Look at what you did! God damn pets! Pets!? And the real kick in the nuts is how these aren’t simply free throw-away extras; Microsoft actually expect people to pay £2 for these avatar accessories.
Microsoft’s strategy of “gamers buy the consoles then play sequels, tweens get whored for money and PR targets your Mum” really is grinding me the wrong way. I’m just about getting used to the idea of paying real money (that could otherwise be spent on rent, food or, god forbid, games) for virtual, ego-boosting t-shirts with brand name adverts on that you don’t own and only see in one of the worse user-interfaces ever designed. But this is just getting ridiculous.
For that many Microsoft “if it’s not real currency you won’t care” Points you could buy three full Xbox Indie Games. But who wants that when you can have a dog in a handbag that you can show your virtual friends? All this shows me is that Microsoft have got all the money they can out of my demographic and are moving on, and they don’t care who knows it.
Hi, I’m Bob Executive. Which way is Business?
iTunes
Is ‘ridicules’ an intended typo?
I will never understand paying actual money for superfluous virtual stuff (also see Second Life). While you could make a value argument for DLC, this goes straight to the money whoring category.
But hey, at least shareholders will be pumped.
@triumphofhearts: no
I though it may have been an attempt at adding a kind of French swing.
Now I feel silly..
This trend is troubling. If people think they need to differentiate a crumby virtual avatar by paying real money to do so, then either their ego has reached a point to where it’s eating itself, or they are so insecure, they need to put down their controller and pick up a self help book. You are not your shit, much less, your worthless virtual shit that does nothing.
I don’t mean for that to come off as pretentious as a line from Fight Club, but there it is and I’m sticking to it.
@triumphofhearts: well that’s what you get for correcting my spelling :P
@ouched: I very much agree. I think with enough people saying “wtf is this?” some kind of message may be passed along.
@ @wardrox:
Agreed. In a sane world, this sort of thing would be mocked relentlessly and swept under the rug faster than Playstation Home.
However, as this is being pitched to the general populace of X-Box Live, the person who thought this up at Microsoft can probably count on a bonus large enough to buy a nice new car, if not a small yacht.