2K Is Begging Customers To Ask Their Government To Allow Micro-transactions

[Quinn_flower]

oh......zeldick...really....i'm trying to take a break...but stuff like this happens.....lol......haha.....good job Belgium. 

 

im surprised no one posted about this since rdr2 is right around the corner and the future of gta even though its about the basketball game.....time to buy games from Belgium.

 

absolutely disgusting. 

 

https://segmentnext.com/2018/09/11/2k-games-begging-fans/

 

 

''

The Belgium Gaming Commission (BGC) has stated that games which include certain ‘loot box’ style mechanics violate gambling laws in Belgium. While we disagree with this position, we are working to comply with the BGC’s current interpretation of these laws. As a result, we have made some local changes to the MyTeam mode.

These changes are necessary in order for us to accommodate the BGC’s interpretation of the Belgian Gaming Act. Specifically, we will be turning off the ability to purchase packs with premium (non-earned) currency/VC.Gamers are still able to acquire packs with MyTeam points. We will be continuing conversations with the BGC in order to explain our view on how NBA 2K and MyTeam pack purchases already comply with local laws. If you agree, we recommend that you contact your local government representative to communicate your opinion. We will keep the community posted on any developments. We apologize for any inconvenience.''

Edited September 10, 2018 by Quinn_flower

[Angry Akula]

So the greedy prick wants us to lobby on his behalf? Riiight...

[G U M M I]

Wow...I kind of...don't want to buy RDR 2 now knowing 2K is filled with greedy f*cks , but even greedier f*cks are at Ubisoft. 

 

*inb4 micro transaction dick suckers*

Edited September 10, 2018 by Panashe M. Sinclaire

[Bandersnatch]

Yep Thats Outright disgusting.  

[Dutchling]

lol they are pushing us to do the same in the Netherlands as it isn’t allowed here either. Who would actually care enough to go out of their way to contact the government representative?? Idiots 

[Static]

2K asking their whales to defend them is nothing compared to EA completely ignoring the commission's order.

 

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/09/10/belgian-ea-fifa-loot-boxes-court-case/

[Tchuck]

Pathetic, isn't it? Simply and utterly pathetic. Even worse is Polygon and Extra Credits producing defenses in favor of lootboxes and microtransactions. f*ck them.

[Jason]

Just to clarify, Belgium didn't ban microtransactions or lootboxes, they did however classify lootboxes as gambling and thus they have to comply with local gambling laws - one of those laws being they have to be made inaccessible to minors.

 

It's sad to see companies like 2K and I believe Blizzard also (?) come out with the sh*tty "We don't agree with their assessment" malarkey considering how widely despised lootboxes have become. EA on the other hand look like they're going to fight it, probably cause if they don't it'll end up spreading to other EU countries and then their $1bn/year cashcow will be royally f*cked.

[Giantsgiants]

Even though the article is about NBA 2K, OP is right in saying that this is the future of the GTA and RDR franchises on the line.

 

Good job Belgium.

 

[luisniko]

Take Two can decide different schemes though. They can have 2K as the lootbox and keshkerd roller, while Rockstar milking keshkerdz through honeypotting scheme a-la GTA Online.

 

I wouldn't worry about it even if I had to give a sh*t about their games. Mafia 3 released in 2016; no cashcard, no lootbox. Borderlands 2 and TPS; both are still being played, still no cashcard, no lootbox, instead they even give free keys (for TPS) to unlock weapons and I'm telling you that Borderlands is very cashcard-able and lootbox-able as a game.

 

The only game I care about from 2K is Borderlands, although since TPS their style is starting to go to... well, personally less enjoyable in a way. But eh, they can run exploitation however they want and I will just ignore it.

[Zello]

The success NBA 2k has had with microtransactions is partly responsible for the microtransactions in GTA online. Take Two introduced microtransactions back in 2012 with NBA 2k13 a full year before GTA V released.

Edited September 11, 2018 by Zello

[Mister Pink]

13 hours ago, Quinn_flower said:

we recommend that you contact your local government representative to communicate your opinion.

Yes, please do this and thank them for doing a great service for gamers!

[HaRdSTyLe_83]

whats next? "drug dealer asks costumers to support heroin consumption, contact your local governor "

[Edward Nashton]

13 hours ago, Panashe M. Sinclaire said:

Wow...I kind of...don't want to buy RDR 2 now knowing 2K is filled with greedy f*cks

I'm not because of this very reason. Look how bloated GTA: Online is with all that DLC content - do really believe they couldn't have integrated some of that into the single player? Of course they could have. Segregating the DLC content and certain activities from single player was a calculated act to maximize microtransaction profits from Online.

