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Does Borderlands 3 have microtransactions?

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ggx2ac

ggx2ac

Sales Heaven or Sales Hell?
Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,504
So it all started with this article in which Randy Pitchford decided to lash out at Game Informer:


Randy Pitchford said:

Come on guys - shitty clickbait headline. Literally seconds before I said that, I made it very clear we're going to do more cosmetic stuff like we did in Borderlands 2. You know I was talking about premium currency and loot boxes kind of stuff NOT being in our game.

Andy McNamara of Game Informer has defended the article:

Andy McNamara said:

In my opinion, you can't say no micro transactions when there's micro transactions and then be angry we made a tweet focusing on that angle. Apologies you don't like the "despite" @DuvalMagic. It clarifies what we feel is a misleading comment which the story lays out


Randy Pitchford said:

I cannot believe that your response here is to double down on an implication made in the tweet that I was being misleading. Watch the stream for yourself. I was doing the opposite of being misleading. This was the most transparent preview event I have ever heard of!

Andy McNamara said:

Clear would be a statement like, "we have micro transactions but they are cosmetic and don't effect gameplay." That's my opinion. Calling us names doesn't seem constructive. I'm sorry we disagree.


Randy Pitchford said:

"Calling you names" - you guys called me a liar. I need to know - Is your position here that I lied?

Andy McNamara said:

No one called you a liar. We are saying the message is confusing and we wrote a story to clarify it.

Does Borderlands 3 have microtransactions?
https://www.gameinformer.com/2019/05/01/borderlands-3-wont-have-loot-boxes
"We're selling cosmetic items, but we're not going to nickel and dime players," said Gearbox's Paul Sage in an interview with us. "DLC will come down the line, but the game won't have anything excessive."
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If you're required to obtain DLC via transaction of money, then it is a microtransaction.

If the DLC is free, then obviously it is not a microtransaction.

Edit:

Go to the threadmark or the following link for Randy's 18 tweets regarding that article:
https://www.resetera.com/threads/does-borderlands-3-have-microtransactions.114714/post-20401196

https://twitter.com/GI_AndyMc/status/1123733736779067392?s=19
Andy McNamara said:
Tell me what in the story is wrong and we will correct it? Give us a statement. I want accurate reporting but we are allowed to have a view and an opinion and I have tried to clearly lay out our stance.
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https://twitter.com/DuvalMagic/status/1123742480741146625?s=19
Randy Pitchford's eighteen tweets said:
Thank you. 1/ With Borderlands 3 I have made a commitment to consistency with how things were done in Borderlands 2. I am proud of our record of good will and best-in-class customer value with the main games and with DLC we added as our fans demanded more content.

2/ Borderlands 3 will be consistent with what players have come to expect from prior Borderlands games - except Borderlands 3 is a bigger, better and more valuable experience. We expect that to continue as we look at campain DLC as well.

3/ During our preview event, I stood on stage in front of a live audience of press and streamers and an on-line audience of hundreds of thousands of gamers to share the first ever game play of Borderlands 3.

/4 We started at the very beginning of the game and let people see everything as it actually is. After an hour long presentation with live, honest game play we invited our live audience to play *unguided* for 90m of free play, live streaming to their audiences around the world.

/5 So far today the live streamers have generated well over one million viewer hours of Borderlands 3 live streaming content. I cannot recall a more transparent preview event of this scale (happy to be corrected).

/6 While on-stage I affirmed my commitment that Borderlands 3 was designed to be what a Borderlands game is supposed to be. I talked about story, style and design.

/7 I talked about our commitment to, for example, continued support of local split screen coop and off-line play - this in a world where shooter looters are forcing on-line only game-as-service models only.

/8 I made a commitment that Borderlands 3 would be supported after launch with big, fun, valuable campaign DLC and character modifications. I made a commitment to this feeling right-at-home to players of previous Borderlands games.

/9 Our post launch plans are in flux as we are finishing the main game, but we have committed to a robust season pass that I am confident will be measurable later as an even better value proposition than Borderlands 2, which is the reigning gold standard for season pass value.

/10 Our post-launch plans are in flux, but I made a commitment that Borderlands 3 would not pursue F2P style monetization.

/11 I believe Game Informer to have a clear understanding of what was done in Borderlands 2 and that it can clearly differentiate that from what is done in F2P games. I believe Game Informer should be in a great position to offer clarity.

/12 I trust and believe you, Andy, that Game Informer's intent was to clarify and not confuse. I agree that the few words I chose on stage left room for them to be construed towards confusion. I like Game Informers potential to avoid such confusion.

