Middle-earth: Shadow of War Microtransactions Can Be Bypassed By Declining the Terms of Service

Middle-earth: Shadow of War has been the center of controversy due to its inclusion of microtransactions and the "pay-to-win" mentality it represents. Now, eagle-eyed players have noticed a way to remove the controversial microtransactions from the game

[Cybermario]

lol nice!

[4Sh0w]

So basically the claims of "a grindfest only to encourage purchase of MT's", or "you can't beat the final act without MT's" are once again false rumors.

These type of games have always been long with grinding by design. Ironically that even used to be a selling point for open world games; NOW it's a bad thing just because optional MT's are present.

Make no mistake ALL gamers would prefer no MT's of anykind but you also have to be reasonable, every industry grows more expensive with at least inflation, most alot more than that. Seriously, let's not be fooled here. Those most annoyed are not those less priviledged, or those who understand growth costs more, or want more studio and less closures NO its the same cheap people who got out their pitchforks out at the mere mention of a increase in retail game prices in well over a decade, yet now they scream when devs offer OPTIONS to the willing to ensure better profit margins.

[Chaosdreams]

Your argument falters the moment you start labeling those opposing your opinion.

If the end game grind feels particularly grueling, and microtransactions exist to speed the process up - that is a negative. If it's true that's it's just the normal grind, then it's still a fault of WB for including it in the first place and creating said suspicion. It will come down to each individuals perception of the time it takes. WB opened themselves up to that scrutiny. They did the damage themselves. This is a AAA game: it shouldn't be there.

If they want more revenue. Increase the cost of purchase by $20-30. Actually, they've done that. With all the editions. Did we forget about those? There's the option right there. So again, this nonsensical reasoning just doesn't fly.

I will not for one second believe that they just decided to pointlessly include the micro transactions as an after thought. They put it there for a reason. And the more people defend it's inclusion, the more they'll try to push it in even further.

Declining the terms of service to remove the feature goes to show how badly people want it out of the game...

[Zeref]

Spot on.
Game development has become more expensive and the price of games hasn't changed for over a decade.
It's either we start paying $80-100 for our games. Or accept Microtransactions as long as they're fair.

I remember there were rumors of EA starting to charge $80 for games in this gen before this generation began. The gaming community was in an uproar of course. Now we don't want Microtransactions either? So do we want Devs to have smaller budgets and start making less impressive games? We can't have both folks unless you want shittier games.
There are real people trying to make these games for us, people that need to feed their families and live too.

[morganfell]

Precisely, The final act lie was told and they had to go back and change their story when it turned out to be false. But not before a lot of people that believe anything they read on the internet took the story and ran with it like wrong way Jim Marshall in 64. Not only did they take an internet story as true but one told by the worst gaming site no less.

And it is humorous that, as the Undertaker stated below, people are opting out of...optional features.

Not only are the MP aspects blocked but any chest you earn, or received as preorder bonuses are not accessible without going online. All for the sake of opting out of the optional feature. It is a facet you do not have to see, a feature that doesn't come up, isn't advertised in the game, and works exactly in the manner and for the purpose ascribed by the developers. But why believe them, instead people take the word of web kids that didn't have the game or a site of practiced sensationalists looking for clicks.

People scream nonstop about gamers having a choice that doesn't intrude if they ignore it and one is in the game that some people may want and these people have a hissy fit. Funny isn't it. Imagine how they'll feel when companies say, "Ya know. We tried unobtrusive methods and all these people did was scream. Screw it, $69 should be the new price for games." Boy the crying will really start then. People will swear they will wait for a sale and a few may but when their buddies start gaming on launch day they will cave. And just remember, they did it to themselves. Game developers go out of business every week. It takes money to make games. Then again, the generation that thinks the government should give them everything for free just do not comprehend simple economics.

"Declining the terms of service to remove the feature goes to show how badly people want it out of the game..."

Let me correct that for you because you are wrong,

"Declining the terms of service to remove the feature goes to show how badly SOME people ON N4G want it out of the game..."

Go to reddit or several others sites. They couldn't give a hoot in hell about loot boxes. Most gamers didn't think twice and are having a blast. It's only the few paranoid having a tantrum. Oh, in case you didn't realize it the game is selling well.

[ShadowWolf712]

Yeeeah, that "games have to have Microtransactions or the price go up" bit? That's a bald-faced lie.

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

[mzupeman]

You're entirely missing the point.

It's not that 'the game can only be won using MT's'. You do realize that their very implementation changes the way the game is designed from the ground up, yes? It introduces artificial bloat to the game... extending the gameplay experience in order to sucker some people into spending money.

No, this game does not require you to spend real world money. But the late game, from what people are saying, requires quite a bit more grinding if you want to get the best ending for the game. I mean... that was sort of done on purpose, no? If not for MT's, how would that part of the endgame have been designed otherwise?

