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PC Gamer writer wants to quit multiplayer because...Battle Passes exist.

Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
This is some Kotaku level lameness.

https://www.pcgamer.com/battle-passes-make-me-never-want-to-play-a-multiplayer-game-ever-again/


"I largely expected it to be the same situation with Overwatch 2(opens in new tab). Though I got plenty of enjoyment out of the first game, the addition of a battle pass was incredibly off-putting to me. I've never been a fan of them, as evidenced by my inability to complete one until now. They feel lazy, tacky, and completely at odds with how I've traditionally enjoyed playing games. Now I've reached level 80 on Overwatch 2's first battle pass and 'gotten my money's worth' so to speak, do I feel any different? Absolutely not. If anything, finally completing a battle pass has further cemented my belief that they're one of the worst inventions to infiltrate our hobby in a hot sec."

I know Mollies job is to drive clicks but this really grinds my gears. Apparently the worst thing in gaming is optional content that doesn't impact gameplay rather than poor or unambitious game design. Her next article about feeling forced to buy every article of clothing at Forever 21 should be a doozy.
 

Fuz

Banned
Morgan Freeman Reaction GIF by MOODMAN
 

Griffon

Member
Battle passes are just barely disguised subscriptions (it's especially visible when gameplay content like new playable heroes are tied to it).

I enjoy Overwatch, but not enough to pay 40€ per year to have the new heroes (and you know the "free" way to obtain the said content is made obnoxious and grindy on purpose).

... I guess it's less bad than lootboxes that financially bled a minority of fragile-minded people. But I wasn't one of those and the new yearly price is hard to justify here.
 
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MiguelItUp

Member
I don't have an issue with Battle Passes when they work, which in my opinion is only with F2P games. The problem is I feel like a lot of existing IPs are poorly incorporating Battle Passes because they believe they're the "in" thing, or that that's what current gamers want. It's an "easy" way to keep players playing and working towards "something." But when it's a fully priced game and they incorporate such a thing it truly does feel... greedy, lazy, etc. Unlockables can STILL exist without a Battle Pass. Hell, you could even incorporate a Battle Pass-like format that is automatically provided, etc.

I'm just tired of seeing EVERYTHING having a Battle Pass now. They're basically the new loot boxes.
 
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I'm not even sure you can excuse them as optional. I mean yes they are optional, but you have no idea how the mere existence of the battle pass influenced the game design. Did they make certain things more grindy to better tie to battle pass progression? Did they put cosmetics or other items that would have been in the base game in the battle pass just to give it content? Are they holding back content to spread over time?

I just think it is incredibly naive to consider them truly an optional influence on games, it would be like saying the ability of devs to release day one patches had no effect on how complete games are at launch.
 

Arsic

Gold Member
They are designed to create FOMO and suck you into never leaving that game. It’s how a lot of these BR games remain relevant is because if you don’t play everyday you’ll miss out on all the content .

It’s crappy too if you come back to a game you haven’t touched for a while, like what’s in a BP, but then realize you only have 4 days until a new season starts so this content will be gone forever. Then your only option if the game has it is to buy level skips in the battlepass to acquire these cosmetics.

No they don’t effect the gameplay, but BP have a major impact now in how players spend their time with games, and the FOMO I imagine when studies come out will be linked to similar addictive behavior manipulation as gambling addicts etc.

The only good BP format IMO is Halo Infinite. You can switch to any old battlepass and buy that pass to grind. Making the content always available to earn even later on. Making the content developers make and spend time on not be limited. Infinite sucks at many things but this is one takeaway all other games with BPs should do going forward.
 

mitch1971

Member
The problem I find with certain content in battlepasses, especially MP shooters, is that they move the main point of game to abitrary tasks to unlock useless or pointless rewards. The point of a MP game (especially Team games) is to win; that's what everyone geared towards achieiving years ago, when a game was just a game, and not something that had monthly directives. Now, you get a pass with directives that incourage you to get x amount of kills with this sniper from this place on the map, or kill enemies using x and y vehicle. Regardless if you need a vehicle or weapon for the present situation the teams are in, you find people cueing up to get in tanks, or all sitting on a mountain top trying to get kills with the snipers. There is no incentive to get an advantage for your team, just the point of following a battlepass instruction to reward you with a new pair of boots or helmet. Playing later BF games really turned me off them when they started adding that kind of shit.
 

Saber

Gold Member
It doesn't matter if you like him or not, BP are crappie as fuck. All those stupid online monetization are a cancer, rather using clever tricks to fool people.
 
Who the fuck would defend battle passes? The main point of them is to create FOMO. Every other system of progress in multiplayer games now revolves around them and that purpose. So much of online gaming is just corporations min/maxing the best way of extracting money from players. It’s all disgusting and embarrassing and is definitely ruining shit.
 

Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
I'm not even sure you can excuse them as optional. I mean yes they are optional, but you have no idea how the mere existence of the battle pass influenced the game design. Did they make certain things more grindy to better tie to battle pass progression? Did they put cosmetics or other items that would have been in the base game in the battle pass just to give it content? Are they holding back content to spread over time?

I just think it is incredibly naive to consider them truly an optional influence on games, it would be like saying the ability of devs to release day one patches had no effect on how complete games are at launch.

