D&D (2024) The Very Real Possibility and Impact of Microtransactions in One D&D

[cbwjm]

I agree with what you are saying, but I am not sure I see how loot boxes, gambling mechanics, or pay to win get implemented into a virtual tabletop for an RPG. It seems like folks are ignoring some very distinct mechanical differences between a video game and a VTT.

Aren't the wizkids miniatures randomised? I expect it would be like that but for the VTT.

 

[Clint_L]

Aren't the wizkids miniatures randomised? I expect it would be like that but for the VTT.

That's a good thought. It might be. Still be a lot cheaper than getting physical miniatures, I imagine, but I don't see it scratching the same itch, for me anyway.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

My spidey sense is always tingling, when someone speaks about "THE VERY REAL" possibilities, when actually we have close to zero information about something close to two years in the future.
Then in the link is a made up price structure that is nowhere near what we have now and even above the highest number in the unconfirmed leak.

That is just fake news and fear mongering, using a clickbaity title.

 

[Shiroiken]

Microtransactions are unlikely to significantly impact the world of TTRPGs. They're pretty much designed around digital gaming, since there's no way to cheaply print a bunch of smaller products. Unless they try to move the game away from physical books, which will almost certainly meet resistance equal to the OGL debacle, I feel the idea of microtransactions will only affect D&D Beyond and their proposed VTT. The desire to exploit microtransactions might cause these products to fail, but that's a business risk they might choose to take.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

On another note. I do like microtransactions more than macrotransactions.
There are models that work out nicely. Dndbeyond already is one great example.
Good free offer. Maximum expenditure on microtransactions. Fair payment structure in general.

 

[JAMUMU]

I imagine that OneD&D's trajectory will be the same as that of every online service provider, as discussed by Cory Doctorow in his recent Wired article: "The EN-badword-ification of Tik Tok". No link, because bad word in the title, but you should be able to find it if you want. It's a good read.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

In terms of microtransactions, will there be a way to spend $10,000 on the game? Will children be able to put their parents into debt, even accidentally? That's the kind of stuff we see in video games that is predatory in my opinion.

Those are terrible stories, but I wouldn't necessarily call the behaviour predatory. What should be cleaned up in these situations is the lack of warnings when massive amounts of money are being spent on these microtransactions. It's odd (and unfortunate) that these folks banks/credit card companies didn't block/inquire about these large payments (mine sure do!). As well, that layer of security should also exist with the game company; I would buy the argument that a gaming company not implementing this sort of system might be engaging in predatory behaviour. I mean, what are the odds that someone spending that kind of money on an online game is NOT either a child who's somehow gotten a hold of his parents' bank/credit card info or an individual with a gambling addiction?

Having said that, at the end of the day, adults are responsible for their own behaviour. If you have an addiction, please seek assistance. If there is an activity that is benign to most people but is harmful to you and you find too difficult to resist, find someone you can talk to who can help you resist those temptations.

The solution is not to ban activities that some find harmful. But the moral and ethical path IMO is to at least be cognisant of the fact that some of your customers/participants might harm themselves through this activity. Throw up some guardrails to warn, guide or prevent someone from falling through the cracks.

 

[MGibster]

EDIT... I think I might be being overbroad about the definition of microtransactions... DO DLC count? Or is that a sub-transaction, or just a transaction? But a $20 amazing DLC costs a lot less than $100 worth of "gems" or "dubloons" or whatever in game currency might be. I think this is part of "what are they planning?" Even the definition of what microtransactions are is somewhat nebulous, at least so far in this thread, and to me in general, the more I think about it.

Not all DLC qualifies as a microtransaction. If you're talking about an expansion pack, like Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast released in 1999 as an add on for Baldur's Gate, it was $20-30 at the time, so not a microtransaction. We might quibble over how high something might be priced and still be considered a microtransaction, but generally it's going to be priced fairly low so customers make those impulse buys. But as you note, people can spend a lot on microtransactions, often times without even realizing it, and that's what the company wants. A customer might think twice about a $20 purchase, but might make several low dollar purchases throuhout the month that ends up adding up to much more.

If you use a VTT, you still can't just sit down and play D&D for 15-20 minutes. It's still a roleplaying game that needs to be organized with other players. There's still a DM calling the shots.

For now. I expect WotC will attempt to standardized how D&D is played in their walled garden in order to create a more favorable market for their new business model.

 

[mamba]

What ultimately got TSR in the end was the way they managed their cash. The first was their odd arrangement with Random House where they would pay TSR up front for their books on the assumption that they would all sell.

I am aware, I read the book

Those books not selling and Random House after years actually wanting all the money they had advanced back is what did TSR in (and the factoring contributed because it meant you could not react to what sold well and what didn’t over those years).

Had those books sold, TSR would have been fine. Had they not have had the Random House deal, they would have gone under sooner. Either way you look at it, the books not selling is what killed them.

With a big helping of TSR having no idea of how much money they made per book on the individual products, resulting in them having products they lost money on with every sale. So I guess they should consider themselves fortunate those did not sell better

 

[mamba]

EDIT... I think I might be being overbroad about the definition of microtransactions... DO DLC count? Or is that a sub-transaction, or just a transaction? But a $20 amazing DLC costs a lot less than $100 worth of "gems" or "dubloons" or whatever in game currency might be.

to me DLCs are not, not at this price point. Then a D&D adventure would also be a microtransaction, and at that point everything is, making the term useless.