With all of the new games being released, it can become difficult to keep up with them. With so many reviews and reviews on reviews, is MTX in this game worth its price tag?
“Why are path of exile microtransactions so expensive” is a question that has been asked many times. Path of Exile is an online action role-playing game that uses the MTX system to fund its development. The developers have stated that their goal with MTX is to make sure players can enjoy the game without having to spend money, but it seems like they’ve failed at this task.
Eververse and different MTX in Destiny2 have been the subject of several complaints throughout the years. The $25 Anniversary DLC and the Dungeon DLC, which has yet to be priced, have recently been the subject of heated controversy. I agree that $20 for a single armor set is a lot of money, but is there a purpose for it, or is Bungie simply a bunch of selfish jerks? Let’s have a look at some fast math.
According to them,
According to mmo-population.com, the highest number of players in a single day is about 1.5 million. Let’s pretend that all of these gamers purchase each expansion and season individually for the sake of simplicity (a good part of them actually buy the Deluxe version, which is cheaper, but I’m trying to give Bungie as much money as possible). This equates to around $120 million in annual revenue (1.5*$40 + 1.5*$10*4). Of course, taxes must be paid, which average about 8.5 percent (gamedeveloper.com). Bungie, on the other hand, does not see all of this money; beyond $50 million in sales, Steam gets a 20% share. Bungie will only earn around $87 million if Xbox and Sony follow suit (online sources claim 30%, but this might change depending on how much money the game generates).
Bungie wages vary from $60K to $180,000 per year, with an average of $90K. Bungie had 600 workers before they grew. There is no definitive figure at this time, however it seems that they now employ at least 900 people. 900 people earning an average of $90,000 equals $81 million. Around $6 million is left over for advertising, contractors, bonuses, power, equipment costs, and equipment upkeep (This is a rough estimate, it could be slightly more or less). I’m not sure what constitutes a contractor for them, but I’m guessing it includes play testers, a legal team, the symphony, and maybe voice actors. Furthermore, all of the ‘free’ content is paid for with whatever money they have left over, which means that the more money they have, the more/better quality ‘free’ raids/missions we may receive.
Bungie seems to be just about breaking even based only on expansions and seasons. As a result, I can see why Bungie would want to include MTX. It enables them to benefit from a game that takes so much time, effort, and money to create, as well as grow and provide some insurance in case the player base suffers a setback. Is $20 too much for an armor set and an exotic ornament? Probably, but I don’t believe it’s as severe as everyone claims. In terms of the Anniversary DLC, $25 gets you nine unique armor sets, three helmets, anniversary and replayed D1 weaponry, a sparrow, a ship, four emotes, a dungeon, and a ‘free’ 6-player activity. Furthermore, if the leaks are accurate, we may get additional weaponry. In terms of the Dungeon DLC, I expect it will be decently priced as well, but I can’t tell for sure until we know the exact pricing.
TL;DR: Eververse products are pricey; yet, given Bungie’s lack of earnings from expansions and seasons, this is reasonable.
Thank you very much for attending my TED Talk.
Please bear in mind that these are just approximations. Because the exact data aren’t publicly accessible, I had to conduct some detective work. I just wanted to raise awareness of all that goes into making and maintaining a game.
Sources:
https://mmo-population.com/r/destiny2/stats
https://www.polygon.com/22409511/microsoft-store-pc-revenue-share-steam-epic-games
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/disciplines/game-refunds-the-hidden-costs-of-getting-to-net-on-steam-2
https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/finance/taxfaq
https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Bungie-Salaries-E284423.htm
https://www.owler.com/company/bungie
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Path of exile is a game that has been in the market for quite some time now. The developers have made it clear that they are not going to make any changes to the pricing structure. However, this does not mean that MTX in this game are overpriced. Reference: path of exile expensive.
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