The Sickening Truth Behind Cosmetic Microtransactions

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  • Опубліковано 2 жов 2020
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  • Ігри

КОМЕНТАРІ • 852

  • @alecmoriarty
    @alecmoriarty 3 роки тому +218

    You’re absolutely right about the default skin bullying! It blows my mind that kids act like this. My son plays Roblox and he told me that kids get bullied online for that, I just couldn’t believe it

    • @MIXMASTER6991
      @MIXMASTER6991 3 роки тому +11

      Watch some of the old 360 cod lobby videos 😂 you ain't seen nothin yet.

    • @thewewguy8t88
      @thewewguy8t88 3 роки тому +13

      this is the first i have heard of default being a being a bully term. that being said for the most part i avoid cosmetic items as for me for the most part i feel like they feel kind of out of place and make my character look silly in most games i play. i like default cosmetics mostly myself.

    • @abebuckingham8198
      @abebuckingham8198 3 роки тому +12

      People have always bullied the have-nots. Primates value status, humans included. It's hardwired into us.

    • @thewewguy8t88
      @thewewguy8t88 3 роки тому

      @@MIXMASTER6991 pick up a wheel gun! And you suck uninstall the game! and put the uptown you noob!

    • @mnArqal93
      @mnArqal93 3 роки тому +11

      Not exactly for microtransactions. But a while back, kids were actually being bullied in schools for not playing Fortnite. Could you imagine sitting in a classroom and having people laugh at you because you haven't played a certain game! It's the one thing I can say I never saw happen or experience when I was at school.

  • @JordanHance
    @JordanHance 3 роки тому +40

    As somebody who used to get bullied for the clothes that I wore as a kid because it wasn't name brand, it really makes me sad to think that kids are getting bullied for virtual clothes.
    Bullying is disgusting in every way, shape and form.

  • @ianharvey4406
    @ianharvey4406 3 роки тому +448

    This video is possibly one of the most important videos out there. This practice is just wrong and well done for highlighting it.

    • @ChrisTomson
      @ChrisTomson 3 роки тому +15

      Ian Harvey Jim Sterling has been highlighting it for YEARS...

    • @JimmyTurner
      @JimmyTurner 3 роки тому +4

      Is it really wrong? Really? I mean how often do you buy new clothes? Is it a con when you buy a t shirt and its not in style forever? Such con many bad..... or you're just listening to this moronic channel on anything.

    • @JimmyTurner
      @JimmyTurner 3 роки тому

      @@ChrisTomson Jim stearling is a horrible person and you shouldn't listen to what he has to say. I used to think he was playing a character especially when he said "thank God for me" but hes not. He really thinks you should thank God for him

    • @HikarusukeShindou
      @HikarusukeShindou 3 роки тому +10

      @@JimmyTurner So basically you support microtransactions based on your comment? Tbh I I don't see how anyone support it.

    • @ronnie3044
      @ronnie3044 3 роки тому +7

      @@HikarusukeShindou i support cosmetic microtransactions. Why would i care if someone wants to pay for virtual clothes? Why would i care if a company finds a way to make more money?
      If you are dumb enough to pay for a virtual skin in a video game thats on you and nobody else. Ive never bought one. Never felt the need to. Never been pressured to. Instead of complaining about them tell the idiots to have some self control and if not atleast take personal responsibility for being dumb to pay for them.

  • @MisterAndrewBuckley
    @MisterAndrewBuckley 3 роки тому +117

    Raise the ESRB for any game that contains microtransactions, or outlaw them completely and rely on ingame currency earned by progress

    • @standard7272
      @standard7272 3 роки тому +6

      You don't even have to do that. Make it ao that microstransaction can only be bought with credit card.
      Now we simply need responsible parents that don't give their kid their or - even worse - its own credit card.

    • @cheatstir7980
      @cheatstir7980 3 роки тому +4

      Lets be truthful, parents dont care about ESRB ratings, and ESRB isnt up to date anyway. We all are far from your kids playing a game in front of the only tv or computer in your house. I mean my father can still remember ninja in MGS saying "I love the pain". Parents just need to say no and teach their kids that bullys online aren't worth it just log off.

    • @Nob911
      @Nob911 3 роки тому +5

      No pare ts need to actually act like parents

    • @seanmalloy0528
      @seanmalloy0528 3 роки тому

      @War Wolf wouldn't there also be adult content in most of those

    • @hotdognl70
      @hotdognl70 3 роки тому

      ESRB and PEGI both are run by the industry it self. The wording of their regulation will be full of loopholes. Self-regulation is failing unfortunatly.

  • @craig5902
    @craig5902 3 роки тому +40

    I truly LOVE you videos, I look forward to watching them.
    As an old guy I understand what you're saying.
    I just sat my 10 year old son down to watch this... he has listened to his old man say these same things.
    Thank you brother

  • @tjlevey378
    @tjlevey378 3 роки тому +233

    I’m so tired of the words “Microtransactions” and “Games as a service” 😐😐

    • @joeldeakin2003
      @joeldeakin2003 3 роки тому +11

      Use the term "surprise mechanics", much better now, right?

    • @tjlevey378
      @tjlevey378 3 роки тому +5

      Joel Deakin lmao they love their money 😆

    • @thewewguy8t88
      @thewewguy8t88 3 роки тому +3

      i find it funny saquderns is being prassied as not having one of those 2 things. its just its funny how when a game avoids those 2 things now its something to be praised for.

