You know it's not a real game BECAUSE THE CHICK HER SET MATCHES AND ACTUALLY LOOKS GOOD. Most ingame sets always look shite, same in WoW classic. Yeah it was cool seeing what people had accomplished, but it all looked like shite. Cosmetics ONLY is FINE. And furthermore with transmogging in wow it actually still let's you farm for mogs you want. That's great, more games need that.
Really is a fantastic point. The masses that flock to games enjoy immersing in a world where their time and talents net them a sense of progression and accomplishment that they are not getting from the unrewarding grind of the real world. Only to have companies put in pay to win and paid cosmetics that outclass the earned rewards and give you a constant reminder that your efforts mean nothing when compared to your lack of money in the real world, and just like that back to reality. The companies that make these kinds of additions are driven by greed, probably at the protest of the actual game developers. They are the cancer of the industry and even while making profits they will rot away any kind of good will and passion from players until they've killed off whatever following they had, slowly but surely.
The problem that this has become is that developers are creating absurd grinds now that incentivize just buying the rewards instead. Pay-for-convenience is just as destructive to a games integrity as pay-to-win.
Yep. Want to look cool? You can pay us to get it easy or spend hours or days for the CHANCE to get it. They do this on purpose to. Like the AC Odyssey "time savers." They purposely made the grind annoying so that you'd be incentivized to buy microtransactions. Then you got the people who defend it saying, "Well you can get it all by playing the game so I don't see what the problem is." The problem is they made the grind so annoying so that people with not a lot of time on their hands will be incentivized to buy the bullcrap just so they can actually play the game. It's a damn scam.
Yup, this is why the "Create a problem, sell the solution" is at the core of most games in modern times. Why try to guess the market demand when you can just create it (Pretty sure this is at the core of many real life companies/wallstreet things/etc.) And it's just getting easier as younger generations are conditioned that it's normal and just accept it.
@@spectralassassin6030 As shitty as it is I'd still love to see more MMOs offer at least that. Just about every big one has cosmetics/emotes/mounts/etc. that are only obtainable behind a paywall.
One thing i would point out though as someone who just started out in a new mmo, anyone being able to buy cosmetics makes it really difficult to tell who i should or shouldn’t listen too when it comes to game advice.
“You can tell this is not really a video game…. Because they’re armor isn’t a metal bikini.” Asmon, you gotta watch the rest of these, they make that joke in their early seasons
@@F4c2a I'm ok with there being less bikini armor in games for the sake of realism and practicality, however I'm not liking the trend of removing it (and other things) for THE MESSAGE.
they also remade that joke last week, but with male exposing gear instead of female bc the guy wanted her to use a bikini again. The pain in Alan's eyes was palpable xD
I played runescape and maplestory as a kid. Runescape wise, I honestly remember the pure awe of seeing some in gold trim armour and deciding to try and get it with a few friends. It weirdly felt like a part of the goal in the game and made it a lot of fun. Whenever I saw someone with that armour I remembered chatting to friends and having a good time. Maplestory, I was a kid with no income. Some adults were showing off their armor to me saying it was cheap and I just really didnt care. The only way I'd of managed to get that armour would be to ask parents for money. When I actually made money I still kinda just shrug at cosmetics as theres no real meaning behind it. I'll buy something nowadays to support a game that I think does things fairly but I do think a lot of games are missing that element of 'Wow, that armour has a story to it'
Or even just in Call of Duty. Seeing someone with whatever the max level camo was at the time or max prestige made me want to either play better in the lobby to show off or try to grind for it myself. Now its just people buying a $20 Nikki Minaj skin and twerking on you as they kill you while the grind camos look worse than store ones. They removed prestiging to flex your level all together. So bland that I haven't bought a CoD since the shitshow that was MW 2019 when I've been playing the series since 2011-2012
I think another issue is that a lot of stuff you get for free nowadays is lame, locked behind ridiculous grind requirements, and a lot of paid cosmetics are timed exclusives which leads to gaming culture where if you don’t pay extra you basically play the demo version of the game
“Cosmetics only” is just code for “all our in game stuff is boring looking compared to the cool ass shit you can buy” at least half the time. Sure it’s a way to monetize without affecting gameplay but it feels kinda shitty nonetheless.
this is why i love elden ring and the pvp/co op aspect because you see so much gear and abilities and you know what enemy that person had to defeat in order to get said gear
@getsuryu7227 sell? Bruh there's cheat engine. I started using it massively to skip all that tedious running arround the map after my 8th playthrough. Vanilla Elden Ring has garbage replayability unless you have the patience of someone like skumnut.