You're right, but there may be more context you haven't included...

1. Pay full price up front.
2. Monthly subscription.
3. Included w/ GamePass.
4. F2P w/ Battle Pass cosmetics.
5. P2W.

All models have an impact on game design in order to extract the most from consumers. Of the 5 major payment models, isn't the F2P Battle Pass model the "most optional"?

Plus, the PC Gamer writer doesn't even make your point. She basically says she's incapable of not pursuing cosmetics...to which I say...don't go outside because there's a loooot of industries that try to entice customers with cosmetics.
 
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"we don't want loot boxes, let us be able to buy things"
ok
"we don't want to buy stuff, let us earn it in game"
ok
"we should just unlock stuff by buying the game"
ok
"wtf, why do I have to buy your game?"

In the case of OW2, heroes should just be there for the start with only cosmetics on the battle pass. There's still an banger of a game there for free even for a new player, but I guess just playing something for fun is a weird concept nowadays.
 

22•22

NO PAIN TRANCE CONTINUE
Trendy games that print money get a continuation for even more money. News at 11?

The articles are wrote by oblivious monkeys
 
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SomeGit

Member
They don't demand it. They offer it optionally if you're interested.
Not in Overwatch 2, you need to grind the battle pass to unlock heroes, Kiriko and the new one Ramattra are tied to the battle pass.

In any case, Battle Passes are a scam, you pay money to unlock stuff but if you don't play enough you don't get any of the stuff. So you essentially pay to grind, otherwise you get nothing and the money is gone.
Halo Infinite seems to be the rare case where you can grind your purchased BP at any time, even after the season is over.
 
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22•22

NO PAIN TRANCE CONTINUE
Bro. "Writer" Its a scheme. It isn't supposed to be like this. Open your goddamn eyes you dunce.

Take a few steps back and look at what's happening and you're ignorantly being a part of ffs
 
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This is some Kotaku level lameness.

https://www.pcgamer.com/battle-passes-make-me-never-want-to-play-a-multiplayer-game-ever-again/


"I largely expected it to be the same situation with Overwatch 2(opens in new tab). Though I got plenty of enjoyment out of the first game, the addition of a battle pass was incredibly off-putting to me. I've never been a fan of them, as evidenced by my inability to complete one until now. They feel lazy, tacky, and completely at odds with how I've traditionally enjoyed playing games. Now I've reached level 80 on Overwatch 2's first battle pass and 'gotten my money's worth' so to speak, do I feel any different? Absolutely not. If anything, finally completing a battle pass has further cemented my belief that they're one of the worst inventions to infiltrate our hobby in a hot sec."

I know Mollies job is to drive clicks but this really grinds my gears. Apparently the worst thing in gaming is optional content that doesn't impact gameplay rather than poor or unambitious game design. Her next article about feeling forced to buy every article of clothing at Forever 21 should be a doozy.

Normally I am all for shitting on gaming "journalists", but in this case - the writer is correct. Battle Passes are shit and ruin MP games. They aren't the biggest problem with the modern MP industry by a long shot, but they aren't something you an easily dismiss either.

This "optional content" is content that used to be available in the game with no added cost. No grinding (or if it was, it was a clear end goal instead of FOMO). I remember in Halo Reach I could play 300 hours and reach the end, unlocking every cosmetic. Now in Halo INifnite, I can play 300 hours unlock a handful and have to pay money for the rest or to unlock the "premium battle pass" that is still mostly trash.

Its fucking cancer.
 

Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
Not in Overwatch 2, you need to grind the battle pass to unlock heroes, Kiriko and the new one Ramattra are tied to the battle pass.

In any case, Battle Passes are a scam, you pay money to unlock stuff but if you don't play enough you don't get any of the stuff. So you essentially pay to grind, otherwise you get nothing and the money is gone.
Halo Infinite seems to be the rare case where you can grind your purchased BP at any time, even after the season is over.

"Battle Passes are the worst economic system, except for all the others."

_80449360_v2.jpg
 

HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
I'm not even sure you can excuse them as optional. I mean yes they are optional, but you have no idea how the mere existence of the battle pass influenced the game design. Did they make certain things more grindy to better tie to battle pass progression? Did they put cosmetics or other items that would have been in the base game in the battle pass just to give it content? Are they holding back content to spread over time?

I just think it is incredibly naive to consider them truly an optional influence on games, it would be like saying the ability of devs to release day one patches had no effect on how complete games are at launch.
Maybe because I am older at 55 but I have zero issue not buying a battle pass or loot bundle or skin off a store if it doesn't interest me

Maybe this is a problem for the younger generation that doesn't have good impulse control?

Where its gets shitty is when on overpowered weapon in a battle pass or bundle on a store.
 

F0rneus

Tears in the rain
Personally, I don't think it's lame at all. Battle Passes are shit. Did UT2k4 have a battle pass? No. Was it amazing? Yes.

Now we buy games, so we can buy more stuff in the game. That's...shitty. Does Mario Kart 8 Deluxe have a battle pass? No. Does Elden Ring? No.

Those passes influence the core design of the game, to target you to pay more and more.
 
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Nocturno999

Member
If game reviewers were worth a damn, they would deduce points of a game if it has a Battle Pass integrated. They are really that bad an exploitatative.
 
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