    • @thewewguy8t88
      @thewewguy8t88 3 роки тому +1

      @@joeldeakin2003 hey I know people who who probably would defend the bullying in these games by saying it's a "feature" yes bullying by real people in the game is a "feature" it adds a "challenge" to the game or motivates you to be better or something like that.

    • @IVIUT3D
      @IVIUT3D 3 роки тому +1

      "games as a service" gives you access to the new Flight Simulator at a discounted price tho

  • @HermeticWorlds
    @HermeticWorlds 3 роки тому +40

    Jules and Jim Sterling collaboration incoming. Join up their tag lines and you've got 'Thank God for Your Mum'

    • @kratos.8151
      @kratos.8151 3 роки тому +4

      It winds me up how whatculture hosts never talk about this on the same level as Jim Sterling. Jim Sterling is GOAT.

    • @MsYunaFires
      @MsYunaFires 3 роки тому +3

      @@kratos.8151 I can watch Jules talk about these topics all day long whereas Jim's style gives me a near panic attack. I can't describe it. Just as he talks about how awful everything is, it stresses me out. Sure that's the point of it, but it makes me want to avoid his videos all the more. Jules has a much calmer tone, much more 'radio host' relatable type that makes a person want to listen and be soothed by.

    • @HermeticWorlds
      @HermeticWorlds 3 роки тому +1

      @@MsYunaFires I agree that Jules has much more accessible approach, Jim is more intense. I find Jim's style cathartic, I have to be in the right mood for his vids, like in a ranting mood.

  • @dem0nchild610
    @dem0nchild610 3 роки тому +17

    I can't even imagine what these kids go through I'm 30 now and I can still remember the feeling of being made fun of back in school and it still bothers me to this day

    • @The_Rifster
      @The_Rifster 3 роки тому +1

      I too was bullied, but I learned that my bullies were either weak and used bullying to feel strong, or they were abused by their family and that’s what made them bullies.
      Ironically most of my childhood bullies that I ran into later in life apologized for their behavior and shared they had their own problems and acted out instead of trying to deal with them.
      Don’t give them any power to make you feel bad. In fact, you should be proud of yourself that you are resilient and persevered all that abuse.

    • @dewolf123
      @dewolf123 Рік тому

      ​​@The_Rifster It does not matter nothing and nobody makes ppl bullies, ppl always choose to be one it's always a matter of free will and nobody has a right to abuse others no matter what's happening at home they need to be better. Regardless since they've sinned eventually they deserve to pay for that. Those who chose to hurt others simply are just pathetic cowards that is all. If they faced a real fighter they'd run away crying. The only reason they apologize is because it's a fake apology they just want to pretend they did nothing wrong and get a free pass for being evil and dodge consequences and punishment and you fell for it hard there.

  • @BrainAbsoluteZero
    @BrainAbsoluteZero 3 роки тому +61

    Jim Sterling has been banging this drum for literal years, doesn't get the reach you guys get though. We need more outlets with videos like this.

    • @invidatauro8922
      @invidatauro8922 2 роки тому +1

      Jim to me is the perfect example of a guy who I agree completely with in regards to what a problem is but will vehemently disagree with on what the solution to that problem should be.

    • @zahkrosis5133
      @zahkrosis5133 2 роки тому

      @@invidatauro8922 isn't Jim Sterling the guy who also supports censorship in video games and etc?
      I wouldn't trust that man, even if he tried to be pro-community.

    • @invidatauro8922
      @invidatauro8922 2 роки тому

      @@zahkrosis5133 Exactly, like I said, I agree with him completely on the problems, but the solutions are where me and him would likely come to blows.

  • @samuelhunter4631
    @samuelhunter4631 3 роки тому +8

    To quote Yahtzee "If you charge money for something you can make infinite amounts of with little effort, it's not a" service", it's the very death of economics as a concept "

  • @MAC_HAMMER
    @MAC_HAMMER 3 роки тому +5

    At first, I was like, if it isn't pay to win, I'm fine with it. After Jules pointed out the addiction and bullying aspects, I became mad and started reminiscing about the times when we could just unlock everything through grinding or completing special objectives and finding secrets

  • @stoormtrooper22
    @stoormtrooper22 3 роки тому +144

    I hate when people excuse them as being "just optional" as if it was a valid excuse.

    • @surfhappens202
      @surfhappens202 3 роки тому +17

      You don't have to buy it

    • @thewewguy8t88
      @thewewguy8t88 3 роки тому +32

      @@surfhappens202 you just did exactly what the op said he hates people do lol.

    • @nerdingout3560
      @nerdingout3560 3 роки тому +16

      but its true if its optional then you dont have to spend a dime. if ppl truly just didnt spend their money on pointless cosmetics then the practice wouldve died a long time ago

    • @DarthWombat
      @DarthWombat 3 роки тому +4

      @@thewewguy8t88 Doesn't mean the dude isn't correct in his statement lol the game is free to play, the skins are cosmetic and optional

    • @abebuckingham8198
      @abebuckingham8198 3 роки тому +15

      I played Path of Exile for 500 hours without purchasing anything. I decided to buy some cosmetics simply to give them some money for making a game I got a lot of enjoyment out of. The same thing happened when I started playing League of Legends. If I can get what are now thousands of hours of enjoyment out of a game without using their microtransactions it seems like a perfectly valid excuse.

