Activision Patents Manipulative Microtransaction-Based Matchmaking
Call of Duty 's billion-dollar sales figures come as little surprise. The series reliably performs remarkably well. Destiny 2 was a slightly riskier project — a follow-up to a new, expensive, and divisive intellectual property — and Activision has reason to be happy with its results thus far. The game, however, has experienced a fair share of controversy — Bungie's handling of in-game progression and downloadable content has left many Destiny 2 players upset (and the developer apologizing). Activision has similarly come under scrutiny for the loot box mechanics of Overwatch , a game developed by Blizzard, one of its subsidiaries. But luckily for Activision, the brunt of player backlash has been directed toward EA, its primary publishing rival, due to Star Wars Battlefront 2 's loot boxes . And so, with a strong year soon to be behind it, Activision has plenty of momentum heading into 2
Game Informer first reported on Creutz's findings, which are based on an analysis of gaming company stock prices in the wake of various key releases. Creutz specifically cited drops in the value of Electronic Arts stock following the release of Star Wars: Battlefront II and Activision stock prices dropping after the release of Destiny 2 . While Creutz acknowledged that Destiny 2 had other reasons for attracting the ire of gamers (i.e. a buggy product on release day ), he still pointed to consumer backlash against microtransactions as a key factor in player dissatisfaction. Creutz s
Bungie has been establishing a much more intimate relationship with fans when it comes to information regarding Destiny 2 's future, so Johnson playing coy most likely means that he isn't being hyperbolic regarding the new gameplay mode. If Bungie hasn't informed fans about what to expect from the fall release yet, it's because it is a massive development. Destiny 2 features a detailed roadmap of its content plans that extends into the late summer currently, with no information regarding the expansion in the fall as of
According to Activision, WWII — which broke the company's record for biggest console digital launch — was the year's bestselling console game in North America, extending Call of Duty 's historical dominance. " Call of Duty has been the #1 top grossing console gaming franchise in North America for a staggering nine years in a row," the press release said, noting that the metric is based on revenue. Activision also shared good news about Destiny 2 , which came in at number two, saying that the game has outsold the original Destiny . The press release rounded out with a nod to the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy , which has become the "top selling remastered collection in PS4 histo
Bungie continues working against players as they've now blocked select **Destiny 2 Beginner Guide|Https://Destiny2Mix.Com/ 2 ** end-game content for those who haven't purchased the game's DLC. The game's first mini-expansion, Curse of Osiris , released this past Tuesday and came with new missions - as well as an increase in the game's soft level cap, from 20 to 25, and gear level cap, from 300 to 330 (gear can be increased by 5 using legendary mods) - in addition to introducing new higher-level, end-game content, such as Heroic Stri
Call of Duty WWII __ developer Activision have been granted a patent for a new matchmaking system - one that analyzes player behavior and tweaks their gaming experiences to encourage microtransactions. Loot Boxes and in-game purchases have become increasingly controversial, with more triple-A games releasing with some variation of this component. The recent beta for Star Wars Battlefont II raised the issue of how monetized loot boxes have become problematic. Likewise, the full release of Middle-earth: Shadow of War has been criticized for being pay-to-win, with a Loot Chest system that allows players to use real-world money to purchase followers, gear, and even
Polygon notes that Destiny 2 players can no longer access certain end-game content without purchasing the Curse of Osiris DLC first (and presumably future DLC as well). End-game content, such as Nightfalls and the Raid, have seen their base power level requirements increase, with Nightfalls now requiring players to have a 270 Power Level. While they're still available to the general public, the Nightfall's Prestige variant, which previously required Power Level 300, now requires 330 gear, a level only people who purchased the DLC can obt
Destiny 2 _ will be getting a major game mode update in the fall that will introduce a "whole new style of play," according to Activision president Cody Johnson. _Destiny 2 is already one of the most popular first-person shooter properties in the gaming industry, and is developed by Bungie, the studio behind the iconic Halo ser
While Creutz's analysis cannot be disputed, his speculations on the future seem overly optimistic. While Electronic Arts has stepped back its efforts to push loot-crates in Star Wars: Battlefront II , it is still planning to reactivate the feature at some point following retooling. While there's a chance that stockholders may put their foot down regarding the predatory practice of making microtransactions an unavoidable part of video games, it seems unlikely so long as there are still gamers willing to pay more for bonus cont