Are UT modes, virtual currency etc. ruining sports gaming?

[GetBuckets]

**Edit to the poll: 2nd answer option is supposed to say: "(...)but it's NOT* the fault of(...)"**

I've always been a big sports gamer, but in recent years it's just been an increasingly frustrating experience. There's little to none innovation from year to year when it comes to the franchise modes and other offline modes. All the attention is put in to the different gaming franchises version of ultimate team. 2K is starting to put a lot of attention in to their MyCareer mode though, but not with focusing on making offline part better, everything is focused on selling VC via microtransactions in order for gamers to compete in the park and in ProAm. They cap the MyPlayer like crazy even if you're only playing offline, which makes no sense.

I understand that it's good business from the developers, but I really think it's getting out of hand. It's increasingly hard to enjoy the offline modes for guys - like myself - who enjoy sim, but there's also kind of an ethical dilemma in it. Kids are getting downright scammed on modes like Ultimate Team - this goes for 2K, FIFA, Madden, UFC etc. - and are literally stealing their parents credit cards to nurture their addiction. Pretty crazy to think about. You already payed for the game, so rational adults would know better than to additionally pay for a worthless UT card, but kids obviously doesn't have the same power of judgement and developers are taking advantage of that. It's similar to drug abuse, not even bullsh*tting here. Same goes for MyCareer/Park/ProAm: devs put crazy caps on the players and make it an incredible GRIND to see any progression at all, which makes kids more liable to go out and just skip some of the steps by buying some VC with real money. It's kind of a scam, and I really hope the consumer opens their eyes one day and make the responsible pay for it by simply stop buying the bs micro transactions.

Anyway, that's my opinion. Am I completely wrong here?

[Housh123]

Micro transactions in general are ruining gaming. Now you cant just buy a game and have that game. You basically have to buy the deluxe package because if you play online that's what everyone else is gonna have and nothing is more lame than getting a game at the same time as your best friends and being 20 levels lower than them. Game developers know this so that's why they keep making the content. Id be ok with paying for NEW content. Like content that they didn't even have in production when the game launched. Say after 6 months 2k creates a bunch of new celebration animations based off hot dances in the world. Id be totally fine with a little 5$ DLC with new celebrations and stuff. Id be fine with a 10$ soundtrack expansion. Pay 10$ bucks and get access to 15 more songs in the park and ect.


What gets me is when the devs know and already have the DLC made, and they just don't release it, then charge you 29.99 for a season pass. Or I hate it like in 2k and Madden's case where you HAVE to buy VC along with the game because if you don't youll be a 55 ovr and you realistically wont be able to compete in online modes. Live 16 started you at a 65 or a 70 I believe. 2K just drops you all the way down to a 55. I think that is clearly on purpose to make you buy VC. Also remember that VC from games doesn't cross over. That too is greedy. SMART. But greedy. Personally by the time the next 2k rolls around and is a month away I probably spend 250$ on 2k every year. Thank god I gave up on MyTeam in 2015 because I was probably spending 500$ on 2k before that. I usually have 3 guys I run with and I usually play MyGM a lot and may need 10$ worth of VC here and there to do something in MYGM.

[KingTocco]

Meh, yeah micro transactions are definitely running rampant especially in 2K but I really enjoy MT/Ultimate Team modes.

All these modes are playable without spending money. Some are great (MUT) content wise and others need to be vastly improved (MyTeam).

I always laugh when people say kids are stealing their parent's credit card. Do we know this as fact? Maybe it's on the parents for allowing their child to spend (insert amount of dollars here) on the game.

The games definitely encourage you to spend money and I'm not a huge fan of it in some modes (MyCareer) but I get it from a business standpoint.

I used to love the old 2Ks where you'd start even lower than a 55 and you'd have to grind up your guy by playing the game. I usually buy a small amount of VC at the beginning of the year or use it from my pre-order bonus and that's it.

It's possible to compete online or in any mode with spending money, it will take skill and effort though, it makes it exciting to me. A lot of people want to take the easy way/shortcut though and I get it.

Overall I don't think these types of transactions are going anywhere and unfortunately it's become the norm in most games.


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[beastmode2013]

I think enough people enjoy those UT modes enough that they will never go away. There just needs to be more, and more creative ways to earn stuff for those modes outside of MT. You guys are GAME devs, get creative! Put more into the simulation/single player modes and let us earn some kind of xp or currency. That way players who enjoy each mode would get a better experience from the game. I have noticed a big decline in singleplayer and even other online modes across the board, in sports especially. Cut and paste jobs with few tweaks and little bit faster loading times. Thats it.

It's not so much ruining sports gaming, but forces neglect to the other big part of sports games.

[Junior Moe]

I didn't see an appropriate enough answer for me. But no, I do not think that UT/VC are ruining sports gaming. It's just where the gaming market overall, is at. Sports games have adapted. At one point Sony's NBA game was the only one with a story element; now they all have it. I do think its on the company and devs to deliver a compelling enough franchise mode, though. It's not an either or thing. Some rightly (whether you like it or not) focus on the online stuff while essentially ignoring franchise. Others manage to do both pretty well. I also don't see the UT/VC stuff as the future, that seems like a more fickle fanbase that can/will bolt at any point.

[MrBallaBoy21]

It's not ruining sports gaming.

But 2K's MyTeam doesn't have a mode where you are limited in how good your roster can be so I don't play it online.

I'd really enjoy a salary cap type mode like what Madden does. They even have a pro circuit for it which is way more frequent and fun to watch for me than 2k's annual Pro-Am championships.

You don't need micro transactions to build a good team so the team building part of the mode is fun.

[MarvellousOne]

In my opinion, I think it does ruin modes like this although you can go through the process of earning in game currency most will not take that road and rather pay to win....in 2K's case MyCareer has suffered completely imo once micro-transactions (VC) was incorporated into the mode.

There needs to be something more innovative with modes that deal with micro-transactions, not sure what but in my eyes micro-transactions shouldn't have made it into console gaming at all. DLC is fine because it's added content to the game but paying to win basically is just bad for gaming to me.

[Smirkin Dirk]

We're lucky that 2K puts more effort into offline franchises than any other sports game.

I don't mind these cash cows because they generate income for the game.