Oh my God...that's hilarious

They act like these developers go home and have to start a second job as an Uber driver on the night shift just to get by while their families fight over the last crumb of bread in the cold, darkened house.

Not saying developing games are easy but they get quite a bit, are doing something they love and have a stable enough job way above most of us.

They survived before MTs...I'm sure they can survive now. Hell if you are like a concept artist or something you might be someone who does commissions on the side to make a little extra money, got a lot of furries out there, just saying.

When those excuses are going to stop? Microtransactions are like scammy DLC, you're, basically, buying shit that is ALREADY in the game, you don't have to download ANYTHING new. You're paying for a single function call, "addPremiumCurrency(1000) ;", nothing has to be integrated into the game. Why people defend this, why they try to find all sorts of stupid reasoning, i just can't understand it.

I never buy MT

Don't see the big deal with loot boxes. Just don't buy them.

I don't like pre-order bonuses, but would never buy a game for them anyway.

Then the companies paying them need to pay them more. They hire entry and junior level devs that have junior and senior level experience pay them 60k-80k to work 100+hrs a week yet you want to complain about families. You want to talk about ohhh they have this and that responsibilities. Tell them to make some decent games and it wouldn't matter if you like them or not. COD IW and Treyarch are owned by Activision no-one cares for Activision but guess what they still buy COD because the games fulfill a void (FPS fix). Devs should be entitled to royalties on all games created or something of the likes period.

BS, this isn't about the devs, it's about lining the pockets of the publishers.

Would you rather pay $80 for a game and no MTs or $60 with optional ones?

We already support the game by buying it, you're asking us to fork over more for things that should be in game already not paying for it. The good old days when games had everything in game

firstly game profits and stuff DONT go to the devs anyways.. it goes to publishers and investors so this was just stupid! and secondly the problem isn't loot boxes but rather their implementation! Devs that make their games a grindfest so that you are pushed spending money to ease your suffering, or games that are CLEARLY Pay 2 Win OR MTs/Lootboxes that directly affect gameplay are just unacceptable all these common practices make MTs/lootboxes untrustworthy and unwanted!
Lastly... how were devs surviving before lootboxes and MTs if theyre soooooo vital to a devs future finances ¬__¬... fooolish

If MT's are the only viable option in order to ensure food ends up on the table of developers... then this industry is good as lost. You have publishers raking in billions of dollars. But developers are struggling to feed their families?

That's an issue with the distribution of pay/cost. The fix isn't to destroy the way games are made and place all the financial burden onto the shoulders of the gaming community. We also have families to feed, and if we can't get a full fledged game, what's the point of even buying it?

I'm sorry, but I don't believe "my family" is a valid excuse for MT'S / Loot boxes. And who is he kidding? Soon multiple games will become like Battlefront 2, and "choosing" will become "Pay to play, or don't play at all."

I don't see much of a choice in that.

True statement, people dont want games to ger more pricey, yet they want bigger better looking worlds. Cant have both. Of course MT should be cosmetics only, so you can just skip them if you dont like them

Sounds like a Bungie Dev

I have bought 1 microtransaction in my 32 years of gaming. It was a $2 car in Rocket League...a game I got for free on PS+. I have never felt that my experience has been hampered by either not buying them, or by others buying them, and I do play online every day. I really dont see what the big deal with them is...unless they give players some kind of crazy unfair advantage that I have yet to run into. He's right...dont like em, dont buy em.

What they feeding their families, Beluga Caviar?

Gamers have retirement to save for and mouths to feed too.

Or do you think spending unlimited amounts of money in your shitty, micro fuelled games is worth our sacrifice.

Minimum effort to push out slow progression, lootbox filled, repetitive, fetch quest shit from every AAA published game, yet you expect us to drop our drawers and throw away our hard earned to make you wealthy?

Four words. Go and fuck yourself.

That's such BS, man. Devs get paid during the development of a video game which could take 3-5 year or even more. Than they move onto the next project. Money made on MT and DLC does not go to them unless there is an agreement that a certain % will go to devs but I never heard about a case like that. Studios and pulishers pay these devs to do a job.