Under-rated action there: going back for the sponsor shout out. Respect for that. The series are totally worth watching. VLDL have some really good skits. More exposure and more support means more great content
What made MMORPG's so great was that it didn't matter who you were IRL. The game didn't care if you were rich, the game didn't care if you were born with any kind of defects, the game didn't care if you had a stable or unstable upbringing. We were all placed into a world where our IRL stories didn't matter, and we could work hard to become something we probably never could be IRL. Buying cosmetics, mounts, etc., has completely ruined the whole purpose of an MMORPG.
Exactly. If I wanted a world where money is the only thing that matters and those without it have to do mindless work for hours just to get a fraction of what people with money can get, I wouldn't need to play a videogame.
@@seanwilliams7655 that's just simply making adult choices. But I can't blame irresponsible adults from buying digital goods on a game they already paid $60-80 for, if it saves them time but then not have enough to go out. We had the same issues back when wow first came out but the majority of us didnt make irresponsible purchases. We worked, gamed as much as possible in free time to save money, rather than go to restaurants etc then use that money for IRL meet ups, conventions or go to a guild meet up renting a entire cabin for the week, me personally roamed woodlands and ventured Icelandic fishing villages as a meet up holiday rather than buy pointless digital weapons, you will eventually get anyway using in game money from just grinding. Main point is it seems each generation is getting more impatient, a bit of it is making irresponsible decisions when it comes to IRL fiance choices. Me tbh I'd rather save the $50-100 a month and use it for a IRL meet up, we all have different ways of socialising but asmond said the normies don't care, they'll just treat it like going to a expensive store arcade and blow through all their quarters.
Mehhhhh MMORPG is the start of WHALES dont lie to your self. Ragnarok online i think is the 1st MMORPG. And no matter how hard you grind people especially the whales will and will always eat your effort up
I really hope Asmongold goes on a Viva La Dirst league binge now! Been following these guys for a few years now, and I absolutely LOVE all of their content!
... Especially due to Asmongold even mentioning it would not be a real game due to not having a female chain-bikini - and they actually have multiple skits about that!
The point of games like rpgs is exactly that you enter a virtual world where are not the same person from real life. Some people play it for escapism, some just cuz they want to experience a fantastical world. A lot of games I like playing are because I like experiencing the fantastical worlds and stories. There's so many possibilities and it's so fun. I'd say I'm not much of a fan of purchases that remove the effort in things in a game because that slowly removes the interest in the game. While I understand why some people prefer purchases for cosmetics, I still think everyone starting a game at the same level and progressing on equal terms is more intersting for everyone than just buying.
I think there's a way to make a game that allows everyone to enjoy it. First, if we talk about single player game, then I don't think it really matters as long as you get generous free content for buying the base game. Ideally, nothing should be locked behind a pay wall, but if some people decide to buy then it doesn't matter because it only affects their experience. For multiplayer, I think mordhau (a "realistic" mediaval fighting game akin to chivalry) has a good balance. All equipments can be bought with in game currency, and the game is quite generous with it, so you have no incentive to buy it (I'm not even sure there's a way to buy currency). As for cosmetics, most are locked behind ranks so you need to play the game to earn them. A few are to be purchased but they were added later to keep the company making money to continue developping the game. There are probably more than 50 cosmetics you can earn with levels and only 4 or 5 with purchase. While true the purchasable ones are very detailed, there are also some very nice options in the base game. That way, people who want to look nice from the start can (they still have to play the game to unlock the equipments for which they bought skins anyway) and the players who want the reward of cosmetics earned through hard work have clearly identifiable options
It is a really good skit! It shows the argument from both sides and makes both of those sides look at each other in the eyes for even just a brief moment.
