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Apex Legends New Timed Event Takes Monetization To A Whole New Level

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Nothus

Nothus

Member
Oct 26, 2017
984
So Respawn and EAs free to play take on the battle royale genre just received a free update today that introduced a solo play mode that will run for the next two weeks. In addition to the new mode, they also promoted the event with the promise of some new skins for the characters (among other things).

The event has been live for a few hours now and people have been quick to spot the outrageous levels of monetization that has been implemented into the event.
Here's a quick summary:

  • 24 of the new cosmetic items can only be obtained via rng loot boxes.
  • The game will give you two loot boxes for free by playing the game, but that's it. After that you have to buy more loot boxes, ten of them will cost you $70.
  • Even if there are no dupes, getting hold of all 24 items would therefore cost $154.
  • Once you've done that, there's another item you will then have to pay a further $35 to unlock.
  • There is NO WAY to acquire a specific item, not even with real money. Literally all items are locked behind rng crates.

It's disappointing because the game is still a ton of fun to play and the new mode could have been a nice little addition for a while, especially if there was the incentive of some decent character skins for playing it. But nope, gotta milk the community for all their worth and get that $$$. Shame on REspawn and EA for this mess.
 
benzopil

benzopil

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,150
What's funny is that I would throw my money at the screen to buy Lifeline skin and R-99 skin ASAP but with this lootbox shit I won't ever bother giving them any dollars
 
MrConbon210

MrConbon210

Member
Oct 31, 2017
7,646
I mean the game is free and there's nothing in the lootboxes that give the player a gameplay advantage so it doesn't really bother me.
 
Trickster

Trickster

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
6,533
Remember kids, Respawn were supposedly free to make whatever kind of game they wanted, and this is what they made
 
nib95

nib95

Contains No Misinformation on Philly Cheesesteaks
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
18,498
It's a fucking joke. I was going to buy a few loot crates just to support the game, but £50 for 10 loot crates for just a small chance at getting maybe a few of the items you want? Fuck that you greedy plebs. Shit like this makes me wonder why I even support them in the first place. Yes this stuff is only cosmetic, but it's outrageously priced and horrendous value proposition.
 
SirKai

SirKai

Member
Dec 28, 2017
7,365
Washington
Yeah the "progression" for this event is a total sham. I'm totally stunned there's a maximum of only two boxes to earn for the whole event without paying. I love Apex but this is some bullshit and I'd be thoroughly heart broken if I was attached to any of the event skins.
 
TheRed

TheRed

Member
Oct 31, 2017
2,658
I saw all the stuff when I went to play. It just is all a convoluted mess with these RNG mechanics. My eyes glaze over and I ignore all loot box stuff. If they would offer skins directly I would actually buy stuff.
 
MadLaughter

MadLaughter

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
13,083
This is why I still play Overwatch and don't still play Apex:

Overwatch will give you 1 lootbox, every level, forever.
Apex stops arbitrarily at some point.

The OW levels don't infinitely and exponentially increase in XP or anything, either. No bullshit. The Apex system is fucking shameless, it's like they think we are blind.
 
Einbroch

Einbroch

Member
Oct 25, 2017
17,970
Dunno. The fact that you can't get dupes and you can get all the items for a flat amount seems fine? And they're just cosmetic? Yeah, the price is high, but the actual method seems like an alright compromise.
 
fracas

fracas

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,634
Those prices are dumb but I stopped reading after "cosmetic." If someone wants to drop a ton of cash on a skin, OK then.
 
medyej

medyej

Member
Oct 26, 2017
6,419
The monetization of this event is god awful. Every person I knew who was interested in it just got immediately turned away. Great job EA.
 
OP
OP
Nothus

Nothus

Member
Oct 26, 2017
984
Einbroch said:
Dunno. The fact that you can't get dupes and you can get all the items for a flat amount seems fine? And they're just cosmetic? Yeah, the price is high, but the actual method seems like an alright compromise.
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It's the fact that you don't even get to choose what you want though. Imagine setting your sights on a specific skin. You have no way to get it, even with real money, without having to go through rng and hoping for the best.
 

SecondNature

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,149
I dont really take issue with a F2P game trying to get you to spend, but games like Fortnite are F2P, do the cosmetics far better, and are far more interesting to unlock.

I wonder if EA is happy with the profits in this game.
 

Deleted member 2254

user requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
21,467
Yeah, the even itself wouldn't be bad. The map update is cool, Solo is a different experience with its charme and some of the skins are cool. But no way I'm spending this kind of money on RNG skins.
 
Einbroch

Einbroch

Member
Oct 25, 2017
17,970
Nothus said:
It's the fact that you don't even get to choose what you want though. Imagine setting your sights on a specific skin. You have no way to get it, even with real money, without having to go through rng and hoping for the best.
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I agree it's not ideal, but "a whole new level" seems hyperbolic.
 
