Assassin's Creed III is one of the most high-profile multi-platform titles that'll be on store shelves for Wii U's launch. Nintendo gamers can look forward to a number of blockbuster hits that never saw the light of day on Wii, but at the same time these games may introduce one less-popular part of modern gaming: micro-transactions.
It's relatively common not only to see standard paid DLC for extra levels and missions, but also small add-ons of items, weapons and power-ups that give an advantage to those willing to part with more cash. This may be part of the unwholesome DLC apparently rejected by Satoru Iwata for Animal Crossing: New Leaf, but that may not stop it being used by third-parties. A listing has been spotted on the Xbox Marketplace — as well as the US PlayStation Store — for real money purchases of in-game currency for Assassin's Creed III, with the highest value pack of 925 Erudito Credits coming in at around £13.60. Based on the following description, the online multiplayer may be easier if you're willing to spend more.
Buying this pack will grant you 925 Erudito Credits in game, allowing you to acquire some game items, disregarding your current level.
This isn't exactly a new practice, but it'll be interesting to see whether the Wii U eShop will support similar transactions for this title on launch day. When talking about social game mini-transactions back in January — major game transactions of this nature are very similar — Satoru Iwata stated that third-parties would be given flexibility to use this format.
If third-party developers would like to adopt this form of microtransaction, and if this kind of business relationship between the developers and consumers is commonly accepted in Japan, we have no intention to decline it. Please understand that this is totally up to each developer, and I am not in the position to say yes or no. Again, we will not turn down such requests by third party developers as far as they can establish an appropriate relationship with their customers.
With these comments in mind, we doubt that Nintendo would stop Ubisoft — one of its most important third-party publishers — from offering these incentives if the Wii U infrastructure makes it possible. At the time of writing Ubisoft is yet to even officially announce these micro-transactions on Xbox 360 and PS3, but we'll see if any Wii U confirmations follow.
We've already thought about whether Animal Crossing: New Leaf should have paid DLC, but what do you think about optional add-ons that give some a potential advantage in online multiplayer? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
[source eurogamer.net, via worthplaying.com]
Comments 21
Yeah no thanks. I'll be fine with the main game.
Same here, I come from a time when we bought a game and unlocked extras by being good at said game. I dislike to buy a game full price and finding it incomplete and do trust company to make wise decisions about what they put on the disc. I am also a former PC gamer, so I was used to having extra content for free, such as extra maps, mods, models etc... I do not like this strange new world of DLCs and I surely didnt miss them this past generation, but let us see what the future holds for Nintendo...
all the more reason for me to just wait for GOTY edition. Paying for multiplayer weapon early access is also weird.
Remember when you used to unlock special items by finding them in secret areas? Yeah...
As with most AAA games, it's a shame that they tempt you with in-game purchases after you spend 60$ to play the game in the first place.
No one is forcing you to buy things in-game, but you can't help feeling left out when you don't. You shouldn't have to feel left out of anything after paying sixty dollars for a game.
Good for Ubisoft to make more profit but offering players the option to purchase DLC.
face palm
Ubisoft, I really like your games, but you're continually going further down the path of horrible business practices that others trod on before you. Please stop now.
I wonder if they'll use NFC for the Wii U if ever
With all the HD crap now coming to Wii U, I think we're going to need a filter to separate these "news" about microtransactions and boring HD multiplatform games from actual Nintendo news.
@Mahe
So if a game isn't a Nintendo-exclusive, it's not actual "Nintendo news"?
Yeah, no.
i hope its to allow you to get things earlier than you normally would if you actually earn the item in the game.
Paying real money for in-game currency. Isn't that something people have been illegally doing with MMO's for years?
Oh right, this is the publisher doing it, so now it's okay? Seriously, this is the worst type of DLC in my opinion. Giving players who pay money an advantage kind of defeats the whole purpose of it being a game.
@Mahe
"HD crap"?
You do realize that HD is a good thing no matter how you look at it, right? Go to Youtube and find a video of any sort. Now go to the settings for that video and change it to 720p (HD, in other words) and watch a portion of it. Now go back and change the settings to something like 360p. Better yet, put the video on full screen when doing this, and then tell me what you mean by "HD crap."
Also, you do know that Nintendo's first-party games are going to be in HD too, right...?
I really don't like how you can buy yourself a multiplayer advantage. Single, fine, it usually ruins your game but that's your own decision. But multiplayer? Spending so many man hours balancing gameplay and letting microtransactions nullify that effort sounds like silly business as well as chasing consumers away.
I understand revolutionary, huuuuge games require some sort of business model, but countering your very users against the premium experience they buy by using a real world transaction reference in an otherwise perfectly formed alternate world is both counterproductive and deal-breaking. Especially when it affects multiplayer - which is a channelised social interaction - that much. Here's to a fair deal for a great experience, hopefully...
@FiveDigitLP I'm referring to all these disadvantageous practices that have become par with HD games. The Wii was a safe refuge from crap like this.
@FiveDigitLP you forgot the part where companies keep dying because of the cost of HD graphics in HD games
When will people understand that gamers are not happy to pay for a video game, only to know that they need to pay more for it later.
This is the system that drives me away from Freemium, only there it's worse because without it the games typically suck.
With most retail titles it's not so big a deal when you play the campaign, and for multiplayer... I actually can't say much, but I've been enjoying KI/MK7 much more then Wii titles, so I assume it may be a minor problem. Still, not so much unless some bastard pays more then what he/she payed for the game itself, which I assume to be rare.
No thanks.
i wont buy em but go ahead and add em on.
I don't like paying these "extras". Nothing beats unlocking the good stuff because you earned it!
Did anyone play Prince of Persia on the 360 (maybe it was on the PS3, too, I don't know...) anyway, once you "beat" the game, you had to buy the actual ending for another $12 or so.
Just let me unlock by beating the entire game on Hard mode without dying... Or get the cool Item by reaching the hardest ledge...
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