Bruh. I'm glad you stumbled on Viva la Dirt because their skits are fucking hilarious and definitely up your alley. The healer doing DPS is a funny af one.
When I played fantasy games, I did it for a disconnect from real life, not so I could have people with literally too much money lording it over me. I recall one game where the guild leader was some kind of super rich person who dumped thousands of dollars into the game each month just to stay at the top of the leaderboards. He was one of the most toxic, unfriendly people I had ever met, and was only guild leader because most of that guild were kissing his ass because of how powerful he was in game... all based on how rich he was. I REALLY don't need to see that kind of mentality in a fantasy game I play to ESCAPE that sort of thing.
I understand where you're coming from, however, when you create gameplay loops where "underemployed", "unemployed", and others who choose to forego outside responsibilities gain an advantage over others who need to balance between work/family/leisure that becomes a huge issue as well.
@@xarbinchaoticneutral1785 Then don't play games that require a big time investment or grinding.The game should not be made worse for those it was not intended for.
@Alin Bobaru wow that's a great response and that is definitely a good financial decision for a company (alienate your most profitable and largest player demographic).
I was a grinder back in the early 2000s with WoW and PlanetSide and City of Heroes. It was absolutely a way for me to escape my lack of success in real life. But I got older, got married, got a good job that eventually turned into a great job, and found I was less interested in the grind. I despise pay to win in principle, even if these days it wouldn't be a big financial burden to drop $1k into a game to max out my power. I feel like true gamers put the work in, and I'm just not a true gamer anymore. Nothing wrong with either, it's just life. I'm fine with cosmetics, but I think there should always be exclusive items only accessible through the grind. Give both sides a win in this.
This is hands down one of my favorite channels. Anyone else chuckle a bit when he brought up bikini mail armor for women? Gotta find that Britt video now 😂
This is such a divisive topic, and I totally was on both sides of the argument. Me as 20 year old bachelor would argue: "Just how rich people have IRL "cool gear" to show off for all their hard work, in this virtual world I have cool gear to show for my hard work. So why are rich people allowed to buy their way to the top in a virtual world without putting in the work? Not exactly fair." But me now, as a 32 year old: "I love this game just as much as people who grind it 12 hours a day. Why am I being punished because I'm an adult and have responsibilities besides video games? Should I be cursed to be a noob for all enternity now, just because I have bills to pay and a family to take care of?" I'm still of 2 minds about this whole thing lol
VLDL has more subscribers than Asmon does...more than he has followers on Twitch...so really it's the other way around, he's lucky to review their stuff.
I think part of the problem is that not only can you purchase strong items in game but they're better then the top end items you can grind for in the game
Actually considered a couple of times to suggest these guys however I didn't want to risk violating some advertisement rules I would not be aware of or at least too lazy to look up. Amazing channel, great people, really enjoy their content!
Viva la dirt league has amazing skits. But yes, grinding and earning gear is always an amazing feeling especially when most have not acquired it yet. I’m starting the grind for better gear and weapons in Elden Ring and it feels nice getting new armor and weapons when defeating difficult foes.
I think it really depends on the type of game. I don't have issues with cosmetics when it comes to games like PoE, Warzone, etc. where you barely interact with others. But for (MMO)RPG's the cosmetics are the goal for a lot of people as it is directly linked to the "life" your character has lived. It does not matter if the store gear is different from the achievements/drops in my opinion, because if the "level" of the visuals is the same it will still feel as if they were born with a silver spoon in their mouth. This is coming from someone who has the disposable income to buy cosmetics for every game I play btw. I am not hating on people who have little time to play and a lot of money to burn. But I think this development of in-game stores is way more damaging to RPG's than any other genre.
It's gotten to the point where it feels like the in-game stores are worked on first before the game itself with how many major multiplayer games have launched over the years broken snd unfinished, yet the in-game store and microtransaction functions are pristine and feature complete.
