During E3 2015, Konami released a 40 minute Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain gameplay video with developer commentary. The video starts by addressing an issue that has been, to say the least, irksome to videogame fans for the last few years: microtransations.
For anyone who has played any MGS games before, they’ll know that microtransations are a new addition to the gaming franchise. On almost every level, we disagree with microtransactions. But we are especially against games which rely on microtransations for progression. That is beyond unfair and dishonest, given that the player has probably already paid retail price for the game. We can almost – almost – live with games in which microtransations do not play a vital role; those games where things you can buy are also available (without restrictions) to players who do not buy them. The developers of MGS have steadfastly assured us that their microtransation policy in-game will be balanced and fair with or without them. So we’ll take them at their word… for now.
“While it is true that a few microtransactions option due exists, the entire game has been carefully balanced to be fair and enjoyable with or without using these options. There’s no pay to win option. Rest assured that every single item, weapon, and mission in the game is available to all players without paying a single cent.”
“However, due to the sheer scale of the game and the time required to explore it all, microtransactions were added as a completely optional feature for players who might not be able to spend as much time with the game, nothing more, nothing less.”
The video also gives us a comprehensive look at the buddy system, some side missions, its dynamic weather feature, and many other new additions. Konami added that there would be more information about this in the future. So I guess it’s a case of “watch this space”.
Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain launches worldwide on September 1 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
