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Ex-Naughty Dog Community Guy on DLC/Microtransactions: 'You should pay for good work'

S

Septic360

Banned
Mod Abuse:
Edit: This article previously stated that Eric Monacelli is community strategist at Naughty Dog. He has since moved to Infinity Ward as director of communications.
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"But if it's good enough content and you want to pay for it, why not pay for it? That's what it comes down to."
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“A lot of times I'll hear people say: 'That's just something they cut from the game so you can pay for it.' No, often it's not," he retorted.
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"A clear-cut example of that is the burst rifle in The Last of Us. A lot of people thought 'Why are they charging for guns?' We did the research and noticed that a lot of players were having trouble jumping into the game for the first time, so we wanted to give people a weapon that was easily accessible and would give them a bit of a leg-up. There were other weapons if they were a more experienced player that they could buy – it's up to them. If you're already kicking ass, you probably don't need these, but if you want 'em, have 'em. It's just a matter of personal preference.
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“There are hot debates around this all the time in the office, because everybody's got their own opinion. For me, the more thought that's put into DLC, the more you should be able to charge for it, because it's one of those things where you're creating another game unto itself – The Last of Us: Left Behind was another game. It's essentially the second Last of Us game, right?
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"It's work, and you should pay for good work.”
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Locking off a weapon behind a paywall is good work you should pay for apparently.


http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/naughty-dog-on-microtransactions-you-should-pay-for-good-work/0159246
 
J

Jack The Nipper

Banned
he doesn't know what other developers are doing and I am sure a lot of it is something that is sort of cut sat on and sold later. It has been proven time and time again.


Anyways, work on making a full game first, then give us things at a later date that are actually extra. Guns and random crap are not things a lot of people want to pay for imo but maybe they do.


If it's legit content and we want it, of course we would want it post launch. Games are already expensive and they have to consider people don't make the money they do in most jobs.
 
D

Dio

Banned
That's totally fine. I have no problems with them saying this. They have a right to say 'we want money.'

That being said, they'd better be okay with people complaining about it, because I certainly won't buy it.
 
S

Soulflarz

Banned
Microtransactions generally are not 'good work' and the main issues with them can usually be summed up as someone realizing their leveling process is sort of bloated and adding a pay option to shortcut that, because hey, free money!

Where is there good work there? It's the same thing as paying to skip time.
 
H

Hoje0308

Banned
Jack The Nipper said:
he doesn't know what other developers are doing and I am sure a lot of it is something that is sort of cut sat on and sold later. It has been proven time and time again.
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He's in a position to know more than you, and yet you're sure that "a lot of it" is cut to later be sold separate from the main game. Okay...
 
JohnnyFootball

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
Dio said:
That's totally fine. I have no problems with them saying this. They have a right to say 'we want money.'

That being said, they'd better be okay with people complaining about it, because I certainly won't buy it.
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I agree. He said it straight up.

I never once used paid guns in multiplayer. No idea why people felt they had to.
 
K

Klossen

Banned
Is he more or less admitting the DLC weapon in TLOU holds an advantage? That's ridiculous. Why not just offer the best weapons from the start so beginners aren't left as fodder?
 
Moosehole

Moosehole

Member
Naughty Dog should close their mouths about this topic. They make super high quality games, but they are one of the worst offenders of pointless microtransactions.
 
K

Kallor

Member
We did the research and noticed that a lot of players were having trouble jumping into the game for the first time, so we wanted to give people a weapon that was easily accessible and would give them a bit of a leg-up.
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Lol
 
V

VanWinkle

Member
"A clear-cut example of that is the burst rifle in The Last of Us. A lot of people thought 'Why are they charging for guns?' We did the research and noticed that a lot of players were having trouble jumping into the game for the first time, so we wanted to give people a weapon that was easily accessible and would give them a bit of a leg-up. There were other weapons if they were a more experienced player that they could buy – it's up to them. If you're already kicking ass, you probably don't need these, but if you want 'em, have 'em. It's just a matter of personal preference.
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I actually don't like that thought process whatsoever.
 
Y

Yurikerr

This post isn't by me, it's by a guy with the same username as me.
Eeerrr...

That's kind of a shitty explanation. If it was cosmetic stuff no problem. But blocking gameplay elements is not a matter of personal preference.
 
E

enigmatic_alex44

Whenever a game uses "middleware," I expect mediocrity. Just see how poor TLOU looks.
Naughty Dog's really gone down the toilet, huh? They used to be above this.

Will wait for a GOTY edition with DLC on disc.
 
L

Lord of Ostia

Member
PsihoPerihelion said:
Ugh, what a trash company.
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What a trash response. Naughty Dog is not a 'trash company', they make great games. However, I don't really agree with his opinion here. It's been proven people don't mind paying for good work (see the Left Behind DLC) but weapons and other microtransactions are not exactly what I would classify as 'good work' that is worth the money.
 
C

Crossing Eden

Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
Klossen said:
Is he more or less admitting the DLC weapon in TLOU holds an advantage? That's ridiculous. Why not just offer the best weapons from the start so beginners aren't left as fodder?
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He certainly did. Which is why I stopped playing TLOU MP, because it got riddled with a ton of people using them.
 