For a lot of gamers in a lot of games transmog is the true endgame. Kind of a meme but it's unironically true. The coolest cosmetics belong to pinnacle activities - prestige is the real carrot to "git gud" and that's how it should be. Cosmetic MTX severely diminishes the value of ingame effort just as P2W MTX does.
"I don't have much time to play because of work so I will just pay instead of grinding." Such a stupid argument... If you have little time to play then you don't deserve the rewards. It is that simple.
you hear people go on epic speeches to defend them whaling, knowing deep down it will eventually lead to buying a tangible benefit in game because companies are just that greedy.
Gamer culture and gamers as individuals (i stress on average) value fair competition and meritocracy now this can express itself in both positive and negative ways but it does mean they will spcially police those who try to circumvent merit and competition through external things
Interestingly I think this is one of the reasons the gaming community hates the game journalist community because despite them supposedly being a subset of gamers games journalist actually don't share these values and are drawn/influenced more by the values of the journalism community rather than the gamer one
My problem with cash shops and dlc is when they give people an advantage which I think is a common point of view but the other thing is how bare bones a lot of content has become so it can be split into additional payments. In black desert for example it's almost like the starting gear purposefully looks lame to incentivise additional purchases. To add to that it's nuts how we've gotten to a point where an expansion like Dragonflight that took tons of people and hours of work to make costs $50 while a costume that was probably made by one person in a few nights costs $20. Of course the industry would twist my statement and raise the price of expansions lol
How does it give me an advantage when I bust my ass every day and put my literal life on the line to earn the money to buy my items in game? I serve my community and country what have you done besides no life a video game?
Dungeons and Dragons Online had an excellent solution to the end game grind that I thought was great. Every 10th time you completed a raid, instead of getting a random loot drop, you got to pick from a list of gear that drops from that raid.
3:03 I think it’s more ok if it’s specifically seperate kinds of paid for armor that look good.... they are no where near the best but they will serve you well until you get better armor. That way if you want the best armor you still have to earn it, BUT until then anyone who looks at you knows you paid for it. It’s not a shame tactic cause there’s no shame in buying a cool armor cause it’s not giving you any unfair advantages. You just want to look cool, and especially if you are just starting out it’s an indicator that you aren’t just some kid hoping on for the first time and are trying to catch up with friends . as with most things in an MMORPG it’s VERY important that it’s balanced and handled with care.
Monetarizing is simply an extension of mini-maxing the game, expressed in outside currency. You are going to have to change a generation of influencers, guides, add-ons, players, and developers, to get players to enjoy the gaming experience as was written, instead of beating the game content down. (by whatever means). Monetarization is like taking the first chaper of LOTR, and then buying an ending, instead of reading the books.
Monetization is not a bad thing, especially for free to play games and helps companies maintain income while continuing to update games. The problem with monetization is when certain companies get greedy with it and offer pay 2 win scenarios, loot boxes and so on. Go look at POE, its heavily monetized but there is not a single thing you need to buy to beat the game and be among the strongest players. You can 100% play the game beginning to end without spending a single cent.
The thing is, back in the day, u had a job and not that much time to game and grind and still managed to get stuff like that. Took a bit longer maybe but you got it in the end. That's the real accomplishment imo, managing grind with a limited amount of time.
That changed my attitude towards gatekeeping. It keeps the soulless, uncaring hordes away from something that brings you joy. Because if the franchise goes down, they don't care - they just move and infect to the next one.
Asmon is right, only reason why society works is because we have so many 'games' within society that almost everybody can win at something, or at least participate meaningfully. Imagine everybody being able to buy a skill like being a good painter. Who the fuck would bother to try to become a painter the grinding way then? Exactly.
I hope he makes a lot more videos on watching Viva la dirt league, they are such a good channel to watch. I have watched everything they've come out with to pass time.
The bad thing about microtransaction is - it never tells you that all that cool armor and weapons you have brought with real money gonna meant anything if your character is just starting from base (level 1). In another word, you can have a level 100 gears and weapon but if your level is just 1, in some games like Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Nioh, it will work against you because your stamina will be so low, you can hit the weapon or roll more than twice. That what happened to me (in Nioh when I got free armor set - never used it after the first death).
