grab. Grocery store selling apples? Cash grab.

It's not like video games are created for the betterment of society. With very few exceptions, they exist to make money, period. If you're not okay with that, you don't have to buy or play them.

 I believe you may have missed my point, or perhaps I didn't explain it well enough.

First of all, I'm not saying skins are the things ruining anything. Purchasable skins have been a big part of video games for the better part of a decade now. What I was claiming is ruining the industry is a shift from, "Let's try to maximize our effort for good profits." to, "Let's try to maximize our profits by any means necessary." It feels like there has been a decrease in quality because newer games have shown that it is possible to maximize profits by putting a lot of resources into cosmetics.

Second of all, I understand what you are saying about bundles and cash grabs, but allow me to further elaborate. When I mentioned bundles, what I had in mind while writing it was just how excessive it is today compared to how it used to be. I suppose I didn't communicate that too well either, but I meant it as a reference to how things have changed, and as an example of attempting to gain more profits. As for my use of the term cash grab, maybe that was the incorrect usage. I'll explain more shortly.

Last of all, the whole "If you don't like it, don't buy it." is one of the weakest arguments I've ever heard. Just because someone points out what is wrong with something, does not mean they no longer want anything to do with it. Feedback has a huge part in progress. You did say video games are made to make money, and I agree. This definitely applies to Mercenaries. To Activision and Blizzard, this game mode was an excellent idea. If people want to PVP reliably, they will have to spend money, and 6+ times a year these pay to win players will spend $15+ for the most recent mercenary bundle. That's fine, it's their choice to spend the money, and the company's choice to make it. However, the resources for this game mode have to come from somewhere. This stretches the balance team thinner, the art team thinner, and even the programming team. While we may not see it directly, this may have an effect on the other aspects of the game. While I may not know exactly what goes on in Blizzard HQ, I know a lot of people are unhappy with other aspects of the game right now, and that I'm not the only one to say this. Once again, there just seems to be a big profit over quality complex.

Thank you for your response.

I'm going to say it. Fortnite ruined the gaming industry. Allow me to explain why.

I would like you to think of a time when you enjoyed gaming the most. For me, 2008-2014 were really the golden years. There were so many masterpieces of games to hit the shelves, and the community that enjoyed them were, for the most part, unanimously happy with how things were run. Games to come out at that time were companies trying to prove themselves through content. When a game was released, it was a finished product. Skyrim, Fallout: New Vegas, Call of Duty MW-BO2, Far Cry 3, Borderlands 2, Halo Reach, the list goes on. These are just my preferences, so feel free to share some examples of your favorite games from your favorite era. I can acknowledge that DLC was on the rise at this point, but it felt optional, and didn't impede on the quality of the base games. Maps, gun camos, new characters to name a few examples. I mentioned this earlier, but what I truly appreciate about this time during gaming was how clear it was that, at the time, companies put so much effort into their titles. There was truly a sense of competition and compassion throughout these titles. Timeless classics for the most part that people can fondly look back on, and even still play to this day.

Towards 2013, microtransactions were beginning to trickle their way into large titles. Mystery boxes, loot crates, etc. There was quite a reasonable distaste towards these from the gaming community. Suddenly you had to gamble for unlockables instead of buy them on their own. I want to say 2015 was the peak of this system. It came to a resounding end in 2016 when China banned them, and a large portion of gaming's market could no longer participate in games with them. For a moment, things seemed brighter.

Let's move to 2017. Fortnite is released, and with it, a brand new system of earning: The Battle Pass. I'll admit, on paper, the Battle Pass is actually a really neat idea. The more you play, the better the cosmetics you earn. In some games, you don't even have to pay for it, and overall, it's a really great way to show which players are devoted. This model would work so well in fact, that every multiplayer game from that point on would make sure to include some form of battle pass in their game. They realized how easy it was to make money from them. Throughout the lifecycle of the game, every month-quarter, just pay $20 to unlock exclusive stuff faster. An unintended consequence of this model is a complete shift in intention from gaming companies. Games are no longer created or updated with the intent of being the best game it can be, it's simply what can make the most money. They make sure the game is playable and attractive at the very least, but there isn't any heart, at least in multiplayer games. I'm not too much of a gamer anymore, as I usually only play Hearthstone and the occasional FPS, but even with these two criteria I've noticed the change considerably. Just take a look at Hearthstone. 

Hearthstone. What a game. They've somehow kept me interested in it for 6 years. I remember way back in the day when The Grand Tournament came out. I would like to make one thing straight right off the bat, Hearthstone has always been about microtransactions. That is an integral part of the business model, so I understand. However, the amount of microtransactions have become so blatantly excessive. Three expansions a year, each with a mini-set, countless bundles, Tavern Pass, Battlegrounds Pass, Battlegrounds/Hero skins, Mercenaries, anything else I may be forgetting. There has been a noticeable decline in quality of balancing, listening to players, and even artwork in some aspects. I have found myself actually enjoying mercenaries, but it's very clearly just another cash grab. Every expansion and mini-set (6 per year), there will be another $15 bundle for a character who came out in that set. I promise this isn't a shit on Hearthstone thread, because this game really does have a special place in my heart. Among a lot of other franchises, it just hurts to see them go in this direction.

What do you think? Is this a valid take?