  • @MrDelito23
    @MrDelito23 3 роки тому +10

    I love it when Jules talk to us in the end like we are actually there!!! IN EVERY VIDEO!!! Damn its reassuring!!! THANKS JULES!!!! THANK YOU!!!

  • @ImmolationVenus666
    @ImmolationVenus666 3 роки тому +6

    The fun in games has come to an end for me and this is one of the reasons, as a kid I had so much fun just forgetting about the world on the PS2 and collecting things in the actual games

  • @stoormtrooper22
    @stoormtrooper22 3 роки тому +47

    Cosmetics are just as manipulative as any other type of microtransaction.

  • @VeganSquirrel
    @VeganSquirrel 3 роки тому +8

    I never comment on videos, but I will today. This was such a well written piece. Congrats to WhatCulture for your stance on this predatory system. I've never heard of the term "Default" until this morning. As someone who really relied on video games as a teenager to escape social pressures, the thought of being bullied because you don't have the "cool skin" breaks my heart. Well done to all involved. ❤❤❤

  • @LDBCFC
    @LDBCFC 3 роки тому +8

    Thank you for this video. This is a discussion that needs to happen on a wider level. I detest games with cosmetic micro transactions. If I learn that they're in the game, I've started to not buy them.

  • @NavyMonk89
    @NavyMonk89 3 роки тому +6

    Microtransactions aside, release nearly any game from the last 5 years in the early 2000s then it and the publisher would be destroyed for releasing a buggy mess and they would be chased out of the industry. You can even release with the same graphics and all the polish in the world wouldn't save it from being DESTROYED by critics and customers alike. A game needing a day 1 patch of nearly the size of the game would be laughed all the way to the bargain bins.

  • @YOUNGPADAWON
    @YOUNGPADAWON 3 роки тому +6

    I started watching this channel a few months ago and I honestly love everything you guys put out Keep it Goin!!!

    • @YOUNGPADAWON
      @YOUNGPADAWON 3 роки тому

      I usually end up watching there videos at work I just put it on and listen it’s usually something interesting

  • @disturbedK0
    @disturbedK0 3 роки тому +2

    i absolutely loved this video, its like your little advice clips at the end of the compilations, but a full length one, make more pleasemate

  • @saidnimr959
    @saidnimr959 3 роки тому +51

    They're digital dealers selling downloadable drugs. "Naaah, that's not addictive. I promise."

    • @The_Rifster
      @The_Rifster 3 роки тому +6

      1st one is free! 🤪

    • @dieselmech7340
      @dieselmech7340 3 роки тому +3

      Hah, you are right and I salute ya for that

    • @SteveCrafts2k
      @SteveCrafts2k 3 роки тому +1

      I know.
      Microtransactions are literally virtual drugs. Once you start, it's like you spiral down into an endless cycle of wasting money on something that should've been free.

  • @joeldeakin2003
    @joeldeakin2003 3 роки тому +6

    I'm 17 now and have been playing games for about 8 years, but only properly getting into it in 2014/5 when I got my PS4.
    I had friends that would spend so much of their parents money on skins for guns on CoD, often times without them even knowing, doing the same for every game they played that offered them something to buy.
    A few years later Fortnite would come out and them same friends are spending more money on all the skins and battle passes that came onto the game. Ive never seen the hype behind paying for something that really isn't going to benefit my performance or even enhance the experience of the game as a whole but I remember a lot of them same friends judging me quite heavily for not having them same skins. This never really bothered me because I stuck to my standards, but them same people are still buying them skins.
    I can't say much for other games, but I know for a fact that Fortnite is very clever when it comes to their skins, designing different skins for every different mood, personality of play style, reflecting your own opinions as the player, in the game, and sure I suppose not having the skins to fit the persona you want to play as can kind of make you feel like it's okay to spend this money on them, especially when they are relatively cheap. But as Jules said in the video, these prices soon stack up and it can be hard to see when to stop, once you've already started a collection.
    My brother is 12 and has been playing the game since he was 9. For his latest birthday he got £50 worth of ps vouchers, all of which went onto Fortnite, A FREE GAME WITH NO ADDED GAMEPLAY ELEMENTS TO BUY APART FROM THE LOOK OF YOUR CHARACTER. That is all I have to say. Thank you for reading this.

    • @Hangman149
      @Hangman149 3 роки тому

      This was great to read.

    • @joeldeakin2003
      @joeldeakin2003 3 роки тому

      @@Hangman149 lmao I read that as hard to read for like 5 solid minutes don't know why lol, but thank you

  • @comog
    @comog 3 роки тому +4

    I freaking love this video. Calling attention to the real failing of the video game industry. I am 28 and was hanging out with a group of 27-38 year old original gamers who expressed the same displeasure of the gaming industry as this video pointed out. Thank you for bringing more light to this subject. (We had this conversation while playing donkey kong country and comparing it to modern games).

  • @DatOneGuy901
    @DatOneGuy901 3 роки тому +6

    i bought street fighter 5 for 60 bucks back in 2016, and since then, i've probably spent an additional 100 bucks just on costumes

    • @thewewguy8t88
      @thewewguy8t88 3 роки тому +1

      hey i bought the sims 4 in 2014 and yeah they constantly put a lot of dlc. i think its at 30+ packs now.