Yes, we want bigger and better games but that is true with everything. We want better cars, better fridges, better houses, better movies etc. If it costs that much more than rase the base price by $5-$10. I rather pay $70 for a quality game than $60 for a half-assed attempt. But games sell way more they did 10-20 years ago. Publishers make a killing now. I'm sorry but I don't buy this "devs have families to feed" argunent. We gamers have families to feed to and many of us can't pay for MT's and DLC's for games.

I would rather a game stay at $60 with no price drops, than a game to have microtransactions and season passes.

So you here it from the community, now you're hearing it from a developer. The gaming community is a fickle bunch, Sheep demand to be herded

You haters are so ridiculous. Yes, of course EA (and others) are indeed profiting off of this, they are a business after all. But if you don't think it helps them pay their employees, you're beyond stupid. Large studios nowadays have hundreds of people working on a single game.

Oh is the money from MT's actually going to the developers and not the corporate suits? Hey, here take my money you gdamn MFk lier

"People Shouldn't Purchase MTs If They Don't Like Them" <<< simple as :D

And how were they getting by before Microtransactions and Loot Boxes?

Yes, games are a business that's why we pay $60 freaking bucks for them and more for other editions, that's why we pay for damn season passes, and DLC. Now you're telling us that devs have families to feed and they won't be able to make ends meet without Microtransactions and Loot Boxes!?

Do we look like a beautiful blonde with big t*ts and an *ss that tastes like French vanilla ice cream?

Oh, no? Then why are you trying to f*ck us like one!?

Whatever. If MT are fair... I'll buy the game and support it. Now, games like Battlefront won't even get my initial $60 because progress its seemingly heavily reliant on RNG, all of which is hidden behind a time sink or pay to progress.... There has to be a better way

Yea, because that's a TOTALLY legitimate excuse for taking advantage of gamers with gambling problems.

I dont see how MTs has anything to do with dev feeding their families, knowing they were getting by before MTs.MTs are basically a way to milk more money from consumers from a game they already paid 60 dollars for which I think is a shame & BS.MTs are not bad if the game is free.

Here is a thought.................
The developers make a quality game, then the game has extra content for people to buy. But the game is actually completed, and it is not finished by a season pass or DLC.
Durrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

charge 80 to 90 bucks for all new aaa games with everything included and no mt and problem solved

FOR A SMALLER COMPANY MAYBE, but Ubisoft, EA, and Activision etc. could feed the continent of Africa if they wanted too. They do not need MTs, but who is going to say no to 3.6 billion dollars per year in revenue (Activision's latest MT number). Also, MTs have not stopped EA from robbing and closing studios, so the idea that money from MTs helps their devs is nonsense.

Common sense that will obviously get demonized. I can guarantee this guy is getting trashed on Twitter right now.

Agree 100% with that article. Shame many gamers don't.

And this is a big reason why gaming has turned into a joke. Make quality products, and you can feed your families with the results; ripping off your customers with garbage add ons and "chances" only make your loyal customers seek greener pastures.

Because someone wants a bigger bonus for a lower than average quality product isn't my problem as a customer, I want a quality product to show support for hard work and for a good franchise. The fact someone wants to argue in favor of ripping off customers is something I don't like, and where ever this employee works at (as a head) I will not purchase their game(s) for the fact of knowing they will think with their pockets first.

dev has to be dumb af to say this.

Tell me how much in bonuses you got from adding MT/LBs

How did they feed their families before MTs then? I'm sorry, but gouging the consumer should be called out for what it is.

Hes exactly right, we need to starve those devs families until they realize we have families too, we don't want to spend our hard earned cash on hollow bullshit game mechanics like loot boxes and pay-to-win scams like Battlefront 2 and For Honor. I want single player depth that games like Uncharted, Horizon, and Elder Scrolls can offer. I want multiplayer like Rainbow Six Siege where there is no pay to win only those who are good and those who aren't, every piece of DLC in that game is free and can be gotten with in game currency. These developers are doing what the movie industry has done, moved away from risky projects that can either flop or have huge sales and are going to shitty superhero movies and remakes of old classics. Its no longer about the love of games, instead like everything else in this shit life, its all about the money, fuck the loyal customers and one-time fans.

