Dead Space 3 to feature weapon micro-transactions
Pay real money for in-game resources which can then be used to purchase new weapons.
Dead Space 3 will allow players to use real money to purchase in game currency - known as resources - which in turn will make it possible to buy weapons.
During a recent hands-on session with the game Eurogamer spotted the option of "downloadable content" when the required in-game resources were not yet available to acquire a specified weapon.
"Cannot craft. Additional resources required," states the game.
Whilst these resources can be obtained by regular play of the game, they can also be purchased by the impatient gamer with money to burn.
"You can buy resources with real money, but scavenger bots can also give you the currency that you can use on the marketplace," Dead Space 3 associate producer Yara Khoury told Eurogamer. "So you don't have to spend [real world] dollars."
However, money won't buy access to later-game advanced weaponry from the get go.
"There are a lot of weapon parts that are only available to buy later in the game," said Khoury. "Unless you're playing through it again [on New Game Plus]."
Dead Space 3 will be released February 8 for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
VideoGamer.com Analysis
EA's certainly not new to the micro-transaction game, having shoe-horned in similar functionality to a host of previous titles. Mass Effect 3 offered reinforcement packs for multiplayer, NFS Most Wanted offered an 800 MS Points Time Saver pack, and Battlefield 3 players can choose to buy a 3,200 MS Points shortcut bundle. Likewise, Medal of Honor: Warfighter also offers shortcut packs.
Source: Eurogamer





User Comments
FantasyMeister
Time saving DLC is an important revenue channel for all publishers and it's a little unfair to blame them for making money from it when there's a market that perpetuates it.
If all games consisted of huge time-sinks and no alternatives, the audience for gaming wouldn't be as big as it is. It's something we're going to have to accept and deal with because all games are heading this way.
BC_Animus
I've got this on pre-order atm based on the strengths of the previous games, but... considering cancelling my pre-order now...
rbevanx@ MJTH
I also think it's unfair to call people "stupid" to make the game easier if they have little time to play the game or have started on hard difficulty and can't be bothered to start again on easy or normal.
MJTH
In the words of Ben Kenobi "who is the more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him". In the end if you are stupid enough to buy this, then in the end EA deserves to take your money. And since very few people are this stupid that will hopefully mean EA won't do this again.
rbevanx
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Clockpunk