    • @marenecarstens496
      @marenecarstens496 3 роки тому

      @@thewewguy8t88 Yeah all the Sims 4 dlc is worth $1000 now

    • @Syphonpsx
      @Syphonpsx 3 роки тому

      Loser

  • @heavymetalweatherman7774
    @heavymetalweatherman7774 3 роки тому

    This is one of the best videos I’ve seen on this channel. More content like this please. Really well-written and thoughtful commentary.

  • @roastedficus6227
    @roastedficus6227 3 роки тому

    I have subbed to y'all but this is the first video I've watched in months.
    Thanks for putting light on this matter

  • @thevillageyid
    @thevillageyid 3 роки тому +3

    Good video, Jules. I saw another similar one about the hyper-nomalization of microtransactions and such. Pretty interesting.

  • @thewewguy8t88
    @thewewguy8t88 3 роки тому +6

    its kind of funny but i was reading reviews or early impressions of squaderns and one of the high points were oh yeah no microtransactions and that you have to unlock all the cosmetic items in the game yourself.

  • @neffersonjickel3901
    @neffersonjickel3901 3 роки тому +24

    Microtransactions are one of the reasons that the last consoles I bought were PS2 and Wii.
    I'll stick with retro: buy a game, insert game, play game. No huge data updates, no having to have an internet connection, no dlc, no microtransactions. I refuse to be a part of it.

    • @saturdaysun7699
      @saturdaysun7699 3 роки тому +1

      Pc has some great ones too :)

    • @MsYunaFires
      @MsYunaFires 3 роки тому +5

      You must not enjoy gaming at all these days then. Nearly everything has updates attached, or require an internet connection for cloud saves/achievements. And not all DLC is *bad*. Case in point: Mass Effect 3's Omega and especially Citadel.

    • @gfear24
      @gfear24 3 роки тому +2

      I've never had issues on my PS3. It because truly pervasive with the current gen. Yeah it was out there in the previous gen, but nowhere near as bad is today. I have never bought fewer games for a console than I have this gen. I refuse to buy games that have them at launch. And I wait about 12 months post launch to see if they add them in games I might be interested in. I bought less than 10 games for the PS4. I have a minimum of 20 with every other console I've ever owned, all the way back to the NES.

    • @saladass1571
      @saladass1571 3 роки тому +7

      I oNlY pLaY oLd StUfF bEcAuSe AlL nEw StUfF sUcKs!!!

    • @chrislergi4152
      @chrislergi4152 3 роки тому +3

      @@gfear24 They started to introduce it and experiment with it back then, it was still the early days. I think by the mid 2010s they were well established. By the way in PlayStation's latest quarterly finance report you can see most of their revenue was generated by DLC, microtransactions, and other in-game purchases. 41 percent, thats $2.29 billion. So microtransactions are here to stay sadly.

  • @mrianmagoo
    @mrianmagoo 3 роки тому +1

    Amazingly well thought out and well presented. Cheers mate.

  • @matthewnichols6687
    @matthewnichols6687 3 роки тому

    A well executed important informative piece of UA-cam work. I've seen this tackled many times on UA-cam but not as well done as this. Nice job man 👍

  • @popsiclesbutlikeanancientg59
    @popsiclesbutlikeanancientg59 3 роки тому +5

    We’ve all said this and we’ve talked about it forever even on the channel but Jules I’m real glad you took the time to point it out again, it’s not just acceptable, we need to be upset with this!

  • @georgewendell
    @georgewendell 3 роки тому +5

    Shoutout to markiplier for doing a small part to break the trend using the default skin in fall guys

  • @Dr.D.M.
    @Dr.D.M. 3 роки тому

    Excellent video, and thank you for the positively at the end as your new “default.” Keep up the great work. Gonna share this one in the book face because I think this needs to be heard even more.

  • @Talenel
    @Talenel 3 роки тому +1

    The use of "default" as an insult is eerily similar to something in the cyberpunk novel Snow Crash, written by Neal Stephenson way back in 1992. In the book there is a virtual reality internet. Some people buy expensive avatars, hackers make their own custom avatars. But then there are the "black and whites," people who can't afford nice avatars, and instead are represented by low resolution grayscale avatars.
    The internet was barely even a thing when the book was written, and Stephenson fairly accurately predicted people bullying others over Fortnite skins

  • @FoopahDestroyer
    @FoopahDestroyer 3 роки тому

    Amazing video Jules, I seriously respect you for having the guts to put something like this out there

  • @Thieks
    @Thieks 3 роки тому

    Now THAT's the content I'm here for. Well thought discussions of important themes and opinions on matters that go beyond the game of the moment. Well done, guys! We need to see more of this.

  • @joelpettersson4055
    @joelpettersson4055 3 роки тому

    I’m so happy that there’s a big gaming channel that dares to make videos like this still.

  • @m_jay5
    @m_jay5 Рік тому +2

    Microtransactions are no different than gambling! Anyone that tempts me to get something via a microtransaction and I instantly flashback to the peer pressure where people tried to pressure me to drink, smoke, do drugs, etc.) which I never caved to once! And I treat this circumstance no differently. There's something so much more satisfying earning these items through the in game currency vs caving instantly and buying these items with IRL money. Fall Guys for example I have bought things that piqued my interest in the game by building up Kudos (their in game currency) and have never once spent my IRL money on any of their battle passes, character skins, etc.)