D

dralla

Member
That example makes no sense. If someone is struggling and they want an easier gun to use, why should they have to buy it? Give it to them for free so they can enjoy your game. Make the weapon available to EVERYONE and not only to people who shelled out money. The microtransations in TLOU are ridiculous and if they're in UC4, they can fuck right off.
 
D

DrArchon

Member
If you think your work is so good then charge $80 for the game, not $60. I'm sure everyone would be fine with that, esp. the lovely folks in Canada.
 
S

SuicidalSteve

Member
I am already paying for good work by purchasing the game at launch full price...I don't want to purchase "coins" because of poor implementation of microtransactions in a AAA game
 
T

The Jackdog

Member
I agree, but paying for weapons in multiplayer that give you a leg up? cmon.

it can be great work you did on the gun and horrible balancing that makes something pay2win.

giving players an advantage in something thats supposed to be competitive and balanced, because they paid 65 bucks instead of your 60 bucks, thats shoddy work.
 
J

Jack The Nipper

Banned
Hoje0308 said:
He's in a position to know more than you, and yet you're sure that "a lot of it" is cut to later be sold separate from the main game. Okay...
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I'm sure he goes to every studio to see how they do their work and cuts, yeah ok...

Like I said, it's been proven it happens with content on disc and sold later. Also, some games are just easy to see they had things cut and or at least unfinished. We pay for games that aren't worth 60 is enough of a reason.
 
W

wingedarcher7

Member
But I do pay for good work..when I buy the game. I understand DLC like additional side stories or extra bosses that add more without being totally necessary (Like TLOU's Left Behind or the DLC for Dark Souls) but having to put in money for a gun? No. Just patch that in for free. Just because the developers didn't purposely exclude it from the game doesn't mean it's something worth paying for.
 
S

Soulflarz

Banned
Hoje0308 said:
He's in a position to know more than you, and yet you're sure that "a lot of it" is cut to later be sold separate from the main game. Okay...
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No he isn't, other than for his games, so please don't defend devs making things take longer.

Klossen said:
Is he more or less admitting the DLC weapon in TLOU holds an advantage? That's ridiculous. Why not just offer the best weapons from the start so beginners aren't left as fodder?
Click to expand...

Unsure since I never used DLC guns but from his statement it completely sounds like that...which is frustrating, since a great playing who is 'kicking ass' gets even better now.
 
P

PeskyToaster

Member
I agree. It's a product in which company resources are invested and they are allowed to sell it and we are allowed to buy it or not. It's not like the paid weapons were any better than the free ones.
 
N

Nightengale

Member
The full quote expands the context a bit more.

“There are hot debates around this all the time in the office, because everybody's got their own opinion. For me, the more thought that's put into DLC, the more you should be able to charge for it, because it's one of those things where you're creating another game unto itself – The Last of Us: Left Behind was another game. It's essentially the second Last of Us game, right?

"It's work, and you should pay for good work.”
Click to expand...
 
C

Chola

Banned
Septic360 said:
We did the research and noticed that a lot of players were having trouble jumping into the game for the first time, so we wanted to give people a weapon that was easily accessible and would give them a bit of a leg-up. There were other weapons if they were a more experienced player that they could buy – it's up to them. If you're already kicking ass, you probably don't need these, but if you want 'em, have 'em. It's just a matter of personal preference.
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ND have said it themselves, can we stop fucking defending the weapon DLCs
 
P

ps3ud0

Member
Man what a shit show of an answer - no ND, non-cosmetic MTs are never a good thing

My impressions of TLoUs MP was that the standard guns were more than fine, but as Ive never bought the others or played MP long enough I dont know if theres a definite pay to win situation - cant help but assume there must be though...

ps3ud0 8)
 
H

Hugstable

Banned
Yeah I wouldn't classify their microtransactions as "good work" in the slightest. I really dislike how ND has handled most of their Multiplayers extras since after UC2. I even enjoyed Last of Us in spite of how it handled Microtransactions, but this is not a good excuse at all.
 
DeepEnigma

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
Jack The Nipper said:
he doesn't know what other developers are doing
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I hear this a lot on here. You will be surprised that a lot know what each other is doing. A lot socialize with each other, and a lot adopt the same practices.

Now game mechanics/design/etc you do not want stolen or borrowed sure, but general practices like this... they know. He speaks from experience, and how they do things, and a lot adopt similar practices.

60EffPeeEss said:
That is the dumbest fucking reasoning I've ever heard.
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So paying for someone's work is a dumb reason?

Tell that to Gamestop, next time you go in and get a game without paying for it, and just walk out.

Taken out of context it sounds brash, but combined with everything he said, that if the quality is there, and they paid people to make said quality, then why not purchase said quality? We do it all the time from rentals to a bag of candy that is gone in an hour.

Just playing a little devil's advocate here, being good friends with a few developers/producers and directors. As well as seeing the inner workings for years.
 
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