No Forced Microtransactions for Square Enix Console Games
One of the hottest topics in the gaming industry right now is microtransactions. Even though the larger game publishers like Take Two and EA have stated that they are probably going to be a vital part of future selling models, fans have been very resistant to the idea. This was most notable during the Star Wars Battlefront 2 backlash that recently occurred.
Not all of the leading industry figures see microtransactions as the best way forward, however. In a recent interview with MCV, Yosuke Matsuda, the CEO for Square Enix, made it very clear that his company is not very likely to force microtransactions into each and every one of its console releases any time soon.
This Selling Model Just Doesn’t Always Work
Matsuda’s reason for this is that he doesn’t feel that this type of selling model always works for console games. He stated that, when you think about the manner in which console games are created, and take the volume of content and huge amount of effort that goes into creating them into account, there is something in all of that which doesn’t work well with the concept of microtransactions. The real money entertainment online gambling Canada provides could probably be grouped in the same category as console games too. Payment for play is upfront and immediate in the case of the latter, and there are not additional costs that players must consider as the game gets underway.
Console Games are Different to Mobile Ones
While microtransactions have become widely accepted as part of mobile games that offer free play, Matsuda acknowledged that this kind of welcome would not necessarily extend to paid for console games. He said that players had different expectations and desires where console games are concerned, and that they are not viewed in the same way that mobile games are.
Square Enix is Not Averse to Service-Based Games
This is not to say that Square Enix is totally averse to the release of additional service-based games by any means. Earlier this year, Matsuda stated in a message to the company shareholders that the games-as-service model would definitely be taken up. He explained that the days of single-player games having primary status in comparison to multiplayer games were gone.
Multiplayer games have taken the lead, according to Matsuda, and it has become standard for these to be designed with long-term play in mind.
It will most likely be the case, then, that Square Enix will carry on with the type of DLC model that is being used in Final Fantasy 15. They have stated that people have purchased these games, and they as a company wanted the games to be enjoyed and played for as long as possible. This meant that additional aspects were added after the game got completed, in order to provide players with further things to enjoy.
The company is not likely to completely eschew microtransactions totally, however, as is evidenced by the fact that they appear in Final Fantasy 14. This is most likely as a result of this game being a huge multiplayer online role-playing game that is additionally available on PC.