I know everyone else already said it, but Viva La Dirt League is amazing and extremely underrated. It’s honestly awesome to see a popular streamer like Asmonsgold checking them out, and I hope to see more stuff like this in the future. They really deserve the recognition.
There’s a lot of anti consumer friendly practices in gaming today, they make you grind for 2000 hours in order to get the good gear, or they make you pay real money to shortcut it
Osrs is a great example of good gear being impressive. Cuz even if someone bought billions of gold with real money and bought all the bis gear, they still had to complete all the quests and do rly hard tedious grinds in the game ro unlock the usage of the gear, so it still means something when u have full bis gear
People will talk shit about Genshin Impact players because it's a gacha game... then spend $20 for a battle pass in D4 (after buying the game full price) to get an 'edge' x)... PS: Genshin Impact is one of the best adventure games ever... period, and it's 100% free if you're a real gamer.
I grinded out the rep for Nigthfallen in Suramar to get the mount Arcanist's Manasaber, and let me tell you, when I finally unlocked it, I was so happy that it felt like I accomplished something and made me appreciate it even more. I mean, I have bought cosmetics in the past before playing the game. If it's like £5 or £10 I'll get it depending on the look, but I still grind the game out to get other cosmetics.
I was a 90s Nintendo/PC kid and star athlete. Total nerd at heart, but not a hardcore gamer. The problems in gaming can be repped by FIFA. It’s bloated. It’s modes for the sake of modes and objectives feel awkwardly forced to make you play these modes or ‘build a stadium’ just to progress. It takes away the fun and sense of achieving for earning rewards by simply being the best.
As Asmongold pointed out, people want to start with a clean slate and achieve things in games on their own, seeing cosmetics in a game is not terrible even though i think it really reminds people for their limits IRL, what is more problematic for people are the p2w features. Viva La Dirt League is a good channel, btw, i love them : )
So just because one person can't afford a luxury means no one should be able to have it? Cry me a river life isn't fair. How about people stop being jealous and envious over pixels. That would be a good start.
@@lazyfrogeyes5949 As Asmongold explained, every game needs people who spend irl money, he calls those people whales because they are willing to spend money on a game, and a game also needs a lot of traffic, that traffic is generated by free to play players, the problem is that you cannot allow the game become pay to win or the game will lose traffic. So cosmetics are not the real problem.
WRONG. Seeing cosmetics that are locked behind paywalls, grind walls and skillwalls are all worse than P2W features in noncompetitive games. Cosmetics are absolutely a problem because how your character looks is often the most important part of a game because that is how you interact with the game.
Well, i missed those days when we only have to grind in-game to get stronger. Buying stuff were a luxury back then not a necessity. But nowadays, it became a norm.
well personally i think all these games should exist. those that you can buy yourself to the top, those were money dont even gives you cosmetics and all those in between. YOU choose which you wanna play. Personally my problem is that online games where money doesnt buy you stuff become very rare and rarer by the day. i mean most still have a reasonable farming time option instead of buying stuff but you can still buy the stuff. Now i spent IRL money on cosmetics myself if they improve my enjoyment of certain games and if there is nice options ill take them. But i also often go back to games where this was not possible, where you actually grind for stuff you want, and those are the ones i enjoy longterm and go back to. The ones you buy some stuff - i play them maybe a month or 2, quit, never go back.
I'm a huge VLDL fan and have been since the Bored videos started. Funny that at 0:39 he mentions the chain mail bikini for female characters because they actually have another video about that exactly. They are such an underrated channel. I have most of their merchandise too. My favorite is the horse pocket shirt 🤣
I think the main reason for the shift in how accepted P2W is, is mainly due to the fact that the main demographic of online games are NOW ABLE to purchase stuff, whereas before they were likely too young, in school, or needed their mom's credit card, to do so.. and as a result disdained those that could do something they couldn't and thus felt superior to them for being "F2P." But now they have jobs and disposable income, and don't care as much.
i feel like its not unreasonable to have it both ways. you can buy really nice cosmetics in a lot of games, but some more than others, you can also unlock really cool looking cosmetics. it is possible to have it both ways. you and pay your way, and you can grind your way. the problem is, they dont necessarily make money, or as much if its a grind only cosmetic. they make more selling it. granted a business is always going to run as a business, but you also need to look at long term returning customers. just like any other business. sometimes its better to take a hit now, to make even more later. even this though, isnt a perfect formula.
