What constitutes anti-consumer behaviour?

[Martin Berisford]

With the term being bandied around more and more lately given Epic's emergence into the gaming market, I wanted to get a feel for what people thing actually is anti-consumer in terms of gaming. Is it things like games being locked to a certain device/console (exclusivity and that kind of stuff) or things like pricing regionally. Like things in America tend to be $99 but in the UK it also seems to be £99 when 99 US Dollars is more like £80, that's what really grinds my gears anyway.

Anyway, let's hear it from you lot. What constitutes anti-consumer behavior for you?

 

[Nova]

I think what many games are doing these days in the name of microtransaction is purely anti consumer. And people who prefer freemium games are abandonding many games. And that trend seems to be continuing. I think this needs to change now.

 

[Ash]

Paying for online seems to be pretty anti-consumer. I shouldn't have to pay again to play online on the PlayStation 4 when I'm already paying for my damn internet.

 

[Demon_skeith]

Locking everything behind DLC and other pay methods. Thanks for spending $60 on this game, now spend another $100

 

[Ash]

I don't mind DLC if it actually adds something to a game and it isn't content that was originally removed from the game to try and make more money from us.

 

[Nova]

I think these days microtransaction and the loot boxes is what makes anti consumer practice. And adding the pay wall per level is even worst thing that is going on with the gaming studios lately. So bad that it's not worth playing those games as well.

 

[Demon_skeith]

I don't mind DLC if it actually adds something to a game and it isn't content that was originally removed from the game to try and make more money from us.

I don't mind either, but these days almost every game has an obvious cash grab or could have been free.

 

[Ash]

Which is why I think Fortnite did so well at the start and is so doing somewhat well right now. It completely changed what developers were trying to go for. No pay-to-win and a free game that only sells cosmetics.

 

[Nova]

I think lot of android games are losing the momentum because they keep the essential items for paid and that often changes the outcome of the game. I hope this trend changes. If you want, make the game paid for the people and I am sure they will even buy it.