Firstly, I’m an og fan since 2001 who is very critical of 343i - when it is actually warranted - and I generally hate MTX and the state of the AAA industry and I understand where people are coming from especially after Infinite. So, it’s amusing to me on a personal level feeling a need to defend this but here’s why this is a complete non-issue:
They’ve already significantly expanded the customization options beyond what the original versions of the games had and what anyone expected. They’re adding even more! They are not gatekeeping legacy content. This is all new stuff that otherwise would not even be there, ever.
100% of all cosmetics require very minimal skill. “This is so unfair. People will be able to buy cosmetics that I had to work really hard for!” No. No, you didn’t have to work hard, at all. That is utter BS. I say this as someone who’s unlocked everything(except for Avalanche due to low population in Ranked Playlists in my region. It also required hardly any skill) and I’m approaching 200 Spartan Points on top of that. Players will have the option to pay for stuff you easily unlock for free. Big deal.
They are continuing to add cosmetics and more importantly, also do what matters; fixes and features. It is very much within the realm of possibility that they are adding these harmless MTX in an attempt to appease Microsoft so that they are allowed to continue to work on MCC; which is obviously paramount. Unsurprisingly, they may feel they can’t come out and say this or they aren’t allowed. Even the mere possibility of this being the case supersedes and obliterates any and all “yeah but in a perfect world…” feelings.
The PUB Team are doing great stuff. I love them. I have zero issue with them potentially making a bit more money.
I’ve stated on here before that I’m against any forms of micro transactions. It ruined a former favorite game of mine that I used to spend so much time on. If this game happens to go down a similar path some time after they are added (highly likely they will be), and gets to a point where it’s literally crippled and ruined by them, then I’ll step away from Halo once and for all. But as it stands right now, I will not stop playing this collection of games that I love nor uninstall it if they are added.
You paid money for that. Remember, most of us playing MCC also already paid for all of these games back when they released. I dont know why people ignore that this game has a price tag.
IDK why you brought this part up. Coping maybe? Strangely disconnected.
Its within the realm of possibility that a Halo construct could appear in our sky tomorrow.
Complete conjecture.
I’d be interested to see how much money its projected they could milk out of such a small community.
In all seriousness, and as someone who has played considerably more than most players - microtransactions dont belong in a game that should be considered a magnum opus in the gaming world.
How about before Microtransactions, we get any of the huge laundry list of items being requested for weeks on end?
-New Playlists (Multi-team???)
-New Rotational Playlists
-Fix Co-Op (constantly crashing)
-Co-Op isnt fully cross platform yet
-Enable MCC Multiplayer on SteamDeck (a single file change)
-Fix random crashes (Fatal Error, constant disconnects)
-Rework the ban system
-Auto-detect / kick players AFKing constantly
This is by no means a complete list, but I can within minutes think of half a dozen reasonable enhancements that are more important than monetizing the few thousand of us left willing to play this game.
No. Claiming people who bought MCC at any time were doing so under the expectation of new armour etc is factually wrong to the point of trolling. I bought CE on release, I bought 2 on release, I bought 3 on release, I bought ODST on release, I bought Reach on release, I even bought 4 and 5 on release. So what? By your logic I’m entitled to any and all versions of these titles going forward? Riiight, you’re providing a shining example of why not to bother engaging with the community. Also the cost of MCC is quite low and optional MTX for even more unexpected content in no way detracts from the value of its plethora of content.
Haha. No. Not disconnected at all. And coping with what, not unlocking Avalanche? It’s strangely hostile wanting to gatekeep people from a free Sniper Rifle skin that required very little skill just higher playlist population in your region.
If you think that fiction coming to life in the real world is at all possible - let alone ‘as’ possible as a conglomerate such as Microsoft determining resources based on the pursuit of money - then you have bigger problems than MTX in MCC.
Reading comprehension is your friend. I never said I know this is the case I made the very reasonable suggestion that it’s certainly the possible reason behind the scenes.
I’ve played for thousands of hours over 21 years, you don’t outrank my Halo Veteran-ness lol. But yes I agree, there certainly are a lot of waaay more important things MCC still needs. As long as everything that still needs doing is done, I don’t care about entirely inconsequential optional MTX. And if the realistic possibility of them trying appease Microsoft so the important work can continue; I wholeheartedly approve.
