Well, love ’em or hate ’em, microstransactions look like they’re here to say.
Activision used their blog yesterday to reveal that Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 on the Xbox 360 will soon feature microtransactional “Micro Items” that will “enhance [gamers’] online experience.”
Described as “little luxuries,” the microtransactions include themed weapon packs, extra slot packs, and the “Nuketown Zombies” map as a stand-alone level.
“At the end of the day, all of these items are completely optional, and were created for players who’ve asked for more customization options,” Activision’s Social Media Manager Dan Amrich said. “If that’s not you, that’s fine; everybody gets Nuketown 2025 for free, so definitely take advantage of that.”
Activision plans to roll out the Micro Items to the other Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 soon.
It’s not just Activision getting into the business of microtransactions, either. According to EA CFO Blake Jorgensen, all future EA games will support microtransactions, though they won’t be a requirement. “We’re building into all of our games the ability to pay for things along the way,” Jorgensen said during an investor call, adding “consumers are enjoying and embracing that way of the business.”
Clarifying this point with Joystiq, Jorgensen said, “I made a statement in the conference along the lines of, ‘We’ll have micro-transactions in our games,’ and the community read that to mean all our games, and that’s really not true. All of our mobile games will have microtransactions in them, because almost all of them are going to a world where they are play-for-free.”
What do you guys think of these recent developments in the topsy-turfvy world of microtransactions?
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