/13 I know you are objective enough to see how the words that Game Informer twitter authors chose led some Game Informer readers to take the meaning that GI was calling me out as being misleading... lying.

/14 I am grateful for you confirmed that you understand and believe that I did not lie - did not have intent to lie. Because I love and trust Game Informer (and know GI's readers trust it too), it is important to me to have that piece of mind.

/15 I agree that Game Informer can provide a valuable resource for gamers for clarity and detail. I hope that Game Informer can find a way to confirm our commitment to post launch DLC (campaign and cosmetic) without leading people to believe that there is any intent to mislead.

16/ Thank you in advance for granting me some leniency in my emotional response to this situation. The importance of today combined with the high regard to which I hold you and your magazine combined with past pain points I have suffered all conspired to amplify my sensitivity.

17/ In a moment where I had expected the team and I would be supported and applauded for holding-the-line with our stance on AAA monetization, I was hurt to suffer both claims of dishonesty and a suggestion that we had fallen on this point from Game Informer.

18/ Any help you can offer to help your readers to see Borderlands 3 fairly and see me as you know me would be deeply appreciated. As always, you can reach me at any time. I have always been naturally sincere and transparent with you both on and off the record. Thanks, Andy.
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Last edited:
AxeVince

AxeVince

Member
Oct 26, 2017
580
Microtransactions (sometimes abbreviated as MTX) are a business model where users can purchase virtual goods with micropayments.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microtransaction
A micropayment is a financial transaction involving a very small sum of money and usually one that occurs online.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micropayment

I they sell anything for less than 5$, it's MTX. It's literally the definition of a MTX.
DLC (Downloadable Content) is anything you download, be it 0.59$ or 60$.
Yes, I believe BL3 will have MTX.
 
Trickster

Trickster

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
6,533
I'll say what I said yesterday. In context of what Randy said, it was pretty damn obvious what he meant. But sure, if being technically correct is the main thing one cares about, then it's a lie that there won't be "micro-transactions"
 
Kolx

Kolx

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,505
Randy is full of shit (as usual). Good on GI for calling him out this time.
 
danowat

danowat

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,783
When is a microtransaction not a microtransaction?

When you're trying to sell a game.
 
Assenzio

Assenzio

Alt account
Banned
Mar 18, 2019
775
So now is a microtransaction depending on the price? So TES Oblivion had microtransactions?

They are not the same thing
 
Fat4all

Fat4all

Woke up, got a money tag, swears a lot
Member
Oct 25, 2017
93,054
here
Trickster said:
I'll say what I said yesterday. In context of what Randy said, it was pretty damn obvious what he meant. But sure, if being technically correct is the main thing one cares about, then it's a lie that there won't be "micro-transactions"
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he's the one selling the fucking product, he should be clear on what he's selling
 
Papertoonz

Papertoonz

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,263
Randy really needs to learn to shut up, like you're not gonna sell more copies if you keep talking Randy
 
Eumi

Eumi

Member
Nov 3, 2017
3,518
The game absolutely has micro transactions, Randy's original statement is, purposefully or not, unclear and implies things which just aren't true, and Game Informer's article clarifying this is necessary so nobody who misunderstood the original claim feels fooled.

Randy is really in the wrong here.
 
Einbroch

Einbroch

Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,044
I thought it was pretty clear what he meant, but his reaction has been...very Randy.

All he had to do was say "Apologies for any confusion. I meant 'bullshit' in terms of loot boxes and gambling. We will sell cosmetics and potentially content packs."

Done.
 
CrusoeCMYK

CrusoeCMYK

Member
Oct 25, 2017
446
GI clarified and he threw a tantrum because he believes as long as BL3 doesn't feature the most predatory examples of microtransactions he deserved applause for taking a "stance" against them. Certified wasteman
 

Deleted member 22750

Oct 28, 2017
13,267
Eumi said:
The game absolutely has micro transactions, Randy's original statement is, purposefully or not, unclear and implies things which just aren't true, and Game Informer's article clarifying this is necessary so nobody who misunderstood the original claim feels fooled.

Randy is really in the wrong here.
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Bear

Bear

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,897
Dude should've just said it doesn't have lootboxes if that's what he meant.
 
Santar

Santar

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,026
Norway
I guess it depends what people refer to as "microtransactions".
I always saw stuff you can buy that get used up so you have to keep buying them as Microtransactions. Whereas something you buy just once is just DLC no matter the price.
Like say in MK 11 Time Crystals (a currency you can use up) is a microtransaction but buying a character costume in Borderlands 2 is not.
 