[4Sh0w]

Chaosdreams,

Yes, I labeled people who want to enjoy a bigger, more technically advance, and more resource intensive products/IP's that they themselves know costs many times more to create than 10-15 yrs ago yet they demand to still pay exactly the same price as over a decade ago and STILL complain about OPTIONAL short-cuts created to ensure profit margins= Cheap gamers.

I stand by that, actually I am proud NOT to be part of this new gen "me, me, me" culture.

Which is why my initial comments remain valid because they are based on known FACTS, while yours is just about "feelings and suspicion".

[morganfell]

Stop comparing microtransactions to cancer in a game you do not own. By attempting to continue this ridiculous comparison you only demonstrate how little you know about microtransactions in this game or cancer.

[Chaosdreams]

@4Show

Perhaps some of the people who dislike microtransacrions are "cheap." In fact, it's entirely likely seeing as how conserving ones money and wanting a full product/package tend to correlate with decision making. Id argue being cheap isn't even necessarily a bad trait.

That said, you're ignoring the actual point people are making and trying to downplay it as people just being cheap. Which is false and only serves as a disservice to not only you, but the community.

I can tell you, I'm not making my arguments for the sake of my wallet. I'm making them for the future of our gaming industry. Just take a look at Battlefront 2 and how it's using microtransactions. It's literally a breath from Shadow of War. That's where this series can end up in a future installment. It's where any series can if gamers keep using the old reasoning of "games cost more / accept the options / ignore it if you don't like it."

If you accept its inclusion, it'll evolve into something worse and more overbearing.

This isn't "me, me, me." I am, and others are thinking of "us."

Be proud. That's fine. Enjoy the game, you already own it. But stop labeling the opposition as people who are simply cheap.

That's a cheap tactic to defend your point, And by that, I do not mean in a positive way.

[Hroach616]

Can’t claim inflation on games when I think the USA is the only country games still sell for $60. In Canada they went up to $80 to $90 for “basic” additions of a AAA game. I know in the UK and AUS they went up a few years ago the same time as Canada. Drop AAA games to $40 even across all areas and I’ll be okay with minimal MT’s. Free to play is where th model is acceptable in my opinion.

[UKmilitia]

its all bullshit mate,ive been playing it and not once has these loot boxes impeded on my game,infact its only in the articles on here i see them lol.
the game is awsome

[supermonkeyfox]

I think you should consider that although yes games cost more to make and yes inflation is a factor etc but look at the market place. A game nowadays can sell 3 million copies if its good (and half of that's probably digital) compared to ten years ago when game would sell far less. So larger market base alongside the fact that they don't even need to create physical copies and distribute them any more, I think that outweighs the fact that games cost more to make these das and therefore we shouldnt just accept price hiking or mt's.

[IGiveHugs2NakedWomen]

@4show
Monolith could have easily made the game shorter and created expansion DLC's for $30 bucks, but they chose this route. I've seen this crap in the PSVR game Eve Valkyrie. You can either try and grind forever while others playing the game outclass you with better equipment and weapons, or you can pay for in game currency in order to compete.

I passed and I haven't touched it since January.

[DragonKnight]

To people defending the MTs by saying there's no real grind, it's in actual reviews. It is literally there.

To the people defending MTs saying the cost of games has not risen but the cost of making them has. The cost of games HAS risen. No longer does $60 get you the real experience, it gets you access to a basic experience, but not the full experience. To get the full experience you have to pre-order sometimes multiple different version, and pay for a Season pass which could cost anywhere from $30 to $50, and pay for mictrotransactions and loot boxes. That's to get the FULL experience. So yeah, you can pay $60 and get a game. You just won't be getting the true game. That will cost you a minimum of $90, a maximum of $110, plus however many MTs you pay for to gain access to stuff what used to be free.

People lauding the industry for gating off content behind paywalls, for predatory gambling schemes, for in-game advertisements of these practices are sickening, anti-consumer, anti-quality, and WILL be responsible for another game crash. Congratulations, you're stupid with your money.

[freshslicepizza]

@-Foxtrot
"They are bad for all of us....it's like egging cancer on within somebody instead of wishing them to get better."

What a horrible analogy to be using and an insult to those who have it. I get that you have taken the role to be upset about most things but I'd rather have loot boxes that don't have any impact than game prices going up. Star Wars Battlefront II seems to be doing it wrong, focus on that game. Same with NBA 2K18.

[freshslicepizza]

@DragonKnight
"People lauding the industry for gating off content behind paywalls, for predatory gambling schemes, for in-game advertisements of these practices are sickening, anti-consumer, anti-quality, and WILL be responsible for another game crash. Congratulations, you're stupid with your money."

If a crash does occur it will be blamed on an overabundance of games within a cutt-throat environment. Publishers like Ubisoft are now making more money through these new tactics, so i don't see a game crash coming. They are releasing fewer titles but are now making more money by engaing the player for longer.

The olden days of playing a game for a week and then reselling it used are going away. In return publishers are getting more revenue now and keeping you as a customer longer. The downside is the smaller lesser known titles are often getting ignored. Which is where the true innovation is coming from.