As I’ve said, I really do understand where people are coming from and by understand I mean way down in my soul understand. But for the reasons stated, I’m looking at this differently.
If they chuck in MTX and then abandon MCC and don’t do everything they need to do…that would be a very sour note to end MCC support on and would damage them even more.
I think this is the most likely outcome. It’s what happened to Halo 5, and would happen to MCC. I personally don’t want them to add MTX because it gives them a reason to extend the grind to “encourage” players to make a purchase. They are creating a solution for a problem they created, which is a dangerous addition.
Not talking about MCC. I’m talking about the Halo titles themselves. Remember that MCC is just a combining of previously complete titles, with removed functionality. Where are pregame lobbies?
This is true if $40 doesnt matter to you. Its low to someone like us who can throw thousands of hours at a video game.
My point is this is as likely as what you claim. You have no reason to believe it.
I believe MTX are being added to MCC because executives want to squeeze the last few dollars out of a quickly fading community. My claim is just as possible as yours, which is truly conjecture. Thats the point here.
Sure thing.
It signals this is not the case. If MTX are added and are a massive flop, how can they then “Appease Microsoft” enough to ever fix the game?
I don’t understand OP’s viewpoint. Why is there such a pervasive and widespread belief that MTX in MCC starts and ends with purchasable spartan points? Why haven’t we learned anything from Infinite?
With MTX typically comes incentives to get players to spend money. In the case of Infinite, here are some examples: making free players have less challenge slots, forcing players to enter a playlist filled with many gametypes when they need specific gametypes to progress challenges, difficult challenges that push players to purchase boosts and swaps, and plenty of FOMO to go around. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Why does anyone think that things would be different this time for MCC? Has there ever been a game where MTX have been a welcome addition? So here are some examples of ways 343 could change MCC to incentivize paying for MTX:
Make the challenges harder to complete
Lower the number of challenges that award spartan points
Lower the payout for monthly challenges
Add new cosmetics that cost a large number of spartan points
Add new cosmetics down the road that can only be bought with real money
I really don’t care that they said “we are happy with how players currently earn season points”, why would you trust that after they said “there will never be MTX in MCC”, or after the entire catastrophe that is Infinite? So much of what was in their pre-release trailers was lies.
There is NO guarantee that MCC will not change in other ways to incentivize paying for MTX. Judging from 343’s track record, I would venture to guess that it is extremely likely that MCC changes for the worse as a result of added MTX, either next month with the update or down the road, once they feel like they can pull another fast one on us.
There’s one big, glaring issue with the argument that MTX → more $$ for MCC → more support for the game. That issue is that there is a much better way to make money off of MCC: make paid DLC. I miss the days when video games had expansion packs, and you got everything in the box. I think a lot of us do. Many people would be more than happy to pay for quality expansions that add brand new content and features to MCC. I know I would. For example, I would have happily paid for Flood FF, or even DLC maps for multiplayer.
Anyway, those are my two cents. I doubt I’ll change your mind, but I really don’t understand how anyone could defend the megacorps against the customers.
I’m on the fence. At the end of the day, if I have the choice to pay for new content, or just never see them included in the game, ofc I think it’s worth it for some MTX. It’s not like they’re introducing req packs or something dumb like that. If it becomes pay-to-play like Infinite, that would be a huge error though. But if they just need compensation to unearth a bunch of old amazing DLC and complete it for the fans, I do not feel like it’s predatory, and should be a fair transaction. But to some of the fears I see on the forums, if there is MTX creep into existing parts of the game, it’s going to be a huge blunder.
In response to UnheardCARNAGE, The_FFA_Panda and Il_Prestissimo:
Ultimately, I’m just hoping our fears aren’t warranted and am providing a different outlook. I’m not saying I know this is the case. I really, really do understand where you’re coming from. My viewpoint is all the needed fixes and additions are absolutely paramount and that work must continue even if this means MTX, even aggressive MTX, are shoehorned in. I’m either right and there isn’t really anything for us to worry about or you’re right and everything’s screwed and 343i is a lost cause and they fail in their redemption mission and they end things on a sour note delivering the final death blow to the og fans and damaging themselves and the IP even more.