Is easy to say don't purchase Micro Transaction but when you design the game where you need MT to win (GTA 5 I'm looking at you) it makes it hard for you to enjoy the game

Drug dealers ,bookies need to feed their families to.

Does anyone wonder how different Destiny would be if it wasnt published by Activision?

It's funny, I picture some Wolf of Wall street shit with EA and these other publisher's. They have my respect.

"Fuck the Clients"

Developers have families to feed....$#!t so do I. And I don’t have the extra time needed to grind out just I can get what someone can get from a simple purchase. That’s why I don’t buy these POS games. My pockets don’t hurt if I don’t buy. And until the grind equals the the simple purchase, I’ll miss out.

Wow. So you pay your devs less now because of MTs... They're not freaking waiters you moron and MTs are not the tip to the devs.

Eat less food and/or have less kids.
Most Americans over-eat anyway, which explains all the lard-asses.

As someone who as at least a software developer we get paid enough as is. They are also salaried workers so the only thing you will lose is your job, but with credentials like that it would be easy to find another gaming job let online any developer job if you opened up your market to those oppurtunities

That's a bunch of nonsense.
Developers just like any other employee in a company they all get paid a salary on a yearly basis and have benefits/Unions.
These guys aren't hurting for money if your a big developer.
Now if your a small studio then you can make that statement but a big studio I don't buy it one bit.
Devs also gets paid bonuses too and money contributing from the success of that game is shared among all who work on it.
Either way it's up to the consumer.
Vote with your wallet.
Only loot boxes I buy are for Overwatch because that's the only game I play online at the moment so because I've invested so much time into that game I'm fine paying a few extra bucks for some loot boxes if the content is worth while.

Tell you what, then. Send me some of that unearned money you're milking from dummies--not because I deserve it, but because I have a family, and they want to eat too.

Find me an employee who has a "loot box" clause and I will die tomorrow. This is an absolute joke and its sad stuff like this is even posted.

Playing the shitty poverty card now! These aren't some hard up low level devs scraping together an indie project. The people are making the money are the publishers, devs get paid regardless, unless it is now somehow tied to MT which I highly doubt. Why is this guy standing up for this soulless and destructive feature in modern gaming?

The" just don't buy it" toddler argument doesn't cut it! Meanwhile MT shit is shoved in your face. Battlefront 2, as soon as you are on the main screen you have loot box nonsense ala f2p ad thrown in your face. In Destiny 2 every time you level up for a bright engram you have to go to the eververse merchant to decrypt it which is the same person and screen that has the MT.

Remember when many gamers thought it is purely cosmetic and didn't mind? Give publishers even an inch and they'll take a mile. Now look, in such a short space of time how many titles implemented MT loot systems into their AAA titles. Destiny 2, Forza 7, Shadow of War, Battlefront 2 and most likely Assassins Creed Origins. The start of this gaming year was off to such a great start and now it is rotten. Activision latest patent just proved how scummy and sneaky publishers are. A matchmaking service that deliberately matches players with others for the purpose of making money via MT.

If they want to make f2p games then don't sell it as a AAA experience!

Devs get paid a flat rate for their content, all additional cash goes to the publisher.

That... is weak.

So do gamers.

The end.

I'm a Dev and I get a monthy wage so i feed my family that way, nothing to do with loot boxes or DLC's, thats just apart of the job.

I'm sure devs had families to feed long before loot boxes or microtranactions. Are you telling us you get more money when these transactions are used ?

I'm thinking this message isn't so much for the game buyer but the game reviewer, a few sites lowered the scores due to loot boxes last week, the trick now is to add the marketplace after the reviews are out, I mean you can't score something which isn't added yet
As for you or I complaining about loot boxes we are a dying breed, these days kids get in from school no longer fun stuff to watch but quiz shows sponsored by bingo apps, they go to a store and scratch cards light the way
Instant gambling is here to stay.

Don't care. Microtransactions are a cancer to gaming regardless of who it affects. I will make my decisions as a gamer not in the best interest of the publisher or developer.

