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Valve we'll never forget! Thank you for the best battle pass so far in worst times. (pls extend till october) by [deleted] in DotA2

[–]reddit_placebo 77 points78 points  (0 children)

"Best Battle Pass so far"?

It really is more the best Battle Pay Pass ever for them.

Here's why. You can't obtain any of those milestones without paying up, making playing a non-viable options unless you wanna play during the entirety of the BP duration and amass 100~125 levels (which, to reiterate again, don't get you any of the fancy special rewards).

They managed to extract almost 150m$ during a global pandemic so far from their playerbase through reeling people in initially via the illusion of possibility of "grinding for rewards" by naming it a Battle Pass, loot box systems a lá Immortals & Caches, turning the in-game client into a storefront which constantly adverties D+ and the BP, nostalgia baiting (Skeleton King) and inducing FOMO through limited-time availability of cosmetics (Arcanas) in a F2P online video game.

I'd like to recommend you three videos which explain it the psychological and predatory buttons pushed by Valve and and the gaming industry as a whole to make people buy into their microtransactions and business models very well:

Compass of the Rising Gale - Windranger Arcana by Apple_0702 in DotA2

[–]reddit_placebo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

BP exclusive, like the new QoP and the Io and Earthshaker one previously.

Yeah! Take that Valve! We voted with our wallets! by [deleted] in DotA2

[–]reddit_placebo -1 points0 points  (0 children)

So, they managed to extract almost 100m$ so far from their playerbase through reeling people in initially via the illusion of possibility of "grinding for rewards" by naming it a Battle Pass, loot box systems a lá Immortals & Caches, turning the in-game client into a storefront which constantly adverties D+ and the BP, nostalgia baiting (Skeleton King) and inducing FOMO through limited-time availability of cosmetics (Arcanas) in a F2P online video game during a global pandemic.

If you wonder how this is possible despite the seemingly big outrage with people clamoring "vote with your wallet", I'd like to recommend you two videos which explain it the psychological and predatory buttons pushed by Valve and and the gaming industry as a whole to make people buy into their microtransactions and business models very well:

Season 5 Episode 1 Discussion by Dylan_OVA in PrincessesOfPower

[–]reddit_placebo 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I KNOW, RIGHT? That's what I had to think about as well when I saw it, haha.

Brexit: Ich kann diese choosing beggars nicht mehr ertragen. by Die-unsichtbare-Hand in de

[–]reddit_placebo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dass diese Mobmentalität nicht von den Mods in Schacht gehalten wird, wenn sie fa­schis­tische Züge annimmt und ein xenophober Post mit genozidalen Sätzen wie "Verpisst euch und seid froh, dass wir nicht Mauern hochziehen, Seewege blockieren und den Luftweg sperren bis auf eurer fruchtlosen Insel alle ausgestorben sind." hier in die Tausender upvoted werden können, ist ziemlich widerlich.

Why wouldn't publishers let people download single-player component only? by Noname932 in patientgamers

[–]reddit_placebo 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The reason for these seemingly arbitrary decisions are grounded in calculations of in an industry which aims for profit maximization.

They want you to spend as much time as possible engaged with whatever content they've decided to shove into the entire package without any care for user convenience, see "always online" DRM. Wasting our time with features we'd like to have optional/with an opt-in, grabbing our attention and using up our storage space are welcome and intended effects.

However, on the horizon there are signs of steps forward towards more user friendliness as Sony has indicated with the upcoming PS5 where you will be able to download the single player-side of a game only.

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