It's not just you... developers hate MTX too

DevCom is a developer conference in Germany where developers --largely
from the video-games industry-- can come together to discuss and learn
about various industry-wide issues. Although it's been around for
almost a decade, it's a fairly low-key event because it's a lot less
about marketing specific games, and more about the nitty-gritty
details of coding them. After all, it doesn't make for exciting
marketing copy to say "developers of 'Call of Battlefield 19' went to
talk about AI-assisted texture-upscaling". So DevCom doesn't get a lot
of press.

Still, there's sometimes a few bangers that come out from the
conference.

Like this year, when nearly 90% of respondents* answered that they
believe that video-games (more specifically, AAA games on console and
PCs) can survive just fine just from the revenue taken in from initial
sales, and that additional purchases (MTX, cosmetics, lootboxes,
whatever) aren't necessary. The vast majority also said they PREFERRED
that revenue model over any other one too.

All the bullshit extra expenses aren't being pushed on end-consumers
because the developers think it's a good idea. They aren't building it
into their games because they think it makes them better, or offers
features that they otherwise couldn't provide. It's entirely something
the upper-levels are forcing upon them (and then down onto the
end-users) to milk the customers for every penny.

Keep that in mind the next time some exec or marketing hack tells us
about how excited they are to offer us "live service" features because
they feel it will "add to the experience" and how things like MTX and
season passes are the only way to fund them. You know it's bullshit.
The guys actually making the games know it is bullshit. The old-school
"buy-to-play" model is perfectly viable, and the only reason companies
like EA, Activision and Ubisoft are pushing towards 'live service'
models is to grab ever more money for themselves.







* yes, of course there is an associated link here:
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/89-of-devcom-speakers-believe-aaa-games-dont-need-additional-purchases