Tekken 8 retroactively introducing micro transactions: Difference between revisions
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|Company=Bandai Namco | |||
|StartDate=2024-02-29 | |||
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|Product=Tekken 8 | |||
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[[Predatory microtransactions|Microtransactions]] and a battle pass were added to the game Tekken 8 a month after its release. This was not disclosed or hinted at prior to the game's release or in the game’s first few weeks. | [[Predatory microtransactions|Microtransactions]] and a battle pass were added to the game Tekken 8 a month after its release. This was not disclosed or hinted at prior to the game's release or in the game’s first few weeks. | ||
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==Introduction of micro transactions== | ==Introduction of micro transactions== | ||
With the update to version Ver.1.02.01 on February 29, 2024, a feature called "TEKKEN SHOP" was introduced.<ref>[https://www.bandainamcoent.com/news/tekken-8-patch-notes-v1-02-01 TEKKEN 8 Patch Notes v1.02.01 | Official Site]</ref> This feature is an in-game shop where cosmetic items for characters and consumables can be acquired. Besides some free items, the majority of items cost "TEKKEN COINS," a premium currency introduced alongside the "TEKKEN SHOP". Because of this update, the game’s ESRB rating had to be updated to include the "In-Game Purchases" label.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20240222041526/https://www.esrb.org/ratings/39605/tekkentm-8/ TEKKEN™ 8 - ESRB - web.archive.org, February 22, 2024]</ref><ref name=":0">[https://web.archive.org/web/20240302152902/https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/tekken-8/ Tekken 8 - PS5 Games | PlayStation (US) - web.archive.org, March 2, 2024]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20240228223711/https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/tekken-8/9PPSM14VKCLW Buy TEKKEN 8 | Xbox - web.archive.org, February 28, 2024]</ref> | With the update to version Ver.1.02.01 on February 29, 2024, a feature called "TEKKEN SHOP" was introduced.<ref>[https://www.bandainamcoent.com/news/tekken-8-patch-notes-v1-02-01 TEKKEN 8 Patch Notes v1.02.01 | Official Site] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251015080801/https://www.bandainamcoent.com/news/tekken-8-patch-notes-v1-02-01 Archived])</ref> This feature is an in-game shop where cosmetic items for characters and consumables can be acquired. Besides some free items, the majority of items cost "TEKKEN COINS," a premium currency introduced alongside the "TEKKEN SHOP". Because of this update, the game’s ESRB rating had to be updated to include the "In-Game Purchases" label.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20240222041526/https://www.esrb.org/ratings/39605/tekkentm-8/ TEKKEN™ 8 - ESRB - web.archive.org, February 22, 2024]</ref><ref name=":0">[https://web.archive.org/web/20240302152902/https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/tekken-8/ Tekken 8 - PS5 Games | PlayStation (US) - web.archive.org, March 2, 2024]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20240228223711/https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/tekken-8/9PPSM14VKCLW Buy TEKKEN 8 | Xbox - web.archive.org, February 28, 2024]</ref> | ||
The pricing for "TEKKEN COINS" is as follows: | The pricing for "TEKKEN COINS" is as follows: | ||
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The conversion of real-world money into "TEKKEN COINS" is necessary to purchase items. They cannot be bought with money directly. Many items are priced at 400 "TEKKEN COINS" which is 100 "TEKKEN COINS" more than the cheapest option and 100 "TEKKEN COINS" less than the second cheapest. This leads to the player needing to purchase more "TEKKEN COINS" then they actually need for one such item pack. This is a common tactic used by many game publishers to push players to spend more money, as they will have premium currency left over after purchasing the desired item, which then makes the player more likely to purchase premium currency again. | The conversion of real-world money into "TEKKEN COINS" is necessary to purchase items. They cannot be bought with money directly. Many items are priced at 400 "TEKKEN COINS" which is 100 "TEKKEN COINS" more than the cheapest option and 100 "TEKKEN COINS" less than the second cheapest. This leads to the player needing to purchase more "TEKKEN COINS" then they actually need for one such item pack. This is a common tactic used by many game publishers to push players to spend more money, as they will have premium currency left over after purchasing the desired item, which then makes the player more likely to purchase premium currency again. | ||
