BLIZZARD just released Diablo 4, the latest installment in their long-running dungeon crawling RPG series.
The game, which launched for deluxe edition players on Xbox, PS5, and PC today, has gotten glowing reviews, but some players aren’t happy about the game’s monetisation.
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Diablo 4 was designed as a game that can be played for years.
Diablo 3 is the last game of this series. It was released in 2012. Diablo 3 still has regular new updates.
Blizzard, unlike Diablo 3 however, has monetised Diablo 4 through microtransactions. Many players worry that this goes too far.
Diablo 4 isn’t the first game in the series to feature microtransactions, as free-to-play mobile game Diablo Immortal features them too.
Diablo Immortal was delayed by a month after players criticised that game’s microtransactions, which could be used to level up characters in the game.
Some players estimated that in order to fully upgrade a character in Diablo Immortal, you’d need to spend over £400,000.
Diablo 4’s microtransactions aren’t so harsh, and can only be used to purchase cosmetic upgrades, rather than character upgrades like in Immortal.
In Diablo 4, the main microtransaction is for Platinum premium currency, available in different amounts.
200 platinum costs £1.79, while players can also pay £85 for 11500 platinum, which can then be spent on outfits and cosmetic mounts.
A nice cosmetic outfit in the game costs 1300 platinum, meaning some players have to spend at least £12 on platinum to buy an outfit.
Another purchase that has players annoyed is custom mounts such as horses, which can cost up to £10 depending on the bundle.
While horses and other mounts may be available in the game, they are generally plain. The premium mounts however are far more attractive.
While Blizzard intends to use the microtransactions to fund the game’s ongoing content, many have complained about paying extra for cosmetic additions in a game that already costs £70 digitally.
Some have also speculated that Blizzard carved out ‘good-looking’ armour to sell to players as microtransactions, rather than including it in the game.
Recent years have seen microtransactions under intense scrutiny around the world. Many people equate them with gambling and blame publishers for preying on those without impulse control and children.
FIFA 23 is infamous for using microtransactions, lootboxes and other such features. It was recently criticized over its hypocrisy in removing Ivan Toney after an alleged gambling scandal.
The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion was a notorious DLC game that included microtransactions for cosmetics like horse armor.
Oliver Brandt, on behalf GLHF.
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