Minimicroteensyweensietransactions.
In parts of Asia, many PC games are free with the makers recouping their costs on players making microtransactions. This can be for a new spell in an MMO, weapons for an action game, or maybe even clothes for a social game (think Home, but popular). EA is going to try this approach in the west with the free-to-play Battlefield Heroes on PC.
EA, even though it makes a lot of money, isn’t always flush (hence the regular round of Russian Roulette their dev studios play each time the company has a tough quarter). EA isn’t offering Battlefield Hereos for free out of altruism, their hoping you’ll buy lots and lots of stuff just like people are doing in Korea. So what will you be charged for and how much?
Weapons: (price 99c- $3) This is the most obvious one. Why grind to upgrade to a new weapon? Just pop in your card details when you agree to the EULA and you can go from being hamstrung by a n00b pop gun to having a gatling gun and pwning all teh cazULs (casuals)
Costumes: (price 99c- $2) If you want to play as a wizard in a shooter, you should be able to, provided you’ve got the dosh to spare. You can also customise you character with kevlar body armour ($3) shin pads ($1), pocket protectors (70c) and transitions lenses in a number of fashionable styles ($120)
Team Killing: penalty ($5) . If you TK, you will get charged, not with manslaughter, but five bucks. Taking a life is easy, paying your debt to society is harsh.
Playing like a Tard penalty: ($10) This is a nasty one, because if you do things like call for map
change votes 30 seconds before the end of a map, switch teams incessantly when you’re losing and generally act like a douche, you will get charged.
Barking orders into the headset like you know what you’re doing penalty: ($5) Yes, you have a headset. We know. But you’re not very good so why should your orders be listened to by anyone else. If you want to be Napoleon, go and play an RTS and shut the hell up.
Bandages, Healing, etc ($3): You don’t medical attention for free in the real world, so why should you be a freeloader in Battlefield Heroes? Medics in games like TF2 and BF2 are like real doctors. Real doctors make a lot of cash and dive around in Mercs and BMW’s while medics in games just sit around healing everyone and have more achievements than anyone else. Just think about 8 years of medical school and translate that into playing on achievement farm servers for 8 years. Who’s wasting whose time?
Pay for instant respawn ($5). In real war, rich men pay to get out of serving. In a fake virtual war, real men pay to avoid having to wait to respawn. Get on it EA!
Fuel for your Tank (linked to the real world price of oil). Seriously, one of the worst parts of Battlefield games are the Vehicle whores. Well, make them pay for their fuel and we’ll see who long they stay inside the tank.
Pay for Perks: Hey, in CoD, you have those perks that you have to earn by playing the game a lot. Not so much in BF:H. Plunk down $3 for Martyrdom, $5 for 3 frags, $7 for Fireworks.
Swear Jar: This game is going to open the market to people who aren’t perhaps ready for the barrage of bad language. Drop the F bomb and you’ll lost a buck. Question someone’s sexual orientation and you lose two dollars. Racial remarks lose you $5 and sexist remarks get you a drink thrown in your face.
Campsite Tariff: Shooters, particular those with larger maps are prone to camping. Spawn camping is particularly rife and mainly unavoidable in the BF style of game. In order to reduce this, you’ll have to pay site fees and rent when you go camping. Pitch a tent, pay the landlord.
EA’s on a winner with this game.
