Battleborn Getting Microtransactions, Here's When and How Much They Cost

[DrunknMunky Veteran]

Quote

 

Soon you will be able to buy skins and taunts, but they won't affect gameplay.

Last updated by Eddie Makuch on June 14, 2016

 

Microtransactions are coming to Battleborn, 2K Games has announced. Starting on June 16, players will be able to buy taunts and skins across PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, the publisher said in a blog post this week.

These are cosmetic items; they do not affect gameplay in any way, though 2K warned that they "may make your teammates and opponents incredibly jealous." Battleborn already has taunts and skins that you can unlock through normal progress, while the game's upcoming DLC will also add more of these.

 

2K also teased that it is looking at "convenient ways" for players to add more bank spaces and loadouts, and new methods to boost their XP and credit payout. However, whatever is added will not affect gameplay, the publisher stressed. There is no timetable yet for when these features might be introduced, but you can leave feedback for 2K in the game's forums.

Here is how much Battleborn's microtransactions will cost:

 

$1.99 for 230 Platinum

$4.99 for 700 Platinum

$9.99 for 1625 Platinum

$19.99 for 3500 Platinum

$49.99 for 9300 Platinum

 

Continues...

 

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Oh Randy

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Patching in MTs after release is incredibly scummy. It's just to avoid it being mentioned in reviews.

 

Randy is one of the most untrustworthy guys in the industry.

[DrunknMunky Veteran]

Just now, Audioboxer said:

Patching in MTs after release is incredibly scummy. It's just to avoid it being mentioned in reviews.

 

Randy is one of the most untrustworthy guys in the industry.

That and during E3 week, where it will be in amongst the avalanche of news

[dipsylalapo Supervisor]

I may have missed something here, but if the micro transactions don't make a difference to gameplay, is it really a big issue?

[DrunknMunky Veteran]

11 minutes ago, dipsylalapo said:

I may have missed something here, but if the micro transactions don't make a difference to gameplay, is it really a big issue?

A lot of people do not believe it is very "ethical" that $60 games should include micro-transactions. Especially when they use bait and switch tactics like Battleborn has when reviews have been completed, or like with Overwatch where they are very similar to gambling.

[dipsylalapo Supervisor]

1 minute ago, Andrew said:

A lot of people do not believe it is very "ethical" that $60 games should include micro-transactions. Especially when they use bait and switch tactics like Battleborn has when reviews have been completed, or like with Overwatch where they are very similar to gambling.

Hmm okay. For me, I don't really mind micro transactions if it's just cosmetic stuff. I paid $60 for the game and gamplay, being able to change the colour of my outfit. I really couldn't care less about. That's just me.

[DrunknMunky Veteran]

5 minutes ago, dipsylalapo said:

Hmm okay. For me, I don't really mind micro transactions if it's just cosmetic stuff. I paid $60 for the game and gamplay, being able to change the colour of my outfit. I really couldn't care less about. That's just me.

I can see both sides of the coin, because I have the will power to avoid them too. However, I don't think it's right to include them, as it is designed to make you "jealous" and spend extra. Further, the unlock/progress system is always impacted if you can buy the items in game with real money and virtual game currencies. Your progress, drop rate, item quality etc is always slowed or negatively impacted with micro-transactions, because they are banking on the psychology of you becoming impatient and buying them instead.

[MightyJordan]

This was planned from the beginning, so yeah, guess Randy Pitchford's not even trying to hide his charlatanism now. Shame, I used to like him because of Borderlands. I'm just gonna leave this video here; it might make some of you feel better...

 

 

[trag3dy]

I'm not trolling when I ask this. Does anyone even play Battleborn anymore? It did okay the first few days it came out and then from what I've seen most people quickly got bored with the game because it's very repetitive.

 

I mean obviously there are some people who enjoy it a lot but...?

[DrunknMunky Veteran]

10 hours ago, trag3dy said:

I'm not trolling when I ask this. Does anyone even play Battleborn anymore? It did okay the first few days it came out and then from what I've seen most people quickly got bored with the game because it's very repetitive.

 

I mean obviously there are some people who enjoy it a lot but...?

The game has all but died. I think peak numbers hover around 1K on Steam.

[MightyJordan]

10 hours ago, trag3dy said:

I'm not trolling when I ask this. Does anyone even play Battleborn anymore? It did okay the first few days it came out and then from what I've seen most people quickly got bored with the game because it's very repetitive.

 

I mean obviously there are some people who enjoy it a lot but...?

Let's put it this way: There are more people "playing" a piece of graphics card overclocking software on Steam than Battleborn...

 

...and just because I've been reminded of this in the comments, I'm gonna post it:

 

[George P Global Moderator]

Usage numbers tanking might be why they're adding MT now, you have to think if sales/usage was strong like at the start they'd have less need to.   I'm really tired of this f2p mobile trend console and PC titles are on.  Sure it's fine for mobile, I could care less on my smartphone but come on guys.    I'm also tired of this MP/Co-op/online only trend to, ala division and titanfall and so on.   I'm going to hold on to my love of SP narrative driven AAA games till i'm old and crusty and ready to die.   Screw this MP online loving trend as well, kill it with fire I say!

[madd-hatter]

On 6/15/2016 at 8:56 AM, Andrew said:

However, I don't think it's right to include them, as it is designed to make you "jealous" and spend extra. ... The game has all but died. I think peak numbers hover around 1K on Steam.

I agree that most MTX options are closer to evil than they are consumer demand.

 

However, if it comes to a nearly dead game, releasing non-gameplay related MTXs, all I can really think is that a fool and his money are soon parted...

The MTXs may exist bc of the game's poor state. I don't blame the crew behind Battleborn for trying to recover their (poor) investment. Expected behavior.

[DrunknMunky Veteran]

Latest is the game is going F2P in a "number of months", according to Kotaku's source. Supposedly Gearbox wanted to go F2P from the start, but 2K forced them to go "buy to play".

[MightyJordan]

34 minutes ago, Andrew said:

Supposedly Gearbox wanted to go F2P from the start, but 2K forced them to go "buy to play".

Won't surprise me in the slightest if that's true. It's always the publishers that get greedy and screw it up (like with Deus Ex Mankind Divided; Square Enix forcing Eidos at the last minute to shove in microtransactions and an F2P-like game mode).

[spaceelf]

48 minutes ago, Andrew said:

Latest is the game is going F2P in a "number of months", according to Kotaku's source. Supposedly Gearbox wanted to go F2P from the start, but 2K forced them to go "buy to play".

I honestly still haven't even given the game a look, after Borderlands 3 I washed my hands of it all.  Is it worth trying if it does go F2P?

[DrunknMunky Veteran]

14 hours ago, LostCat said:

I honestly still haven't even given the game a look, after Borderlands 3 I washed my hands of it all.  Is it worth trying if it does go F2P?

Definitely. It has some issues, but nothing that other games don't suffer. It is the decisions outside of the actual game which have hurt it most.

 

Randy tweeted shortly after Kotaku's article:

 

Which he later elaborated on to say a trial version is possible:

 

Gearbox denies rumor that Battleborn is going free to play, but says a "trial version" is planned

[MightyJordan]

Well, I'm sure the several hundred people that are still playing it will be pleased when the trial version comes out. I'll give it a try when it's out. They've probably left it too late, though, as Paladins is set to suck up most of the F2P Overwatch crowd.

 

Something else worth mentioning...

Has Randy never heard of World of Warcraft or StarCraft II? They are Blizzard games, so maybe he's pretending they don't exist. I'm pretty sure Killzone 3 and Uncharted 3 on the PS3 did this, too, with the multiplayer side of the games.