  • @chuckdontjudge
    @chuckdontjudge 3 роки тому

    Please keep up the deep dives! I love these

  • @markdoyle4935
    @markdoyle4935 3 роки тому

    The lists are great but I love these deep dives and such an important and yet often under discussed issue. Well done Jules

  • @geeksallowed6011
    @geeksallowed6011 3 роки тому

    Big shout out to you for this content.
    Far too often i hear people sticking up for cosmetic microtransactions, whilst ignoring the significant impact that they have on individuaks and the industry as a whole.
    Here's hoping this turns a few more heads in the right direction!

  • @nickcurtis9504
    @nickcurtis9504 3 роки тому +9

    I love this video, thank you for putting this out there. So many parents have no clue about this stuff and how it is conditioning the youth of today to develop habits that will be more tragic come adulthood. Very well done sir!!

  • @Sungillee33
    @Sungillee33 3 роки тому +1

    This is one of the most thoughtful and impactful videos on the gaming industry that I've seen in a long time. 10 points to WMG and Jules - this level of discourse is needed more within the gaming community. It helps advocate for players and the art form.

  • @Stormcrowsflight
    @Stormcrowsflight 3 роки тому

    Fantastic video great information thanks for getting it out there

  • @daffodilking1343
    @daffodilking1343 3 роки тому

    This is one of my favorite UA-cam gaming channels. They are always full force with their views of the gaming industry. Keep going hard!

  • @aprilmayjoon
    @aprilmayjoon 2 роки тому

    this helped me alot with my informative essay providing new point if views and insight ti the issue. thank you!

  • @BlakesAR313
    @BlakesAR313 3 роки тому +6

    Every time I heard Jules say “but I’m an old man” bothered me. He has a point and a damn good one, so it doesn’t matter if it was done by a 10 year old or a 80 year old. The truth, even if it’s “subjective”, has no age.
    Regardless, good vid, absolutely loved it.

  • @VAustin89
    @VAustin89 3 роки тому +1

    such a shame, as someone who got bullied in my younger years, being bullied online for just using the default skin/character is just stupid and sickening.

  • @banakil89
    @banakil89 3 роки тому

    Brilliant video highlighting a serious problem that’s been around for years now!

  • @MarioMadness1
    @MarioMadness1 3 роки тому +47

    I do like cosmetics... but when bundles become 90$ like valorant !! then I become cheap AF

    • @MIXMASTER6991
      @MIXMASTER6991 3 роки тому +6

      Naw you're just smart

    • @venomgtsr5702
      @venomgtsr5702 3 роки тому +1

      You are absolutely not being cheap. That is simply egregious.

    • @anasou6677
      @anasou6677 3 роки тому

      Valorant skin prices are just exorbitant

    • @Syphonpsx
      @Syphonpsx 3 роки тому +1

      Cosmetics are terrible too, it should be free like older games.

    • @mrcrayon7228
      @mrcrayon7228 3 роки тому

      @@Syphonpsx except for the fact that it takes more money and resources to make games now therefore making it harder for a game to be profitable

  • @mfnick7536
    @mfnick7536 3 роки тому +1

    Another thing which worries me about all this too is just how angry people were about horse armour, now that would be seen as a bargain in some games. This happens with lots of controversial things in gaming, in normalising “it’s just cosmetic”, how long until the backlash to gameplay altering micro transactions like those seen in Battlefront 2 gets worn down to the point that’s seen as normal too? It’ll happen, I’ve no doubt. Especially after seeing how much people are willing to defend companies at their terrible practices.

  • @axelsalive957
    @axelsalive957 3 роки тому +1

    This needs to seen by the wider gaming world. Such an important message.

  • @inmylife2002
    @inmylife2002 3 роки тому

    This is one of the most profoundly direct hard hitting videos I've seen on whatculture. Sir you truly deserve every penny you earn and I will forever be a fan and supporter.

  • @Ikcatcher
    @Ikcatcher 3 роки тому +29

    I rather have the free will choice of buying whatever cosmetic I want rather than a randomized lootbox determining what I get.
    Yes, I would prefer unlocking them myself, but it’s a lesser of two evils I’m willing to swallow

    • @thewewguy8t88
      @thewewguy8t88 3 роки тому +1

      that is a fair point. but you and me are clearly not the targets of buying cosmetic items.

    • @freevolution
      @freevolution 3 роки тому

      If this is the cost of all the free maps and updates added to games. I can live with that

    • @--_--IMP--_--
      @--_--IMP--_-- 3 роки тому +4

      That is not a fair point, at all. It is the kind of ridiculous "point" someone with Stockholm Syndrome would make. Predatory monetization is predatory monetization. Being psychologically manipulated into doing what someone else wants you to do is not "free will choice", in any capacity. Anyone who gives this bullshit excuse is a pawn being moved from C2 to C3, nothing more.
      This is not a zero-sum game. Those two bad choices are *not* the only choices. You are not obligated to choose between those two bad choices. People can (and absolutely should) reject and condemn both cosmetic transactions and lootboxes. If more people were to stand up to (and reject) these types of corporate assfucking instead of meekly taking that assfucking like a homeless prostitute with a drug addiction, we wouldn't be in this mess. Instead, we have people who keep condoning the actions of (and making excuses for) the same corporations that keep repeatedly fucking them in the ass because hey, at least they aren't assfucking us with a broken bottle like some other corporations are.