 

Reading this news just further reaffirms my decision, you just know Zelnick is badgering Belgian and Dutch gamers because RDR 2 RDR: Online will be a microtransaction orgy with bling-bling platinum revolvers and diamond studded horse saddles. f*ck Take-Two and those greedy sellout Houser brothers.

[Dryspace]

Remember, a 'microtransaction' is a transaction of between $0.01 and $0.99. Transactions of $5, $20, and $100 are just plain, ordinary transactions. Definitely nothing "micro" about those--although I'm sure they don't mind us thinking of them as such.

 

I usually just use the term 'in-game transaction'.

[BLOOD]

38 minutes ago, Edward Nashton said:

I'm not because of this very reason. Look how bloated GTA: Online is with all that DLC content - do really believe they couldn't have integrated some of that into the single player? Of course they could have. Segregating the DLC content and certain activities from single player was a calculated act to maximize microtransaction profits from Online.

 

Reading this news just further reaffirms my decision, you just know Zelnick is badgering Belgian and Dutch gamers because RDR 2 RDR: Online will be a microtransaction orgy with bling-bling platinum revolvers and diamond studded horse saddles. f*ck Take-Two and those greedy sellout Houser brothers.

What? Take-Two have owned Rockstar Games since day one of it establishment- 20 years ago. So what sellout, when Rockstar Games is operated autonomously and managed by the Housers.

[Edward Nashton]

42 minutes ago, BLOOD said:

What? Take-Two have owned Rockstar Games since day one of it establishment- 20 years ago. So what sellout, when Rockstar Games is operated autonomously and managed by the Housers.

I don't see how that convinces me otherwise. If T2 was meddling in Rockstar's game development, I'd give them the benefit of the doubt. No, the current state of GTA lies right on the Housers, and to a lesser extent Leslie Benzies - GTA: Online and the "in-game-transaction" clusterf*ck was and still is their idea, and T2 is constantly showering them with excessive praise for all the revenue it's pulling in, giving R* even more incentive to continue this business model. 

 

If you don't think these guys are greedy animals, just read up on the lawsuit between them and Benzies. They literally had the guy lead GTAOs development because they initially had little interest in it, but then out of nowhere, probably when they figured out how much money shark cards would generate, they kick Benzies out of the company and screw him out of the royalties that would've come from it. I don't feel much sympathy for anyone involved because they all had a hand in creating this situation, but the Housers take the cake. Greedy. Sellout. Pigs. Both of them. They butchered GTA V for shark card sales and T2 blew them all the way to the bank.

 

RDR 2 will have to cure cancer in order to convince me Rockstar is still the same company it used to be, but I sure as hell won't be holding my breath.

[TheSantader25]

45 minutes ago, Edward Nashton said:

 

 

RDR 2 will have to cure cancer in order to convince me Rockstar is still the same company it used to be, but I sure as hell won't be holding my breath.

Do You know "being consumer friendly" was never one of Rockstar's reputations? Even before GTA V, they weren't a consumer friendly company as some would say. They earned their reputation through their games over the years. But from the start I never saw anything from them that suggest they are "consumer friendly".

To me they look like a professional guy you hire to do your job and he does it perfectly. But the relationship between you and him is just through business. Nothing more. He doesn't care about you. He only cares about his job and his payoff. That's how I always pictured R* even before GTA V. they do their job and they do it good. But I doubt they see people as fans. They see them as customers. 

I get what you're saying but I just don't think your picture of "the past R*" is quite the right one. 

Edited September 11, 2018 by TheSantader25

[Spider-Vice]

3 hours ago, Edward Nashton said:

and those greedy sellout Houser brothers

Yfw 2K is actually worse than Rockstar which might be a good indication that the Housers have less control over these things than what you think.

[Th3MaN1]

1 hour ago, Spider-Vice said:

Yfw 2K is actually worse than Rockstar which might be a good indication that the Housers have less control over these things than what you think.

To add to this, I always read that GTA Online was more Leslie's thing, and the Houser brothers never cared that much for it - just saying.

 

 

 

[Spider-Vice]

Hypothesising that it's 100% true that GTA Online was Leslie's thing, pretty sure that GTA Online is only the way it is today because Take-Two saw it as the golden strike for income. Keep releasing content that incites people to buy shark cards, raise the player count, raise income. GTA Online is like golden formula to them.

[BLOOD]

3 hours ago, Spider-Vice said:

Yfw 2K is actually worse than Rockstar which might be a good indication that the Housers have less control over these things than what you think.

Exactly!...two separate divisions sharing the same ownership. 2K is like a less evil version of EA.