I don't blame microtransactions because it is how most industries have evolved. They have found a way to keep gamers engaged. The rich get richer by gobbling up the smaller guys. Walmart and Amazon are now getting into the food market. Peoples habits have changed, online shopping is killing off retail. Microtransactions and lootboxes are just another example of gamers also changing their habits.

[morganfell]

"People lauding the industry for gating off content behind paywalls, for predatory gambling schemes, for in-game advertisements of these practices are sickening, anti-consumer, anti-quality, and WILL be responsible for another game crash. Congratulations, you're stupid with your money."

In Shadow of Mordor, where are:

1 - Where is the gated content behind a paywall in Shadow of Mordor? Before you say "The True Ending" you should stop parroting that Polygon story which has since been retracted since it wasn't true. Yeah, your hero fat jim was wrong. Everything in the game can be earned through playing and as owners of the game, real owners not panic stricken teenagers will tell you, the game does not feel like a grind but rather fun. Sooner or later you will realize you were fooled by these articles. Doubling down and refusing to believe how one lie after another about this game has been dismantled by fact will not allow you to escape the fact you let yourself be played.

2 - Where is the predatory gambling scheme in Shadow of Mordor. Before you say its buying loot crates not knowing what you will get the same can be said to one degree or another of any add-on. Games themselves have been called addictive. Stop grasping at straws.

3 - Where are the in game advertisements in Shadow of Mordor? This is what makes these ridiculous articles about not agreeing with the TOS in order to opt out of Loot Crates so stupid. First of all they are optional and second there are no in game advertisements. You actually have to stop the game, go into the menus and look around to find them. Then you have to go onto the Marketplace, look around to locate them and make a purchase. No where in the game is Talion running by a fortress and suddenly he sees a loot crate billboard.

Anyone that thinks these items are in SoW, congratulations you are stupid with your deductions.

There is nothing quite like people complaining about something that have zero first hand experience. Its like getting surgical advice from a cab driver.

Best of all its only N4G and one or two other places where this is an issue. Most places could care less and that's 99% of the gamers. They aren't blind or uninformed, and they are not panic stricken, they just realize it doesn't really matter. To them complaints are as valid as that cult's Sep 22nd doomsday prediction. The game is selling well, top of the Steam Charts and people are having a blast.

[DragonKnight]

@Moldybread; Wrong. A gaming crash will not occur due to an overabundance of games in a cutthroat environment. That's not even what caused the first crash. It was caused by an overabundance of BAD and CLONE games with no standards of quality. And that's happening again, and it's being financed by people who are too stupid to speak with their wallets, continuing to award developers for making poor quality games that are so lacking in engaging gameplay or story that an entire economy built around circumventing the game itself is introduced. Microtransactions fund laziness, they allow for the design of progress hindrance, and they do not bring a single net good to any game they are a part of. None at all. If you think "publishers getting more revenue" is a good thing, explain why there has not be an increase in game quality? You think a graphical bump is in any way the be all and end all of quality?

[DragonKnight]

@morganfell: 1. The Polygon story was not wrong because it didn't say the content was LOCKED behind microtransactions. When you learn basic reading comprehension, go back and read it again. Every single review that talks about the real ending talks about how it's a forced tedious grind to get to, as by that point in the game you have done everything else you can do to increase your abilities. You are therefore forced into grinding fortress missions for hours (some reports stating another 40 hours of tedious grinding) or you can skip that included "feature" by buying better orcs. It's laughable that you're supporting a system whereby you are paying to circumvent the game. You are actively supporting poor game design.

2. No, the same cannot be said of any other add-on because every other add-on has a clear advertisement. You're trying to tell me that if you wanted to buy, say, Automatron for Fallout 4 you WOULDN'T know that you're getting a quest chain involving robots? And I love how you think that you've defeated the practice as being predatory gambling because "well other things do it, so it's okay." This lets me bust out the age old adage parents use on their children in an analogy you can link to this. Just because your friends jump off a bridge, does that mean you're going to also? A game being addictive is not even remotely the same, stop being purposely obtuse. A game is not designed to prey on addictive personalities, it is a product with a specific purpose that has that service detailed in reviews and must follow advertising guidelines. A loot box is literal gambling. You don't know what you're going to get, but you do know you can score the jackpot eventually and get something that will make your game a breeze to get through. The fact you're trying to equate that with basic gaming shows your intellectual dishonesty.

3. In my comment, I said "to people defending MTs." That was a generalized statement that speaks to the real games that do lock content behind MTs. Your compartmentalization does nothing to disprove my point. Microtransactions and loot boxes are inherently predatory, they are a design decision implemented to circumvent the game itself. You are defending a practice whereby a developer or a publisher knowingly implements a method to NOT play the game. You are enforcing and supporting the idea that it's perfectly fine for developers not to pay attention to detail, to make a quality game that starts off as a quality game, remains a quality game throughout, and ends as a quality game. When a method to skirt around progressing through the game by actually playing the damn game is provided, that's a signal that you stopped caring about making an engaging game and you just care about dem quarters being funneled back in. We are not in the days of arcades where to keep playing you had to keep paying. It's honestly sickening to see gamers defending actions designed AGAINST their best interests and people like you are what's making the industry worse, and feed the PC gamers the fodder they need to continue laughing at the console industry while they're getting complete experiences WITHOUT having to continue paying for said experience during the process of playing said experience. I bet you love the Gamestop ad that flat out admits that a bonus mission in AC Origins is locked behind the pre-order wall. That's how low you've sunken.

