Interesting news today regarding the upcoming Dead Space 3 for PC and consoles. Apparently it has been found out that the game will include micro-transactions where players will have the option to buy resources with real cash and apparently mobile gamers are to blame for this new addition to the franchise.
So why are mobile gamers to blame for the new inclusion of micro-transactions in Dead Space 3? It’s because they want to court smartphone players where in-app purchases are a “standard part of gaming” into playing Dead Space 3 on either PC or console. I won’t get into how laughable this is right now though.
The game will contain resources such as tungsten, semi-conductors, and somatic gel which can be used to make new weapon parts, ammo packs, or suit upgrades. While these resources will be available in-game as well, the micro-transactions are there for anyone impatient who doesn’t want to slowly gather these resources naturally while playing the game.
The game’s producer, John Calhoun had this to say about it:
There’s a lot of players out there, especially players coming from mobile games, who are accustomed to micro-transactions. They’re like ‘I need this now, I want this now’. They need instant gratification. So we included that option. Everything that can be purchased with real-world dollars can also be purchased with [in-game currency] and that we would never make a game you have to pay to win.
He went on to say…
There are action game fans, and survival-horror game fans, who are 19 and 20, and they’ve only played games on their smartphones, and micro-transactions are to them a standard part of gaming. It’s a different generation. So if we’re going to bring those people into our world, let’s speak their language.
The interesting part about all of this is that while it is true a lot of mobile gamers do use micro-transactions in a lot of games, a large part of that reason is because of the nature of mobile gaming which is usually done in quick bursts unless you’re at home. PC and console gaming isn’t like mobile gaming in that way. Also, a large portion of mobile gamers would rather pay for a game once and get the entire game then have to use IAPs.
So it will be interesting to see how PC and console gamers take this news. Most probably won’t care too much but some will. Let us know what you think about all of this in the comments below.
Website Referenced: PocketGamer