GhostofWar

Member
Apr 5, 2019
512
Wasn't the first ever thing called a microtransaction cosmetic horse armor for oblivion? May not have been the first but it was called that and it was cosmetic.
 
Mr.LightMan

Mr.LightMan

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
484
Yes it has micro transaction. If there's something there that you can buy with real money then yeah.
 
J_ToSaveTheDay

J_ToSaveTheDay

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
18,862
USA
Yes, it has microtransactions.

It has further purchases that can be made with real money. It doesn't matter what the content is, they're microtransactions.

Again, Randy Pitchford seems to exist on another plane of reality and it does not work to his benefit. This is typical Pitchford shit and a huge factor toward why I don't trust Gearbox, despite having loved Borderlands 1 and 2 as I came to realize as a result of my fanship of those games that Randy Pitchford is kind of weird at best and a completely disingenuous idiot (like in this very instance) at worst.
 
Kolx

Kolx

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,505
Trickster said:
He was?
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He wasn't. He knew fans would take the "no MTX" part and parade it and forget whatever came before it and therefor people would think that there's actually no MTX in the game... when there's. That sentence is wrong and making a statement right before it contradicting it doesn't make it alright.
 
YuriLowell

YuriLowell

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,551
Santar said:
I guess it depends what people refer to as "microtransactions".
I always saw stuff you can buy that get used up so you have to keep buying them as Microtransactions. Whereas something you buy just once is just DLC no matter the price.
Like say in MK 11 Time Crystals is a microtransaction but buying a character costume in Borderlands 2 is not.
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A microtransaction is anything that you can buy with real money that is inside of the game.
 
Kormora

Kormora

Member
Nov 7, 2017
1,415
All Randy had to say was what GameInformer said in tweet. Literally him fussing over nothing.
 
Oldmario

Oldmario

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,145
AxeVince said:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microtransaction

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micropayment

I they sell anything for less than 5$, it's MTX. It's literally the definition of a MTX.
DLC (Downloadable Content) is anything you download, be it 0.59$ or 60$.
Yes, I believe BL3 will have MTX.
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it's also worth noting on that page it specifically mentions cosmetics stuff
Items and features available by microtransaction can range from cosmetic (such as decorative character attire) to functional (such as weapons and items). Some games allow players to purchase items that can be acquired through normal means, but some games include items that can only be obtained through microtransaction. Some developers[1][2] ensure that only cosmetic items are available this way to keep gameplay fair and balanced.
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Torpedo Vegas

Torpedo Vegas

Member
Oct 27, 2017
22,675
Parts Unknown.
Trickster said:
I'll say what I said yesterday. In context of what Randy said, it was pretty damn obvious what he meant. But sure, if being technically correct is the main thing one cares about, then it's a lie that there won't be "micro-transactions"
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tenor.gif
 
Alien Bob

Alien Bob

Member
Nov 25, 2017
2,471
Also whoever came up with the word microtransactions should be thrown into a deep ravine
 
PhillyCheeseHorse

PhillyCheeseHorse

Member
Dec 18, 2017
356
You can't change the definition of microtransactions just to slurp up that goodwill, dude. I generally have stayed away from Randy Pitchford related commentary, but lord he's shaped up to be king of the bad take.
 
CrusoeCMYK

CrusoeCMYK

Member
Oct 25, 2017
446
Trickster said:
I'll say what I said yesterday. In context of what Randy said, it was pretty damn obvious what he meant. But sure, if being technically correct is the main thing one cares about, then it's a lie that there won't be "micro-transactions"
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He contradicted himself and outlets are correcting the record. He's making it a bigger deal than it actually is. If anything people are taking umbrage with his fiery denial to a fact not many find issue with.
 
Hamster Plugin

Hamster Plugin

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,843
As far as terminology is concerned "microtransactions" has become synonymous with "in-app purchases" which is different from "DLC". On consoles the technical difference between DLC and microtransactions/in-app purchases is this:

DLC = When purchased, you download a file that allows you to play the content you bought. DownLoadable Content, you see. DLC can only be bought once and if you log in on another account on the console you bought it on, you will still be able to access it on the other account if the purchaser set the console as primary/home.
Microtransactions/In-app purchases = When purchased, a value in your save file or online account is edited. Nothing is downloaded, only this value changes. If this value is a premium currency, it can be purchased repeatedly. If you log in to another account, you will not be able to access the purchase.

If these cosmetics are tied to your save or account in some way, they are microtransactions by definition.
 
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