Do us a favour and keep your irresponsibility with your money to YOURSELF and stop ruining gaming for the rest of us.

[morganfell]

The Polygon story was changed. And you haven't played the game and are just parroting the term grinding when no one feels like that when they run it. Even browsing forums of real users this is obvious. Most intelligent people would see this. And again, nothing is locked behind a paywall so your post was a lie.

Once again you cannot define this game as predatory gambling. Your remark is a joke and your attempt to paint these loot boxes, that no one is using that I know or have read, in the same light is farcical. The biggest laugh of all is you are just re-transmitting what you have read since you are have zero experience with the game. Your opinion is completely and laughably invalid.

Oh oh oh you were referring to real games that do lock content? No, no backpeddling. You were wrong. You made that comment in an article about this game and you did so while railing against this game and people that support it so just grow up, man up and eat that humble pie for your error. At least have the dignity to own what you said.

This is the ridiculous sort of nonsense propagation that occurs on the internet every day. Naive people do no investigation of their own, they see something, get on the just cause bandwagon, and ride it off the cliff into the Valley of Wrondom. Which is where your yeehaw wagon crashed. The only thing worse than running with a rumor like it is reality is when you trip and fall over fact and poke your eye out, you stand up and try to tell your dad you weren't running at all. "I was just minding my own business dad and that fact came over, picked on me and stuck me in the eye." You said it, own it.

And at the bottom of it all are these stupid claims about grinding (read on the internet), true endings, (read on the internet), always online (read on the internet), exclusive content in loot boxes (read on the internet) etc etc ad nauseum. Why do people not try to be self thinking educated persons rather than myna birds is beyond me.

[4Sh0w]

Chaosdreams,
"Just take a look at Battlefront 2"

-This is not Battlefront 2.

"If you accept its inclusion, it'll evolve into something worse"

-Again with all the "IF's" and foreshadowing....hey I got one= IF we complain about all MT's, even the ones that are OPTIONAL, and IF ignored all the game content is earned through normal gameplay, yet IF we treat ALL MT's the same, then OUR voices eventually get ignored across the board because sooner or later we are just seen as crying wolf about EVERYTHING. -NO, I will save my voice for what I think are LEGITIMATE issues.

It's a free country of course so you can make your own decision, fortunately I'm glad outside of the n4g cool crowd, most gamers and reviews recognize it's a great game and its selling well. Thats whats important. In my view there is just a minority of cheap a** gamers who are going rage against devs no matter what they do to ensure healthy profit margins which ironically is what it takes to keep studios open so we can continue to enjoy the hobby we claim to love.

Our time is better spent on attacking the evils where they actually are present, not where they "might be", "if this", "if that".....all this from a guy who concedes things will evolve but being reasonable is how we influence things to evolve for the better, stubborn non-negotiable attitudes are what leads to worst case outcomes= and trust me gamers are not going to stop gaming no matter what, they will just complain themselves into a corner and then we will all be paying even more.

[Chaosdreams]

@Morganfell

I've observed your posts on this topic closely. You spend more time insulting the opposition than you do defending the inclusion of microtransactions (of which you have little to no defense). The more you continue to vaguely refer to "other gamers on other forums" the more I shake my head. You do realize the level of hypocrisy in that right? You label others as following a trend, while you yourself are actually using what other people do as a backing to your argument. It's a trivial point. Of course there's multiple people on both sides of the argument.

The game is fun so we should just accept whatever predatory practices they insert? You don't fall victim to the impulse, so no one does? You're focusing on you, but labelling it as everyone. You're defending a bad practice because it hasn't done enough to remove your personal enjoyment. It's insane and close minded. It's what the industry loves in its gamers, ignorance.

How well the game sells or how many people play the game, isn't our concern persay. We've heard / know it's a fun experience and heck, I'm glad it's still enjoyable for those who've already spent their money. But it's not a PURE experience. It's tainted, it's a trial run for worse, more intrusive practices, and you're swallowing it all up - insulting those in the process. How or why you refuse to at least understand our point of view, turns you into the perfect advertiser for said practice. And why would we ourselves support the game if our argument is that the game shouldn't be supported? You keep trying to make illogical statements.

I for one never specifically stated the true ending was impossible to reach without microtransactions. I stated the game's sudden grind was indicative of giving gamers a reason to take a glance at them, thus circumventing a pure and practical experience. This is one of many instances where you've seen what others have said, chosen to ignore it and then shaped it to your advantage. (Oh yeah, something you claim we do).