Honestly i rarely ever spend money on any cash shops and avoid pay to win games. I think in the last year i spent 10$ for an outfit on a game that looks cool on my character i am enjoying (outfit has no stats and is pure cosmetic). Micro-transactions are fine as long as two things are met 1) they aren’t pay to win and remain mostly cosmetic 2) the ingame obtainable cosmetics have far more customization and potential to look way cooler due to mixing and matching for fashion through transmoging.
@@xdoubt5487 sadly… but i can’t control what others do or don’t do, i can only try my best to be the better me each day and as long as more people do that then it eventually makes a difference. Everyone has faults just gotta try our best not to give into impulsive buying as tempting as it can be.
@@rpgshadowmorn2683 But to the people that see it as normal and to them it is, just as it is to you, too not purchase micros, is normal. A person who has money will not be contemplating whether to use it or not, they simply will. It's normal.
It's still cringe to buy cosmetics in a game even when rich people do it. It's not about having or not having the money for it. It's about integrity, standards, etics.
@@aleksei8884 You might think you look fly but be sure other people who see your character think you look cringy and they might even disrespect you. Not because they are jealous but because you disgust them. You basically display how the game developers and publishers managed to manipulate you into spending money. How far do you go to look fly IRL? Do you buy expenisve designer clothes and get cosmetic surgery?
honestly it would be the same exact thing if your boss saw some guy with epic game gear and was like this guy has outstanding dedication and hires him on instead of promoting the employee who has worked hard for months and years to finally be recognized and promoted.
Just like the girl in the video, I also started being okay with costemics in stores as not everyone has time to grind the game to get cool looking gear. But I also say fuck off when a game decides to had not only costemics, but cosmetics with op stats that do affect your gameplay or other items that allow you to get stronger endgame gear than f2p with also endgame gear.
I wonder would it be better if such practices were more confined to singleplayer games. It'll be like cheatcodes we had back in the day except dressed up in prettier cosmetics and as gear/items/characters for your gaming pleasure. But I guess the point is to show off what you got to other players....
Tru Imagine grinding a endgame item for like about 5 months and you see someone has a cool looking sword that has higher stats than your 5 month grinded sword and hes like below level from you
3:00 true but, the other way: I got constantly reminded that guys with better gear had more time, or more money because I did not have a good enough pc to play the game, and had to save up to get the right card, disk space and so forth.
I like how Asmon accidentally auto-played past the end where they shoutout the people who made the armor and he took the few seconds to go back and watch that part to make sure the credit was given.
I used to be a hardcore gamer, then I got a job. It really changes your perspective when you go from having lots of free time and no money to having lots of money and no free time.
the only problem i have with it is this form of monetization draws companies into making more aggressive monetization that ruins the experience by always being in your face.
Your very atute observation about female armour is covered in a number of their videos... Female armour in video games - Equality, another one... How skimpy female armor works - Protection
If you're just buying armor, you miss out on the journey and the artistic take of the creators. Might as well buy a max level boost while you're at it.
This is a huge portion of why so many mire modern games just don't feel the same to me. People that say things like "its just cosmetic, why does it matter?" Have never experienced the sheer joy and pride that comes with getting the Haunted pilot helmet, or Finally getting that golden knife or Diamond Rifles. At some point games just stopped being as cool, and goals in them stopped being as fun
Vldl makes some pretty entertaining content, and also quite true in various regards to things found in games. They do a nice job plus on a comedic note
I myself would rather spend my disposable income on things that are actually tangible and I feel that buying a video game is enough, no need for microtransactions
The issue, whether asthetic or functional, is that it breaks immersion. It's not always a matter of whether you can afford it, because many people who can afford it don't pay for it and many who pay for it arent affording it off of their own work and labor IRL. For those who play for the chance to more or less live out a fantasy, broken immersion defeats the whole purpose and damages the experience outside of their power to prevent it. Private servers are a great option, but even then the community is severely limited unless your a large streamer or something.