I am choosing to put my faith in the PUB Team for now because they are doing good work.
this is a nice little throwback into the history of MTs. they are “not so bad”, “the devs need the money” (they don’t, the investors want and will get the money), … all these excuses and the acceptence for them lead to the sorry state the AAA industry is now, meaning that every game is just there to sell MTs and not to be a fun game (especially infinite).
and selling MTs to make sure a game is getting the fixes it needs? go ask anthem fans how the promised features are coming along. and why focus on implementing MTs instead of working on the game?
this isn’t a move to support devs or 343. this is a move to make MTs even more acceptable in the minds of gamers to keep pushing them to new hights in the next installments (and squezing out more money at the same time)
Intitially I didn’t have a problem either, but then I remember that there are tangible problems right now with progression.
Earning Spartan points don’t take much skill, but it takes time. When players were around each season, it wasn’t bad, but now seasons take too long. There is more earnable content than time people have. I won’t deny MTX will make it easier. But for those of us who have played alot, but don’t have every season grinded out, once you reach a certain level, you no longer earn spartan points that way, which means you’re limited to what you can earn within a week. Instead of expanding the level limit and maybe even adding a daily challenge or a daily log-in spartan point, or just bumping up how many points you get per challenge, they want us to spend money on an already paid-for product instead of fixing them.
Which might not be bad, if people weren’t already angry at Halo Infinite and moved to MCC as a non-wallet-intrusive alternative. If the MCC team said they were adding more ways to earn points in addition to MTX this might have gone over better. Instead it feels like
Fans: “I don’t like your overpriced and inconsistent store in Halo Infinite, I’m going to play MCC until you all fix it.”
343: “Okay, that’s fine. We’ll just charge you more money on MCC instead!”
It is a decision that felt tone-deaf.
And I don’t like to discuss hypotheticals like maybe “Microsoft is making the MCC team do this”, but exploring that idea and going off what I said before, isn’t Halo Infinite meant to be Microsoft’s Halo cash-cow right now? Like that is 343 and Co.'s main source of income and MCC is a side-project? Why would they feel the need to sideline MTX into an older game, when theoretically the money shouldn’t even be coming from there? The only conclusion I can reach within this stretch of logic is that Halo Infinite isn’t making enough money and Microsoft is forcing MTX into MCC to recoup some of their Halo Infinite losses.
Again with hypothticals is the fear that MTX might not stop with season points. People might think what if they changed the exchange into a store? Or make you purchase the next season. People are already paranoid Halo Infinite’s Forge might have a monetization element and optimism is low in the community right now. May of us feel like the worst case is more likely to happen than the best case. Tone-deaf decisions like MTX in MCC without fixing MCC and Infinite first leads the community in that direction.
1: I bought the 2 BP’s out of fomo. 2: Some of us worked our fingers off for the armors. And 3: MTX DOESN’T BELONG IN A LEGENDARY, 20 year old GAME!!! I’m not much of a business person but I don’t want Halo to be a money wasting game. So I DON’T approve and won’t even encourage MTX in the MCC, it’s a total game killer.
Interesting, because the original Bungie was the one that created Halo, not 343, and Bungie never pulled the BS 343 is doing now that they were a hell of a lot more successful. The sad thing is that you are using petty work 343 doing with MCC to try to justify the millions they will make.
That’s flawed logics knowing MCC is just basically 343 cash grabbing off of the original Bungie titles. In fact it’s work they have never been able to produce since they took over Halo.
New content is to redeem themselves from the mistake they did at launch. We bought full price a broken game for years + useless gold subscription + new useless console. We (consumers) lost a lot of money for this… i would say they stole our money
You wildly overestimate the amount of money these suggested MTXs would generate. Potential “Whales” in their model arent spending money. I have 447 Spartan points I cant spend, why would I pay for more? I would be their target to spend the most money, as I’m a recurring and constant player.
Anyway, good luck to 343. They wont address this publicly until they force it into the game, it seems.