Defend the game as much as you like (It's not as if we think the series is garbage - we think microtransactions are garbage), but you continuously ignore the statements made that answer/refute your statements, while then stating yourself that we're all just complaining because it's trendy.

@DragonKnight

Well said.

[Ittoittosai]

They will just amend the game to require it now that people are aware so what is your defensive of this craptastic "option" now?

[Chaosdreams]

@4Sh0w

I know this isn't Battlefront 2. I'm not crying wolf. This is a legitimate issue and I'm choosing to kick the wolf in the face while it feeds on your pulse. This IS WHEN gamers should stand up. You're literally accepting its existence because the game is fun. I, not once, made any statement about the games enjoyability.

Give someone an inch, they'll take a mile.

Gamers do stop gaming. People who are fed up, walk away. Thing is, when they do they do silently. At that point they don't care enough to even state why - they've had enough. The industry has grown and more gamers (who don't know what gaming used to be like) see what the game is offering and accept it. If they are new and accept it, those who defended it can suddenly be prone to see even more changes. If they then get fed up, they leave. It's a winning formula for the dev/pub. Because as people walk away, people take their place, people who don't know any better or who have less of a chance at ensuring a healthy change.

If no one complains and just shrugs at its existence because the playground is fun, like shrugging at the wolf that has yet to strike - and has entered your bubble of enjoyment. Then I really feel nothing when a franchise you love, turns into the next example.

[4Sh0w]

Chaosdreams,
"This IS WHEN gamers should stand up. You're literally accepting its existence because the game is fun."

-NO, I am accepting its existence because the game is fun AND I think the MT's as implemented specifically in this game are a reasonable tradeoff vs higher base retail prices over the last two gens.

=Thus I guess we have to Agree to Disagree on this issue. I do however appreciate the mature way in which you approached this discussion, it's pretty refreshing on n4g.

[Chaosdreams]

@4Sh0w

*Shakes hand*

We shall agree to disagree. And thank you, I appreciate the sentiment.

Happy gaming.

[morganfell]

Morganfail, Oh I never heard that before ha ha. Oh wait, it is just something else you are repeating without original thought. That is after all your modus operandi. Where is the record button, behind your left ear?

FACT: You have no experience with the game. None, nada, zero, zilch, nechevo. That is an inescapable truth. All you have done is follow someone else's marching orders. Be a good boy, keep your head down, and repeat after me...sad. Born an original, grows into a copy. Good luck with that approach in life. You can talk until you are blue in the face but without experience the only fail on this page is you. Its reminiscent of someone on Monday morning telling everyone how he would have won the game on Sunday, what he would have done. Yet everyone knows that this guy never so much as played Madden, let alone stepped onto the gridiron. It's just so much wah wah wah to the point it sounds like Charlie Browns teacher.

If you were not there and didn't earn the Tshirt then anything you have to say is invalid. Why do you think I laugh at your remarks. It would have been one thing had you told me where you were at in the game, and this and that but instead yours are simply the dismissable remarks of an individual that is without wit concerning the topic of discussion. It isn't simply your point of view with which I disagree, but also the fact it is an uninformed opinion. That is what makes your remarks truly worthless. When you reach the point you are dropping your pants to speak, well, perhaps you know the idiom. Repeating what you have been told simply makes you the human equivalent of a rubber stamp.

[LandoCalrissiano]

People complaining about Mt's as short cuts need to stop. Remember when games had actual short cuts and cheat codes? Barrall for Donkey Kong Country gave you 50 lives. Is that not bloatware like some are complaining about? As for the other side that it's an easy cash grab, so what? Many people have jobs because of mt's. "But they are predatory practices." Who cares? Companies want my money, duh. It's their job to take it and my job to manage it.

[bluefox755]

If the game is made intentionally grindy in any aspect, in order to incentivize the purchase of MTs, it's a bad thing. Boggles my mind that some of you are actually defending MTs. Why? What is your motivation to write walls of text several times over defending something that only benefits publishers?

[IGiveHugs2NakedWomen]

Decline all the way.

[TheUndertaker85]

"After opting out, an “Offline Gameplay Warning” will appear that states the following:

You will not be able to access any of the online features for Shadow of War until you agree to the data uses described on the prior screen. This includes access to the Market and online gameplay modes. Are you sure you want to continue?

Answering “Yes” will yield a Middle-earth: Shadow of War experience free of microtransactions, since the Market will not be accessible. Furthermore, the offline multiplayer raiding aspect of the title will also be missing, given that it falls into “online gameplay modes”."

Seems silly to give up access to online portions on top of offline multiplayer raids just to eliminate optional microtransactions you could simply choose not to purchase.

[4Sh0w]

"Seems silly to give up access to online portions on top of offline multiplayer raids just to eliminate optional microtransactions you could simply choose not to purchase."

-Stop it with your logic....this is n4g, lol.

[Cobra951]

The logic shows that there is no good option. Either you accept the presence of the loot-box mechanic, or you give away all online-related functionality. Declining ToS is just a fudge, a workaround, not a true solution to the insidious problem.