Well, if devs would stop structuring the flowcharts of the game design around MT's, maybe it would be possible to actually avoid buying them.
As it stands, they try to push it down our throats, from menu screens to loading screens to grinding, the possibility of just "avoiding" it, becomes more narrow with each AAA game released.

Certainly, there is much more to life than video games. Was that ever a debate, or disputed? Pointless comment. Loot boxes are the issue being discussed, and they are bad for the industry, because they are bad for gamers, all gamers. Again, we all have families, retirements, homes, cars, bills to pay etc etc. So what you are saying is, it's OK to take advantage of others in order to fund your own life style? I do agree the best way to remedy this is not to buy the products. However, that's like saying we should all stop using Win10 because it's essentially spyware. It's no going to happen, because people need to use a PC. And, windows, like MT's, are being forced on us by a greedy and corrupt industry. Don't turn it on the players, it's not what any of them asked for!

"Devs Have Families To Feed" <-- And this is the excuse to cash in?, using this method for easy money ?, thats so wrong, so in other words game released in the 80, 90, 2000 they didn't have any families to feed then ?, so much nonsense pathetic justification that in my opinion is totally false and wrong, what cause the infamous microtransaction era is the ease of transfer money using the internet, greedy people saw this opportunity and so this is where we are now, I mean did FFVII, FFVIII had microtransactions ?, did Devil May Cry in the PS2 had microtransactions ?, Metal Gear Solid 1 and 2 ?, Marvel vs Capcom 1 and 2 ?, Fifa games in the past?, Halo 1 and 2 ?, Resident Evil games up to code veronica, I think not even RE 4. and the list of awesome games with no microtransactions can go on and on.
Please don't use word Family as an excuse to justify other people greedy behavior is just wrong, pathetic and sad!

One of the most stupid excuse I've heard in a while. ..
And generally the excuses of similar context like that 60 is not enough for video games these days. ... it's not like devs have the same amount of potential sales or sales in general as they did 20 or even 10 years ago nor they had dlcs and season passes. .. at least in the same amount as they did back in the day. ... but anyways anyone does what he wants with his money. .. i for one will not even buy games that try to pass microtransactions in addition to dlcs and season passes. .. if you want a more organised response just go watch Jim Sterling's video on the matter.

Odd how only the wealthiest game companies need microtransactions to "feed their families" yet small indie devs manage just fine without them.

People that piss and moan about optional MT loot boxes are the most annoying kind of gamer out there...almost more than the ones that complain about ads

well, the ppl who pay for those MTs' also have there families too feed.
What's the point here??

We have families too, what a lame excuse, developers please stop whining all the time

Oh? Devs should stop gimping features to make people feel compelled to buy this stuff. You're taking money out of our retirement accounts and food for the family.

We totally don't need to eat I guess lol.

"Developers have retirement to save for and families to feed…"

And?.... So do I..And millions of others.
What did they do before MTs?

I bet most developers are better paid than the people who buy their games.

Won't purchase the game either.

What what do you say about someone trying to rob from you Bungie Dev? That person is just trying to steal to they can sell it and make money for their familys after all....

Not sure what's more disturbing, this guy laying it out there or the vicious comments I see attacking him. Wow are people nasty when hit by the fact that the games business is in fact a business.

The fuck do you expect? Games are mainstream now. This isn't a small market anymore.

While Eververse is not a particular positive subject I'm pretty sure that the real issue is the game itself and how the game has been very limited in expanding (no not the expansion pass that's part of the issue) the experience.

Destiny 2 is just not worth $60,$30 tops.

Microtransactions are profitable, so enough people are paying for them to justify their existence. Bottom line: If you don't like them, don't buy them. If the inclusion of microtransactions offends you so much, just don't buy the game. Games are luxuries, not necessities. No one wants to hear your complaining about things that no one is forcing you to participate in.

Big publishers like EA is the problem, it's a giant body of costs that an independent developer doesn't have to deal with. Big publishers have grown too big for their own good, and they are too big to change, it's just the suits on top who want's to maximize profit to fill their own pockets, whiping their asses with the dollars we spend.

Question for you Niles. Do you have more money then I will make in my lifetime? Thought so.

The people buying your games have houses above their heads as well you know. Stop playing victim when you are rich and made of money.