    • @3vergiven
      @3vergiven 3 роки тому

      This is a bad take.

    • @cheatstir7980
      @cheatstir7980 3 роки тому

      Thats like saying i would take it in the mouth rather then the rear. Your missing the point lets say neither because if accept one then they will do both.

  • @NinjaKnight117
    @NinjaKnight117 3 роки тому

    I normally don't like this guy's vids but this one is actually a good one and informative

  • @ScottyIsHim
    @ScottyIsHim 3 роки тому

    I'm not even done with the video and I have serious chills.

  • @micah4029
    @micah4029 3 роки тому

    One of the best videos I've seen on this channel.

  • @ZoNe6166
    @ZoNe6166 3 роки тому

    Very bold and to the point video. I like it.

  • @simonshura9144
    @simonshura9144 3 роки тому +1

    PREACH BROTHA even i am fed up paying for those... .. NO MORE.

  • @thedonofthsht76-58
    @thedonofthsht76-58 3 роки тому +24

    It's really not hard to not give these scammers money.. in years of playing I've only bought dlcs. And only after making sure they're good

    • @thewewguy8t88
      @thewewguy8t88 3 роки тому +2

      yeah well your not a kid or someone with complusury issues.

    • @--_--IMP--_--
      @--_--IMP--_-- 3 роки тому

      Congratulations on lying to yourself just so you can be a pretentious twat online. It is hilariously misguided that you believe that "only buying dlcs" somehow means you aren't being scammed. The vast majority of paid dlc IS a scam. But hey, keep making excuses for the same companies that keep scamming you. I'm sure they LOVE it.

    • @mnArqal93
      @mnArqal93 3 роки тому +1

      While I do buy DLC too, the problem lies in the fact you cannot buy a full game at launch anymore. The Sims, Spiderman, Control, Skyrim, Mass Effect, etc, all these games ended up releasing DLCs long after you've already paid a lot for a game. If you buy the game and DLC on their release dates, you're paying over a 100. Games used to be sold as a full game on old consoles, nothing new unless a later version came out and something was added into the game (which even then was rare). While DLC often adds more to your experience, microtransactions exist to either make you look pretty or further your progress by paying, look at GTA Online.
      Though PC gamers have also been suffering from expansions for years, which is basically just a form of DLC.

    • @micah4029
      @micah4029 3 роки тому +1

      @@mnArqal93 Yup. Publishers and developers basically punish day-one buyers. Look at a game like Destiny. The later you adopt, the more you get for your money since the later editions skip you past a lot of grinding while giving you access to the latest content.

    • @thedonofthsht76-58
      @thedonofthsht76-58 3 роки тому

      @@--_--IMP--_-- I havent bought many but how is buying witcher 3 or fallout 4 dlc a scam? Those games are def worth the price. I payed for dlc that was upwards of 40 hours long. So good try douchebag

  • @kaiosun
    @kaiosun 3 роки тому +1

    I remember that fortnite had some "doctor" or expert in psychology running the milking system, finding the sweet spot for items, color combination and all the bs, they were invited to some dev con to talk about microtransactions

  • @daveg5088
    @daveg5088 3 роки тому

    Thank you for this video. There are serious themes in video games. While most of us watch for entertainment, thank you for taking the time (and risk) to bring these issues to light.

  • @bengleiss9416
    @bengleiss9416 3 роки тому +1

    On a similar note my local newsagents sells milk for £1 preying on the most vulnerable people exploiting their addiction to compulsively buy milk or get bullied. If only we had free will to only spend our money on milk if we wanted it or not.

    • @alexcoupe.
      @alexcoupe. 3 роки тому

      Ben Gleiss This video has completely gone over your head 🤭

    • @bengleiss9416
      @bengleiss9416 3 роки тому +1

      @@alexcoupe. or my hyperbole has gone over yours x (shorty)

  • @williamatherton8358
    @williamatherton8358 3 роки тому

    Thanks for talking about this.

  • @joshuastephens4798
    @joshuastephens4798 3 роки тому

    I wanna share this on FB via copy/paste the link but the preview it shows is basic with no title. Is there problem in your settings for the video or is someone trying to censor this? This brings many great points forward that many young gamers may not be aware of.

  • @wh8787
    @wh8787 3 роки тому

    I'm really glad you've done a video on this, it's an important subject. Jim Sterling has been making this point for years, good to see this message getting wider dissemination.

  • @mnArqal93
    @mnArqal93 3 роки тому +1

    I remember playing Ratchet and Clank on PS2 and having to complete challenges to unlock certain armour/skins. If I didn't get it, it was always on me.
    Now if I want to get a comestic in a game I've got to hope I get it in lootboxes or I can unlock it by some in-game currency that either takes 5000+hours grinding or just pay. Or it's actual DLC!!

  • @jigglyphillips9002
    @jigglyphillips9002 3 роки тому

    So good to see someone doing proper journalism.
    You da man Jules.