[Codedan]

If you wish not to see micro-transactions then go buy the SNES that just came out. Games cost money, and the development costs have exponential increased. Instead of having everyone pay more they create more content for others to buy if they want it. I don't see the problem, however I have been playing games since the early 90s.

[Imalwaysright]

What is logical to you might not be as logical for people with addictive personalities. MTs are a predatory business practice and knowing this is more than reason enough for me to not want this shit in my hobby.

[freshslicepizza]

I'm still upset, don't know why but it feels like I have to be because theye are still there, somewhere.

[GrubsterBeater]

I agree. It's almost like even though they are completely optional and don't affect the game, I'm still let down. Almost like the game became a dirty whore, and doesn't feel as classy, but I would still play the f%$# out of it.

I just hit Act II by the way, and this game is like crack, and I am LOVING it.

[Dark_Knightmare2]

Dude I'm playing the game since yesterday and I've still not seen where you would even go to reach the marketplace to get these OPTIONAL mts. It's seriously a non issue and has no bearing on the game whatsoever

[freshslicepizza]

I forgot to add /s

[mikeboccher]

Exactly. People are dumb.

[DillyDilly]

Already cracked who needs a Terms Of Service ?

[2600Thunder]

Yup. Not surprising.

http://www.dsogaming.com/ne...

Also with the newly discovered Displacement Study things are going be interesting with this one. PC will also have modders bringing lots of "changes" since it is singleplayer. As I said before (which should not be that hard to figure out), mods have always threatened microtransactions so I am curious about the future of this game.

[Gardenia]

How does this change the game? The grinding for the true ending without buying loot boxes will still be the same

[Gardenia]

Someone explain please

[raWfodog]

Cause just ignoring them isn't an option? I mean, are the MTs intrusive or something?

[Juiceid]

Not at all

[Summons75]

Just purchasing the game alone shows publishers it's okay to inject these into single player games where they are unneeded. It is not acceptable and anybody buying this game forfeits their right to complain about single player games having MTs in the future because they are the cause of this trend.

[Dark_Knightmare2]

No it doesn't lol now if tons of people purchased it and than purchased the mts it would show the company that yes mts work but until some time passes we won't know if that's the case

[Rebel_Scum]

No it doesn't. You do know companies analyse their sales data right?

[j15reed]

These companies have the data that shows people buy this stuff why do you think they are in every game, thank the gamers who complain and than go buy the MT's themselves.

[BenjaMan64]

I've played lots of Shadow of War since getting it yesterday, and to this moment the game hasn't tried to rub the microtransactions all over my face. Maybe you could... oh, I don't know... ignore them?

Even so, the big bad loot boxes can still be bought with Mirian (in-game cash) earned, for example, by completing optional objectives, hunting down loot-carrying orcs and destroying underleveled gear you don't want . You can even equip gems that let you earn Mirian by defeating any enemy with your sword, bow and/or dagger, if I remember correctly.

[MrFisher21]

Does this game have HDR?

[boing1]

Yes, it does. Also has options Favor Quality/ Favor Resolution on Pro.

[xPhearR3dx]

You can. As you progress you'll unlock A LOT of things to spend Mirian on, but I get so much loot (to dismantle) plus those gems to drop extra currency, plus even more from doing missions. You can even get the gold currency (the one you pay real money for) by doing daily quests. Maybe the MT only effect the very end of the game, but I'm 17 hours in and feel no need to purchase anything extra and since you can buy the crates with in-game money, it doesn't feel rammed in my face every time I hit start.

[Zeref]

Game development has become more expensive and the price of games hasn't changed for over a decade.
It's either we start paying $80-100 for our games. Or accept Microtransactions as long as they're fair.

I remember there were rumors of EA starting to charge $80 for games in this gen before this generation began. The gaming community was in an uproar of course. Now we don't want Microtransactions either? So do we want Devs to have smaller budgets and start making less impressive games? We can't have both folks unless you want shittier games.
There are real people trying to make these games for us, people that need to feed their families and live too.

[81BX]

That makes perfect sense.

[Tankbusta40]

Game budgets are bloated and always mismanaged. This type of thinking is why microtransactions are a thing.

[AZRoboto]

Games were $60+ routinely back on the 64 because of plastic cartridges. Now the plastic was replaced with cheaper discs but instead of a 20-50 person team, some have hundreds. Humans are a lot more expensive so there are a lot more ways to pay for them. The "right" way will forever be an experiment. We're on our fourth different dlc scheme in two generations

[Zeref]

Nevermind I forgot gamers are a bunch of entitled little brats.

[Servbot41]

Yup and the number of people buying games hasn't changed in over a decade... oh wait, your argument is bad.

[raWfodog]

It's funny how some gamers expect the price of games to stay the same forever while everything else in the world has increased in price over the past 20 years. Even if they don't believe in inflation, and think its just a conspiracy or excuse to charge more for products by greedy manufacturers/retailers, why can't they recognize these efforts to keep videogames within the standard $50-60 price range? You don't have to buy the extra stuff or MTs if all you want to do is play the game.