[TheSantader25]

47 minutes ago, Spider-Vice said:

Hypothesising that it's 100% true that GTA Online was Leslie's thing, pretty sure that GTA Online is only the way it is today because Take-Two saw it as the golden strike for income. Keep releasing content that incites people to buy shark cards, raise the player count, raise income. GTA Online is like golden formula to them.

They didn't expect GTA O to become this successful but I believe when it did,  they saw it as One-time Opportunity to make some real money for their future projects. I doubt they can ever do such a thing in GTA VI or RDR2. it was a one-time opportunity for some real money and they took it. 

[Spider-Vice]

GTA VI maybe, RDR2 not quite, it will never have GTA's player base.

[chronic lumbago]

Those poor poor gaming developers these days. This is so sad can we get 2 billion in microtransactions?

 

 

[Edward Nashton]

13 hours ago, TheSantader25 said:

I get what you're saying but I just don't think your picture of "the past R*" is quite the right one. 

Well, I never thought R* was all about being consumer friendly, but there was more of a balance back then. They were able to make their money and satisfy the fanbase for the most part, GTAO on the other hand, has been nothing but a gratuitous cash-grab. This isn't the same R* we have today, it seems like all the negative qualities of the old R* have been amplified x10. 

12 hours ago, Th3MaN1 said:

To add to this, I always read that GTA Online was more Leslie's thing, and the Houser brothers never cared that much for it - just saying.

They started caring once they realized how much money it was going to make, this is a focal point in the lawsuit between the Leslie Benzies and the Housers. It doesn't exonerate them, though, Benzies was effectively gone by the time about a year after GTAO launched - everything about the GTAO business model from there on has been them, and find I it hard to believe that mean ole' Take-Two was forcing them to do this because they're counter suing and withholding royalties from the guy who basically created GTAO. These aren't the actions of people who don't care about GTAO. They LOVE GTAO. They LOVE shark cards. They're like the Steve Jobs of video game developers. 

9 hours ago, Spider-Vice said:

GTA VI maybe, RDR2 not quite, it will never have GTA's player base.

Oh, they're going to try it with Red Dead 2, alright. RDR 2 will be a testing ground to see if they can continue this business model, hopefully it crashes and burns and they finally pull their heads out of their asses, but they have a very savvy marketing department - keep an eye out in the coming weeks for that multiplayer trailer - it'll most likely boost hype for the game because it will grab the attention of multiplayer meat-heads who originally didn't care about the game. 

Edited September 12, 2018 by Edward Nashton

[Tchuck]

5 hours ago, 1972 said:

Those poor poor gaming developers these days. This is so sad can we get 2 billion in microtransactions?

 

 

If only. The developers themselves seldom see any part of this money; the brunt of it goes straight to the publisher's coffers, and some of it to the high ups in form of fat bonuses. Joe Programmer and Jane Artist, who crunched for god knows how long to make the game, will see maybe a 10 cent/hour increase in their paycheck.

[luisniko]

4 hours ago, Edward Nashton said:

keep an eye out in the coming weeks for that multiplayer trailer - it'll most likely boost hype for the game because it will grab the attention of multiplayer meat-heads who originally didn't care about the game. 

I never paid attention to the game, so RDR2 will have Online thingy?

 

How do they call the Shark Cards in RDR2? lol. I remember this was a joke sub-topic years ago when GTAO inflation and Shark Cards were like hot steaming of freshly released dung.

 

---

On a serious note, definitely will get the attention of multiplayer players. Not necessarily Co-op. But most likely PvP. I see PvP players will buy any game that has PvP for that PvP aspect alone (then protest in social media asking for more PvP or else the game 'die'; invasive behavior player-kind).

 

Add BaTtuL rOwyaeL to RDR2 and hell Rockstar will be ordering a sofa made of bank notes soon after.

 

[Dryspace]

1 hour ago, Am Shaegar said:

 Its hard to imagine another GTA O-style cash grab in a western setting otherwise. 

 

Maybe for you or me, but I'd guess that a billion dollars acts as a fairly potent stimulation to the imagination.

[Guest]

For me RDR2 Online won't be a cash grab, in a western game they can't add so many things like GTA Online... Also the player base (fortunately) will be very different and IMO they'll try their best for taking back people who haven't appreciated so much the mess of GTA Online. Anyway regarding Belgium, I want to say: "Thank you! Thank you Belgium government!". Now it's EA turn: packs in FIFA Ultimate Team are considered as gambling, but the funny thing is that EA wants to bring the Belgium government to court!  "Dear" EA, do you know that Belgium is a state with its own laws and you MUST respect them? Now we're really seeing how greedy some companies are, and I hope that Belgium is only the start...