  • @veropag1850
    @veropag1850 3 роки тому +1

    to me, cosmetics is half the game, something i enjoy most in video games is personalizing my character, vehicles and other things.. it be locked behind a pay wall makes me feel like i'm the one being punished for one of the things i enjoy most in my video games

  • @shadowwriter4538
    @shadowwriter4538 3 роки тому

    This is a really important video that everyone should see.

  • @zemymix4598
    @zemymix4598 2 роки тому

    Thank you for helping me on my english essay :3

  • @kylewatson6890
    @kylewatson6890 2 роки тому +1

    If I was a kid during microtransactions I would have purposefully been a default just to get a rise out of everyone.

  • @reklawxero6946
    @reklawxero6946 3 роки тому

    Jules!! You Rock!! Totally hit the nail on the head, Mate! do you remember Game "Expansion Packs" What are your thoughts on them? I wish they'd bring those back over this microtransaction and "Season Pass" stuff. (also always appriciate your messages at the end of your videos :) )

  • @ruben_santos
    @ruben_santos 3 роки тому

    👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻.. great video man!! ✌

  • @lyonh2224
    @lyonh2224 3 роки тому +5

    Thank you, I have fallen into this trap many times and I’m stopping now

    • @micah4029
      @micah4029 3 роки тому +1

      I bought a few Overwatch loot boxes a few years ago, before I realized what I was doing and stopped. I haven't made use of a microtransaction since.

  • @user-vn7ce5ig1z
    @user-vn7ce5ig1z 3 роки тому +1

    3:32 - It's even more insidious than that. They don't say "this shirt is $1" or "this sword it $0.99", they using in-game currencies which don't feel like real money, and worse, they make it so that the conversion rates between the in-game currencies and real money aren't a nice round thing like 1:1 or 10:1 or whatever, they make them obscure like 425 BLARBS for $1.97 so that players can't convert in their heads to see how much it actually costs because most players won't bother using a calculator. 😒
    3:53 - Yup, they got a lot of flack for that. You pay to "unlock" a hair-color, but you don't get to actually keep it, you "rent" it. 🤦
    4:10 - Of course. Devs can make literally near-infinite variations of cosmetics. One click and boom! There's 65,536 new color variations of the same shirt. One more click and boom! There's 16,777,216 variations of the pants. Two keys pressed and bam! There's nearly-uncountably-infinite swords with infinitesimal increases in damage between them. They can make all the assets in the world for free and charge for them. And it's not just children or people with addictions that are being taken advantage of, it's also people with OCD who have a _compulsion_ to complete things. Their _mental disability_ is being abused. 🤦 😒
    5:05 - Jeez, I've heard of this. It was bad enough when kids didn't have a game at all back in the day, but now they're getting teased about using the default skin in a game. WTAH‽ 😕 As if kids didn't already have enough to worry about.
    5:40 - I can't even imagine being arsed to make a skin for _Minecraft_ (and wouldn't want a prefab that others are using). 🙄
    6:18 - Older people (read 25+ 🤦) should get "zoomers" to play some "old" games to show them what real gaming used to be. I'm sure their minds would be blow and then maybe they'll stand up against greedy publishers. ¬_¬
    6:25 - I never even cared for this junk even when they were free. Why would I waste my time to re-play the game again and again to unlock costumes? 🤨 I loved _Silent Hill_ but I'm not playing it again and again to get Heather to wear a cheerleading outfit or Harry a chainsaw or to see an alien ending. 🙄 I don't know about other people, but I have other things to do in my life. ¬_¬
    7:12 - I'm getting friggin' decision-paralysis just looking at this clip. How do you even choose which one to use? 🤨
    8:24 - A lot of F2P games _are_ pay-to-win, especially "Chinese Browser Games". Look at "cool downs". I once tried Evony for a couple of days way back when. It was going okay, but then I ran into a block where I couldn't do anything else for free without waiting hours and hours (a couple of cool-downs were _over two weeks!_ ) Needless to say, I stopped playing. ¬_¬
    9:20 - Ugh, I know right? Remember when people were paying massive amounts of real-world money for plots of land in _Second Life_ ? Who the hell pays thousands of dollars for a few bits on a computer to switch between 0 and 1? 🤨 🤦 Back in the halcyon days of yore, I played _Legend of the Red Dragon_ on BBSes and got frustrated by the daily caps. You couldn't pay to win, there was just a limit on how much you could do per day for the sake of fairness, there was no payment at all. Years later, I downloaded a copy of the game and figured I could run it and hack myself whatever I needed to run through the whole game quickly. But by then, I had moved on to 3D Windows games and couldn't be arsed to bother. 🤷 But that's the point, if I lost interest and didn't care about that, who cares about these games either? People have even shorter attention spans now and move on to other things so quickly, why bother with all this junk? Just play the game and move onto another. Duh. ¬_¬
    • Obligatory meme comment: the dislikes are game publisher executives. 🙄

  • @lemar2122
    @lemar2122 2 роки тому +1

    Best aging video in UA-cam history.

  • @davidbennettracing538
    @davidbennettracing538 3 роки тому

    Fantastic video as usual sir!

