Microtransactions and live service games are simply a reality for most releases going forward, and most of the time, that’s not necessarily bad. However, games like Diablo 4 are pushing the boundaries with the level of monetization available from the start, and the overall prices of the MTX.
Activision in general seems to be setting trends for how microtransactions are pushed, and for some reason, much of the community is defending the unbelievable monetization going on in front of us. We need to talk about why Diablo 4’s store is worse than other games and why a line should be drawn.
What Makes Diablo 4 Microtransactions so Bad?
Compared to Diablo Immortal, the current store isn’t an issue. In fact, Diablo 4 is a fantastic game, and in the long run, the current store doesn’t affect that. I’m already level 61 and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. But as I reach the end of the game and I see the level of monetization, I can’t help but feel like I’m being farmed while I farm.
Diablo 4 is a $70 game, and that’s if you decided not to play on the first weekend for $90 instead. Then you add on the Battle Pass because the game is live service. But the Battle Pass for $10 itself wasn’t enough. There are two Battle Passes, with the Premium version being priced at $20-$30 when it launches.
Then we head over to the shop where the cosmetics are getting close to $30 in multiple cases. Call of Duty was already pushing their premium skins for $30 over the past couple of months, along with a $30 Premium Battle Pass. It turns out it worked and now those prices have made their way into Diablo 4.
But wait, there’s more! Diablo 4 will also have paid expansions and plenty of content within the live service. No confirmation has been made on prices, but I can only guess that they will be at least $30, if not more. Seasons will be free, and if the expansions are free the monetization isn’t nearly as bad. That doesn’t seem like the case though.
Most of these prices are cosmetic and plenty of fans will say “just don’t buy it” or “I want to support the game” and they are missing the point. It’s a fact that this is already becoming one of the most monetized games out of the gates, but the price points also don’t add up when compared to other games.
Diablo 4 Microtransactions Have No Business Being so Expensive
Before jumping on the bandwagon to defend cosmetics and paid expansions, ask yourself why Battle Passes and $30 skins are used in 99% of games in the first place. In almost every single case, the game is either free or receives free updates. Fortnite is entirely free aside from cosmetics, for example.
But we can delve even deeper. Games like Call of Duty are $70 with a Battle Pass and a store. However, all of the updates are free. In theory, cosmetics are supposed to fund continued development as a live service game. That’s what we have all been sold as gamers as live service games continue to get pushed.
Some games like Destiny 2 have a model that is the most similar to the situation we are in, but even the base game is free. That wasn’t always the case for Destiny 2. However, the monetization model changed when the game went free-to-play at a base.
So then we look back at Diablo 4. Why are we paying for armors that are clearly better than anything in the base game when the game is $70 and we also have to pay for expansions? Never mind the Battle Pass within a Battle Pass. The reason for all this monetization doesn’t even make sense. And somehow, part of the community will defend this as “just cosmetics.”
Cosmetics are Part of the RPG Experience
Anyone who plays an RPG knows that customizing your character and finding better-looking gear is part of the fun. It is absolutely part of the gameplay. There is a reason every major RPG adds Transmog to their games now. Gamers want to pursue cool gear.
Maybe gamers have just forgotten when the best-looking gear in a game was unlocked by playing. Live service removed that option for a handful of games. But at least they were free or promised free updates. The paid cosmetics kept the community together and no one played for true content.
Related: All Aspects in Diablo 4 Listed
Now Diablo 4 is releasing top-tier armor that could have easily been included in the $70 game before we have to pay for another expansion. At this point, I’m almost sold on the idea of subscriptions again over where live service games are headed. At least with subscriptions we had access to everything the game had to offer.
The least we can do is stop passing this kind of monetization as “just cosmetics” or “I don’t care I like the game.” That’s a pass to continue pushing the boundary for how expensive these games can become. I’ll see you back here when we eventually have to pay for light blue on armor.