And that's what make the relics in FF XIV so dope, there's no way to bypass it, you have to grind them all the way. I also appreciate the the Eureka armor also comes with a pretty big grind but it's also the only shiny armor in the game, you want to look cool, you have to grind, no bybass.
There's a limit to cosmetics too, and it was laid out well in the video as well. A lot of the games I've played recently- it seems that the armors or mounts, or whatever I grinded for, doesn't reward with a good looking piece of gear. It seems that the majority of the good looking gear is always paid content. It wouldn't be so bad if you could earn something that stands out well above the paid content by investing your time.
they also have an ongoing D&D campaign with the NPCs of the epic npc man videos in a secondary channel (vldl dnd) that you might want to check it out if you end up enjoying the videos.
''your accomplishments in real life do not carry over into the game, thats like the hole point of it for a lot of people'' wise words
You know it's not a real game BECAUSE THE CHICK HER SET MATCHES AND ACTUALLY LOOKS GOOD. Most ingame sets always look shite, same in WoW classic. Yeah it was cool seeing what people had accomplished, but it all looked like shite.
Cosmetics ONLY is FINE. And furthermore with transmogging in wow it actually still let's you farm for mogs you want. That's great, more games need that.
Best part of games...the respawn. Real life death is the end. In game your out a little progress. Games are better.
Whole
Possibly more important than that - your FAILURES in real life do not carry over into the game...
Really is a fantastic point. The masses that flock to games enjoy immersing in a world where their time and talents net them a sense of progression and accomplishment that they are not getting from the unrewarding grind of the real world. Only to have companies put in pay to win and paid cosmetics that outclass the earned rewards and give you a constant reminder that your efforts mean nothing when compared to your lack of money in the real world, and just like that back to reality.
The companies that make these kinds of additions are driven by greed, probably at the protest of the actual game developers. They are the cancer of the industry and even while making profits they will rot away any kind of good will and passion from players until they've killed off whatever following they had, slowly but surely.
Seeing someone in cool looking armor, before the microtransactions took over, was motivating for me. Good times.
Diablo 2. Having glowing armor sets. Or seeing someone come into your game with one.
For me it was seeing someone in a lobby with G rank gear in Monster Hunter 4 ultimate. It actually gave me motivation to grind Hunter Ranks
It was motivating to quit your job to be able to farm 24/7 ^^
This was Halo Reach for me back in the day
@@mathieus.1851 2-3 hours on weekdays and 6 hours on weekends and it does the job for the grind
The problem that this has become is that developers are creating absurd grinds now that incentivize just buying the rewards instead. Pay-for-convenience is just as destructive to a games integrity as pay-to-win.
Yep. Want to look cool? You can pay us to get it easy or spend hours or days for the CHANCE to get it. They do this on purpose to. Like the AC Odyssey "time savers." They purposely made the grind annoying so that you'd be incentivized to buy microtransactions. Then you got the people who defend it saying, "Well you can get it all by playing the game so I don't see what the problem is." The problem is they made the grind so annoying so that people with not a lot of time on their hands will be incentivized to buy the bullcrap just so they can actually play the game. It's a damn scam.
Yup, this is why the "Create a problem, sell the solution" is at the core of most games in modern times. Why try to guess the market demand when you can just create it (Pretty sure this is at the core of many real life companies/wallstreet things/etc.)
And it's just getting easier as younger generations are conditioned that it's normal and just accept it.
new world is a prime recent example.
@@spectralassassin6030 As shitty as it is I'd still love to see more MMOs offer at least that. Just about every big one has cosmetics/emotes/mounts/etc. that are only obtainable behind a paywall.
The fact that people think grinding back then wasn't absurd is hilarious.
One thing i would point out though as someone who just started out in a new mmo, anyone being able to buy cosmetics makes it really difficult to tell who i should or shouldn’t listen too when it comes to game advice.
“You can tell this is not really a video game…. Because they’re armor isn’t a metal bikini.”