[j15reed]

Logic doesn't work in here...

[Imalwaysright]

Even if, and I mean a big IF considering that publishers spend more on advertising than actually developing their games, were true is it ok to introduce predatory business practices? I don't think so.

[Zeref]

no, that's why I said we should accept FAIR microtransactions. Not the atrocities.

[AspiringProGenji]

Explain Horizon Zero Dawn then...

[PlayStation_5]

I just chose not to buy the game. Problem solved.

[2600Thunder]

Exactly. Until it is removed completely, I will not buy it. They industry value tripled but they have yet to provide value to the customer, and even worse games are chopped up more than ever before.

[LordJamar]

Have fun edge lord

[Cobra951]

Yes, problem solved. I'm not buying it either. Too bad that most of the crowd don't have that kind of forethought.

[2600Thunder]

Yes I read that in the Steam reviews too, but the gambling should not be there period.

[rpvenom]

Does anyone actually know if the grinding lowers by declining the terms? Or is this simply just removing the market and you are stuck with the grind anyways? This is not a rhetorical question. I am really asking cause I don't have the game to know. I didn't want to buy it because of the micro-transactions and grind.

[LordJamar]

The game is grindy no matter what thats just how it is

[rpvenom]

@LordJamar, I was referring to the final Act that holds the "true ending" as per the comments I've been seeing. Where people say its a grindfest due to the push for microtransactions. So is that part still a grindfest or is it minimized now because of this. I know the game in itself will be a grind but I was specifically referring to the part after the ending.

[DJustinUNCHAIND]

I feel like microtransactions are only an issue to people who can't resist the impulse to buy
them.

[Chaosdreams]

If someone places a slot machine inside your house. You're more likely to try it out.

Its inclusion is overbearing. It exists to solely feed on impulse decisions.

[LordJamar]

Id prop cover it up with a sheet put it in my garage let collect dust and never use it not every one is a addict. Shadow of war MTs are not intrusive you can ignore them just like i ignore irl casino's

[Chaosdreams]

@LordJamar

I'll admit. That answer made me grin.

But for the sake of continuing this analogy (I know, it's kind of mind numbing). I'd ask you this. Why should you have to waste space in your garage with a slot machine you never wanted/asked for/or need in the first place?

In real life, people walk into a casino to gamble. That's the purpose.
Gaming, isn't a casino - the problem is it's moving in that direction. (And its implications can result in a staggeringly pay-to-win experience. Battlefront 2 is already showing us that).

[Cobra951]

I never even get an impulse to throw my money away like this, and MTs are very much an issue to me.

[XiNatsuDragnel]

Very nice move but not buying because BS MT stain remove or no purchase

[Many-hat5]

People have a right to choose, of course. But some things are obviously not good for gamers, period. One of these things is MTs. I keep reading, one justification for MT's is the low price of games. They haven't gone up in decades, people say. Let's take a simple fact. The vast majority of games, including AAA don't include MT's. I'm just wondering why any Devs would bother to make games if they aren't making profits from just the retail price? Does it not seem curious to anyone, that the same companies that now impose MT's are the same ones that also include outlandish terms and conditions on 'their' software? Among other restrictive practices. I won't be buying these games,period. However, I appreciate others will, and that's your choice. But buy them in the knowledge you are destroying our pastime. Maybe not now, or for you, but certainly for future gamers, assuming they will be able to afford to game in the future.Remember, we now have Windows 10 ! The biggest con in software ever.

[Many-hat5]

They can be bypassed by eliminating half the game play. Yeah, good option. Or, they can be eliminated altogether by not buying the game. Buy something worthy of your cash, and worthy of good developers.

[Realms]

Damn some people are seriously naive what other industry does this do movies say yeah your going to have pay extra to see the ending it puzzles me. I would say just raise the prices of games but they have already done that with the edition of special editions or season passes and they realized that some people are willing to pay theses prices no matter what. Now they are trying to get the masses to conform into that paradigm with MT. Some here say they are benign but sooner or later these types of actions will affect all games because of greed. Yes the cost developing games has gone up so raise the price instead they are killing gaming with all this BS.

[raWfodog]

"Yes the cost developing games has gone up so raise the price instead they are killing gaming with all this BS."

But then, of course, you'd have the same people complaining about the price of video games going up. The reason I don't complain is because I don't buy games at full price anyway. I wait until a game has been out a while before I buy it, mainly because I want it to be patched up before I dive into it but it also has the benefit of being reduced in price by the time I buy it.

[LordJamar]

Bro i been haveing so much fun with the game MTs are a non issue i dont them and dont feel i need them. Plus you can get them for just by playing also i find it funny that the people crying wont even be playing the game lol

[Nodoze]

100% defeated this. I bypassed buying the game. Keep it. Their loss not mine.