Zeroro

Zeroro

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,406
Yeah, the store page looks like god damn hieroglyphics. Confusing as fuck. It's really easy for me not to reward EA with money for trash like this.

Solo mode's fun, but the event challenges/"progression" may as well not even be there.
 

Deleted member 8784

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
1,502
The prices for 'anything' in this game have always been absolutely outrageous, but the game is free and everything is cosmetic, so it's not really that bad. I refuse to play lottery boxes of any kind, but some of you are trying a bit too hard here.
 
maximumzero

maximumzero

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,896
New Orleans, LA
For me it's the randomization of the whole thing. If they want to sell cosmetic skins just sell the fucking skins. Don't sell a randomized chance to get a skin, for fuck's sake.

But it's fucking Electronic Arts, who expected anything less?
 
nib95

nib95

Contains No Misinformation on Philly Cheesesteaks
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
18,498
benzopil said:
What's funny is that I would throw my money at the screen to buy Lifeline skin and R-99 skin ASAP but with this lootbox shit I won't ever bother giving them any dollars
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Yeap, those are the two I want too, but I'm not throwing down 50 bloody pounds just for chance at maybe getting one or more of these items. It's just not worth it. The randomness of it takes it from just being awfully priced, to instead being somewhat exploitative. Gambling so to speak.
 
Papercuts

Papercuts

Prophet of Truth
Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,010
Yeah, it's absurd. $7 per lootbox, and if you get all the items you literally unlock the privilege of buying Bloodhound's axe heirloom, for 3500 coins.

you unlock the ability to spend $35 on an item

bruh

And the usual lootbox BS applies. Want a specific skin? You get 2 of these boxes for free with challenges. Otherwise it's $7 a rip and no way to just buy the singular skin you want. While a huge portion of the playerbase is amassing over a hundred thousand of this extra currency Apex always gives out that is basically pointless.
 
ManNR

ManNR

Member
Feb 13, 2019
2,958
I don't play the game so pardon my shock: They don't even allow you to unlock lootboxes through play? You have to buy them outright?
 

Deleted member 8196

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
9,859

lupinko

Member
Oct 26, 2017
6,154
MadLaughter said:
This is why I still play Overwatch and don't still play Apex:

Overwatch will give you 1 lootbox, every level, forever.
Apex stops arbitrarily at some point.

The OW levels don't infinitely and exponentially increase in XP or anything, either. No bullshit. The Apex system is fucking shameless, it's like they think we are blind.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Yeah, iirc OW's levels are always 20K. I still think Blizzard did a good job.
 
Hella

Hella

Member
Oct 27, 2017
23,396
It's horrific but also extremely in line with some other games on the market.

Until regulation finally hits the industry, this is what video games are now.
lupinko said:
Yeah, iirc OW's levels are always 20K. I still think Blizzard did a good job.
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Overwatch actually used to have an incremental system where early levels required less xp than later ones. When they flattened it out they reduced the total XP required a bit, but it was clearly done so no one could blitz through levels in a seasonal event (thus ruining whatever RNG they wanted to impose on players).

Everything is designed around the loot boxes.
 
Tawpgun

Tawpgun

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
9,861
"I can't believe how much money this money grabbing greedy ass company wants me to spend for purely cosmetic items in this free update for this free to play game I really enjoy playing for free"

Respawns monetization has been spectacularly bad though. Battle Pass is super boring. Most cosmetics are not that great. But like, people dropping a game they otherwise enjoy because they can't dress their character up a certain way? C'mon.
 

Dongs Macabre

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,284
This is exactly how Siege's cosmetic events work, isn't it? No dupes but you only get one or two free rolls?
 
MadLaughter

MadLaughter

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
13,083
Everything is cosmetic in Overwatch too, but those lootboxes aren't seven goddamn dollars and they let you get them through playing a reasonable amount of time.

Probably higher quality stuff, too, based on what I've seen of the Apex cosmetics.
 
Cecil

Cecil

Chicken Chaser
Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,445
Ten lootboxes for a price that's more then a new F2P title? That's hard for anyone to defend. Unless you're a creature without a spine, that somehow still manages to wear a suit.
 
Einbroch

Einbroch

Member
Oct 25, 2017
17,970
Hella said:
It's horrific but also extremely in line with some other games on the market.

Until regulation finally hits the industry, this is what video games are now.
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I'm curious what regulation would stop this practice?

The odds are right there, I assume. You can't get dupes, so there's a flat amount you can spend and get what you want, the amount just depends on RNG, so you can't argue "unlimited spending". The game isn't aimed at kids, so there's nothing stopping it there.
 
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