On top of that, with the update to version Ver.1.03.01 on April 1, 2024, a feature called "TEKKEN FIGHT PASS" was introduced to the game.<ref>[https://www.bandainamcoent.com/news/tekken-8-patch-notes-v1-03-01 TEKKEN 8 Patch Notes v1.03.01 | Official Site]</ref> The "TEKKEN FIGHT PASS" is a battle pass system which gives the player a set amount of time to progress through the battle pass tiers, unlocking new rewards on the way. If the player is not able to complete the battle pass in the set amount of time, the rewards will not be able to be earned at a later point in time, unless the game developer makes those rewards available again. A battle pass is inherently an abuse of the [[Fear of missing out]] (FOMO) [[dark pattern]]. The rewards include cosmetic items for characters and player avatars, "TEKKEN COINS,” and other items. The "TEKKEN FIGHT PASS" has a free version alongside a premium version which costs 600 "TEKKEN COINS" or 2000 "TEKKEN COINS" with the benefit of skipping 20 tiers. Again, the price is just slightly higher than the amount of "TEKKEN COINS" the closest pack gives the player. The premium version of the "TEKKEN FIGHT PASS" includes more items and 600 "TEKKEN COINS" on top of the free rewards. The free version did not offer any "TEKKEN COINS" in its first run. Starting from the second pass, the free version offers 100 "TEKKEN COINS" as a level reward.<ref>[https://tekken.fandom.com/wiki/Tekken_Fight_Pass Tekken Fight Pass | Tekken Wiki | Fandom]</ref> | On top of that, with the update to version Ver.1.03.01 on April 1, 2024, a feature called "TEKKEN FIGHT PASS" was introduced to the game.<ref>[https://www.bandainamcoent.com/news/tekken-8-patch-notes-v1-03-01 TEKKEN 8 Patch Notes v1.03.01 | Official Site] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251113181730/https://www.bandainamcoent.com/news/tekken-8-patch-notes-v1-03-01 Archived])</ref> The "TEKKEN FIGHT PASS" is a battle pass system which gives the player a set amount of time to progress through the battle pass tiers, unlocking new rewards on the way. If the player is not able to complete the battle pass in the set amount of time, the rewards will not be able to be earned at a later point in time, unless the game developer makes those rewards available again. A battle pass is inherently an abuse of the [[Fear of missing out]] (FOMO) [[dark pattern]]. The rewards include cosmetic items for characters and player avatars, "TEKKEN COINS,” and other items. The "TEKKEN FIGHT PASS" has a free version alongside a premium version which costs 600 "TEKKEN COINS" or 2000 "TEKKEN COINS" with the benefit of skipping 20 tiers. Again, the price is just slightly higher than the amount of "TEKKEN COINS" the closest pack gives the player. The premium version of the "TEKKEN FIGHT PASS" includes more items and 600 "TEKKEN COINS" on top of the free rewards. The free version did not offer any "TEKKEN COINS" in its first run. Starting from the second pass, the free version offers 100 "TEKKEN COINS" as a level reward.<ref>[https://tekken.fandom.com/wiki/Tekken_Fight_Pass Tekken Fight Pass | Tekken Wiki | Fandom] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251027003423/https://tekken.fandom.com/wiki/Tekken_Fight_Pass Archived])</ref> | ||
===Bandai Namco Entertainment's response=== | ===Bandai Namco Entertainment's response=== | ||
Bandai Namco Entertainment has not given an official response to the criticism. However, TEKKEN Project Chief Director Katsuhiro Harada has stated on multiple occasions that this choice was made to combat the increasing game development costs.<ref>[https://x.com/Harada_TEKKEN/status/1760182225143009473 <nowiki>Katsuhiro Harada on X: "@Daturaf4 @AH_alhumaidi Development costs are now 10 times more expensive [...]</nowiki>]</ref> | Bandai Namco Entertainment has not given an official response to the criticism. However, TEKKEN Project Chief Director Katsuhiro Harada has stated on multiple occasions that this choice was made to combat the increasing game development costs.<ref>[https://x.com/Harada_TEKKEN/status/1760182225143009473 <nowiki>Katsuhiro Harada on X: "@Daturaf4 @AH_alhumaidi Development costs are now 10 times more expensive [...] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250806011354/https://x.com/Harada_TEKKEN/status/1760182225143009473 Archived])</nowiki>]</ref> | ||
==Consumer response== | ==Consumer response== | ||