Vote with your wallet as talk is cheap. If you are posting about this and buy the game, it does nothing to fix this issue. The ONLY language publishers understand is $$$.

[opinionated]

They don’t know why you bypassed it lol. You were never interested for all they know. Talk is cheap, you’re right. People who buy the game and don’t buy MT do more to fix the issue than your complete silence. It’s unfortunate but true.

[mikeboccher]

This is dumb. Its not pay to win as it only affects your own game. So you dont have to buy them, also then there's no reason to decline this.

[OffirYehezkel]

Game was already cracked.

[opinionated]

Why would you do that though? You unlock chests in missions...

[Codedan]

This game is amazing. I have had no temptation even to get micro-transactions. It is a shame that the gaming media has slandered this game, and created a false perception for many gamers.

[Radiozero]

It should be the " center of controversy " due to it's violent assault on everything Tolkien stood for.

[il-JumperMT]

you still need them for true ending

[BenjaMan64]

Source?

[Yobo5]

Seems like final part of game is more grindy then usual from what a few reviewers are saying.

" Shadow of War’s controversial fourth act – called The Shadow Wars – which involves a 10-stage series of battles over different fortresses before you can reach the “real” ending. Some say it’s essentially impossible to complete without using purchasable loot boxes stuffed with legendary quality gear and orcs for your army if you run out of money, with Polygon going so far as to say that the system is “predatory.”"

https://www.rockpapershotgu...

[BenjaMan64]

(For some reason I can't reply to Yobo5, so I'll post this here)

"My main complaint is that the Shadow Wars do go on for too long, even with my easily conceived “optimal” approach. I was already getting weary of them at the end of Stage 8, but I know much of that was the pressure to get through the whole thing with just a week or so before the embargo lifted. Were I to take the experience more leisurely, I may not have felt the same way. Even so, cutting back the Shadow Wars by half or even merely three stages would have made it far more appealing for everyone involved.

But never once did I spend “real” cash on a loot box, save to see what happened for the review. (It was crap, honestly.) Never once did I feel the need. I had over 40 legendary weapons and armor pieces at the end. So again, what’s the point? The very fact that I’ve written all these words to show that’s it’s not so bad in Shadow of War demonstrates how thorny the issue is and why it probably shouldn’t have even been implemented in the first place. Yet as we already know from the news of players spending billions on loot boxes and similar items in Blizzard games, someone’s going to buy this stuff.

Shadow of War’s approach doesn’t seem so much predatory to me as misanthropic. It merely makes it easy to get stuff that’s already easy to get, and that, ultimately, is what leaves a sour taste in my mouth."

Source: https://www.rockpapershotgu...

So no, the terrifying Loot Boxes (that can also be bought with in-game money that is pretty easy to get) aren't required for Shadow of War's full ending. Whether or not Act IV goes on for too long depends, as with other games, upon player skill and other factors, such as available time to play the game, experience in games with similar combat systems, character gear and skill setup and more. I guess the only way to know for sure is to play the game oneself, as I'm doing these days.

[Yobo5]

Yes, reviewer in article didn't have the same problem Polygon did, and this game's Lootboxes aren't as invasive as say Battlefront 2's. However, I think the point is why have them in at all? Esp when they already have a solid revenue stream through their tiered editions, season pass and partnerships with Tostitoes. Lootboxes belong in Mobile, GaaS type games are being shoehorned in and they aren't good a good sign, they keep trying to push us toward Mobile.

[DivineAssault]

Declining it will not let you go online at all during the game. Glad theres a way around it but not buying the game at all will show them what the market thinks of this

[Xenial]

Micro-transactions, DLC, special editions, and price hikes are all bs. Theyre trying to get more money, yet majority of the time the products we buy lack quality, and are broken.

[NovusTerminus]

There is another way to bypass them, it's kind of crazy, but hear me out.

Don't buy them, just play the game.

[Chaosdreams]

Omg you are so clever. Thank you. That solves everything, from the potential fallout of where this leads the industry to the fact that it's easily accessible and even enticing in the late game for people to use them.

Sheesh. If only more of us just, played the game.

/s

[NovusTerminus]

Yeah, you see I play plenty of games with microtransactions, and have never spent money on them. While I do disagree with them being in the game, the ones in this seem to be largely exaggerated due to the fact that they are completely optional.

Also gamers are doing a poor job of showing companies they hate them since Overwatch has them and it won GotY, and get tons of praise, the issue is companies only see profit.

If I'm not mistaken if is made enticing late game because of a difficulty spike, correct? That has more to due with humans and this "gotta have it now" mindset.

As for where this is leading the industry, it's been heading to this path since Farmville and Mafia Wars exploded onto the scene, making billions off of it.

[Chaosdreams]

@Novus

Well said.

[Elda]

I'm buying this tomorrow right along with The Evil Within 2,the MT's will be paid dust.

[nucky64]

seems kind of childish to me. it's not like you have to buy into the mircotransactions.

[WePlayDirty]

Locking the MP of the game behind accepting MT’s in the game?? lmao. This game is trash.