Microtransactions make no money whatsoever, that's why companies keep including them - they're desperately hoping that someday, somehow they'll catch on.
I've got a long list of games I loved this year, but I'll just pick three off the top of my head for now. Nioh: I'm an unabashed Dark Souls junkie, and while many pretenders to the throne have tried to fulfil my craving for this particular style of action adventure none have managed to succeed. That's until Nioh came along this year and blew my socks off. While it lacks Dark Souls' terrific art direction, it makes a few welcome refinements to the genre's signature combat mechanics. It's also one of the few console titles that I can think of that lets players choose between graphical fidelity and performance, so I could enjoy the game without feeling like William was wading waist deep through treacle. Resident Evil 7: A lot of fans of the franchise disliked the switch to a first person perspective, but I appreciated the return to a smaller scale, claustrophobic environment and the renewed focus on surviving an overwhelming threat with limited resources. Unravelling the mystery behind what happened to the Baker family while they stalk you is an enthralling, terrifying experience, and is easily the franchise's finest achievement since Resident Evil 4 released 12 years ago. Super Mario Odyssey: I have had the game for over a month now, and I am still uncovering secrets and finding moons. Each environment is a gorgeously realised playground, vast in scope and oozing with raw creativity. The moment the game loads into its Tim Burton-esque opening area Odyssey makes it clear that it wants to break with the typical Mario conventions and provide an experience that'll surprise and delight you with every second you put into it. It's also the finest showcase of the Switch's potential as a console, forced motion controls aside. The ability to take such a huge adventure with you where ever you go, whenever you want, is incredibly impressive.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild When I wasn't playing this game I was thinking about playing it and what I was going to do next. For example, in my mind, I knew I was going to head East and do A, B, & C. I turned on the game and on my way to do A, I ended up doing 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5. Then on my way to B, I got sidetracked again, but I was having fun the whole time and before I knew it, it was 2 hours later. Taking down my first Guardian was the best feeling in a video game I've had in a long time. This game isn't without sin, but damn, it was a lot of fun to play and I remember most of the positives. I'd love to revisit someday, but I just get lost in it and lose all track of time. Metroid: Samus Returns Sure, it's a remake of game from 1991, but it feels brand new. Even after playing AM2R a few months before this release, I did enjoy how the "official" developers approached this classic and I loved the challenge of it. Certain parts were definitely easier after the right power-up, but depending on which way you explored, you could get that power-up later rather than sooner. I enjoyed the reward of the art gallery when completing it 100% as it delved into the backstory of the Chozo. I haven't played Mario Odyssey yet, but it would have been the trifecta of a perfect year for me - my three favorite franchises each getting a new installment. I'm happy to hear that it's been received positively. I hope to get a Switch as a Christmas gift, otherwise I will buy it for myself once Metroid Prime 4 comes out.
2017 Game of the Year Award Winners Game Of The Year: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Best Action Game: Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus Best Action/Adventure Game: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Best Roleplaying Game: Persona 5 Best Fighting Game: Injustice 2 Best Strategy Game: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Best Family Game: Super Mario Odyssey Best Sports/Racing Game: Forza Motorsport 7 Best Esports Game: Overwatch Most Anticipated Game: The Last Of Us Part 2 Best Ongoing Game: Overwatch Best Independent Game: Cuphead Best Indie Debut Game: Cuphead Best Mobile Game: Monument Valley 2 Best Handheld Game: Metroid: Samus Returns Best VR/AR Game: Resident Evil 7 Best Game Direction: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Best Narrative: What Remains of Edith Finch Best Art Direction: Cuphead Best Multiplayer: (Unlisted at this time) Best Score/Music: NieR: Automata Best Audio Design: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice Best Performance: Melina Juergens, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice Games for Impact: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice Student Game Award: Level Squared (Kip Brennan, Stephen Scoglio, Dane Perry Svendsen / Swinburne University) Chinese Fan Game Award: jx3 HD Trending Gamer: Guy Beahm (“Dr. Disrespect”) Best Esports Player: Lee Sang-hyeok “Faker” (SK Telecom 1, League of Legends) Best Esports Team: Cloud 9
NIER AUTOMATA WAS ROBBED IN EVERY CATEGORY INCLUDING THOSE IT WAS NEVER ELIGIBLE FOR IN THE FIRST PLACE! ROBBED I TELL YA!
You know, I always think "Surely no one could read this as anything other than sarcastic, surely it's too clearly facetious, surely..."
More than a billion dollars is nuts. And a lot of it trickles in a buck at a time, I reckon. I would say that I've spent less than five dollars on micro-transactions over the past year or so. DLC is a different thing; less tacky, unless it's obvious that it was just purposely held back from the original game in order to be really overcharged for as DLC.
You'd be wrong, the big thing in microtransactions is attracting so-called "whales," consumers that spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on the product (whether they can realistically afford to or not). 500 users who hem and haw about possibly spending a buck a month aren't reliable the way 1 user who consistently spends $500 a month is, after all. I'm sure there's some equally loathsome dehumanizing term for you, the user that does not spend hundreds of dollars at a time, but it's not as commonly known.
Well I've just finished off Wolfenstein II and that was a ton of fun. Working my way through Persona 5 as well, which if it carries on the way it has might well be one of my favourite games of all time. I don't think I've played any real stinkers this year. Even stuff that was disappointing, like Mass Effect Andromeda, did enough to mean that I enjoyed my time with it. Still not got around to getting Horizon, South Park or Pokemon yet though.