  • @migueltoro2657
    @migueltoro2657 3 роки тому +1

    I hear you Juls, I've spent some money in cod mobile, their crates are designed to give you the worst until without knowing you have spent 300.000 cop (my country's money) it's to damn much money for a gun that looks cool, i told to myself only to buy battle pass, but for some reason i keep on buying these crates, and the stupid thing is that im not in the best financial situation, but yeah, I'll stop, i don't have a console in the moment so it's kind of the only game i play 😅
    Anyway, excellent video 🔥

  • @gamingwithyou6938
    @gamingwithyou6938 3 роки тому +2

    Where was that time that you received stuff in games in terms of how good you are?? There are only few developers that give you rewards of skilll... but now pay it or you won't get it

  • @BrandonJPearce
    @BrandonJPearce 3 роки тому +11

    I had no idea bullying over “not wearing the correct” skins was a thing. That’s so shitty. Kids should just let other kids style their characters the way they want. I honestly agree with this whole video.

    • @jedimike7622
      @jedimike7622 3 роки тому +3

      Kids are shitty and will bully over anything.

    • @maksimtyshkevich2563
      @maksimtyshkevich2563 3 роки тому +1

      if there's no fortnite skin to bully you over , kids will find other things, just like they did 10 years ago when there was no microtransactions whatsoever....

    • @hotdognl70
      @hotdognl70 3 роки тому

      Just as it was in RL for ages, online it has been the same the moment there were items showing your wealth. Nothing new, bullies will always be there.

    • @richardhilliard9247
      @richardhilliard9247 2 роки тому

      imagine using your parents money to floss on someone. Bro, you didn't earn that, you're spoiled.

  • @DRH1302
    @DRH1302 3 роки тому +1

    I remember South Park did an episode about this “freemium isn’t free” and how addiction plays into micro transactions

  • @driftmarquee
    @driftmarquee 3 роки тому

    Holy Hell, did I just watch something that resembled journalism? In the game industry? That just earned you a more regular viewer.

  • @TheZackofSpades
    @TheZackofSpades 3 роки тому

    Great video. I don’t agree but I enjoyed the presentation and the analysis. Godspeed, to those fighting back I hope to see a question on my ballot someday and perhaps vote in your direction.

  • @Tribulation88
    @Tribulation88 3 роки тому +2

    I've been saying all of this for years, it's so ingrained now even my generation accept it. The born in the 80's, played through the golden era of games people. Early in multiplayer gaming history it was a badge of honour to walk around in an outfit you had unlocked through some trials most people couldn't be bothered to, using cheats you unlocked. Where did all the fun cheats go? They were a way of extending the replayability of game ffs, that's a value add! One example I can remember is fining it too easy to beat my mates at Toca World Touring Cars, I used a combo of exploding curbs and the on rails cheats to level the playing field at the same time. The on rails cheat would steer you onto the racing line (the curbs), so the challenge was to go too fast to hit the inside curb & not so fast you'd hit the outside curb. It was hilarious & it made nobody good at the game XD
    Here's one solution. Ban any virtual currency (not crypto) & make it so they have to show the running total you've spent, that way some people would at least think twice when they notice they could have paid 1 months rent with the amount they've spent or something they needed, but could never seem to afford.
    TLDR: Micro transactions of any kind are evil, I miss fun cheats. Ban non local currencies from ingame store's.

  • @MrTonyKratos
    @MrTonyKratos 3 роки тому

    Great job!!!

  • @wolf1nsoul
    @wolf1nsoul 3 роки тому

    It's hard truth and almost no one talk about it, great video mate 👏♥️

  • @DemetrisBarnes
    @DemetrisBarnes 3 роки тому

    Keep preaching this. Its very sad that once you could unlock these items, and now we gotta pay for loot boxes that doesn't give you want you want

  • @3dimsteve
    @3dimsteve 2 роки тому

    Not being a gamer, this has been a real eye-opener for me. Great video man.

  • @finnhonsolo7506
    @finnhonsolo7506 3 роки тому +1

    The only times I really cosmetics is by grinding or buying most grinding

  • @ronniejones9310
    @ronniejones9310 3 роки тому

    What is it holding your paints back there?

  • @yvetteszentesi6077
    @yvetteszentesi6077 3 роки тому

    And people still say "Appearance is not everything"
    But as my mom used to say "See that? That's an "off" switch."
    .
    Sometimes a solution is not so difficult.

  • @jacoboswald5731
    @jacoboswald5731 3 роки тому

    I've literally written two college papers on this topic now lol! I feel like there are so many other things to be passionate about but I completely agree with you.

  • @davidoh14
    @davidoh14 3 роки тому

    Brilliant. Thank you for addressing a blatantly escalating problem in such a calm, rational, objective manner.

  • @jrr8322
    @jrr8322 2 роки тому

    Excellent content bro, without oversight it’s only gonna get worst.

  • @AM-mr9gi
    @AM-mr9gi 3 роки тому +1

    Well said. I agree with you.
    It's funny how often people mention Dead or Alive charging real money to change a character's hairstyle, but Elder Scrolls Online flies under the radar. Zenimax Online Studios charges $10 for a change of hairstyle or color. Yes, ten. Champions of monetization.

  • @TheStonedGamer589
    @TheStonedGamer589 3 роки тому

    Thanks for the vid Jules.

  • @davidfrancis6727
    @davidfrancis6727 3 роки тому

    Thanks

  • @Robwithakick
    @Robwithakick 3 роки тому +1

    A major publisher admitted years ago they don’t design games to be fun or entertaining, but to be addictive. The little dopamine rush we experience when we find a “skin” that reps our personality must be repeated.