Asmon, you gotta watch the rest of these, they make that joke in their early seasons
@@F4c2a Clearly you haven't played any asian MMO like Lost Ark lmao
obviously the bikini-mail is a microtransaction cosmetic. lol
@@F4c2a I'm ok with there being less bikini armor in games for the sake of realism and practicality, however I'm not liking the trend of removing it (and other things) for THE MESSAGE.
they also remade that joke last week, but with male exposing gear instead of female bc the guy wanted her to use a bikini again. The pain in Alan's eyes was palpable xD
@@MrKing-qd7gi better use "replacing them with other armor" than "removing the bikini" because it could lead to PG18 territory :)
I played runescape and maplestory as a kid.
Runescape wise, I honestly remember the pure awe of seeing some in gold trim armour and deciding to try and get it with a few friends. It weirdly felt like a part of the goal in the game and made it a lot of fun. Whenever I saw someone with that armour I remembered chatting to friends and having a good time.
Maplestory, I was a kid with no income. Some adults were showing off their armor to me saying it was cheap and I just really didnt care.
The only way I'd of managed to get that armour would be to ask parents for money. When I actually made money I still kinda just shrug at cosmetics as theres no real meaning behind it.
I'll buy something nowadays to support a game that I think does things fairly but I do think a lot of games are missing that element of 'Wow, that armour has a story to it'
Honestly when I play destiny I only ever get season passes and expansions I don’t spend a penny in the store if I do it’s in the bright dust market
Or even just in Call of Duty. Seeing someone with whatever the max level camo was at the time or max prestige made me want to either play better in the lobby to show off or try to grind for it myself. Now its just people buying a $20 Nikki Minaj skin and twerking on you as they kill you while the grind camos look worse than store ones. They removed prestiging to flex your level all together. So bland that I haven't bought a CoD since the shitshow that was MW 2019 when I've been playing the series since 2011-2012
I think another issue is that a lot of stuff you get for free nowadays is lame, locked behind ridiculous grind requirements, and a lot of paid cosmetics are timed exclusives which leads to gaming culture where if you don’t pay extra you basically play the demo version of the game
“Cosmetics only” is just code for “all our in game stuff is boring looking compared to the cool ass shit you can buy” at least half the time.
Sure it’s a way to monetize without affecting gameplay but it feels kinda shitty nonetheless.
As for demo version...well you play for free and if nobody pays for something so profit occurs, game will be dropped
this is why i love elden ring and the pvp/co op aspect because you see so much gear and abilities and you know what enemy that person had to defeat in order to get said gear
Except there is still a pay to win as there are people who sell that good gear to crappy players
@getsuryu7227 sell? Bruh there's cheat engine.
I started using it massively to skip all that tedious running arround the map after my 8th playthrough.
Vanilla Elden Ring has garbage replayability unless you have the patience of someone like skumnut.
Under-rated action there: going back for the sponsor shout out. Respect for that.
The series are totally worth watching. VLDL have some really good skits. More exposure and more support means more great content
More exposure? Bro, they have 4 times more subs than asmon's clip channel lol
i work for viva la dirt so good to see asmong watching it
@@tctrickshot lmao the npc d&d campaign is amazing and Rob is an incredible DM lol
@@Ecliptor. You realize he watched this live on his Twitch channel too right?
@@salemgraves-w8n yes, what's your point?
love to see Viva la dirt league getting exposure
their skits are absolutely amazing
What made MMORPG's so great was that it didn't matter who you were IRL. The game didn't care if you were rich, the game didn't care if you were born with any kind of defects, the game didn't care if you had a stable or unstable upbringing. We were all placed into a world where our IRL stories didn't matter, and we could work hard to become something we probably never could be IRL. Buying cosmetics, mounts, etc., has completely ruined the whole purpose of an MMORPG.
Exactly. If I wanted a world where money is the only thing that matters and those without it have to do mindless work for hours just to get a fraction of what people with money can get, I wouldn't need to play a videogame.
It has a new purpose, domination through capital. People like dominating others and will pay for the privilege. Sad :(
Then game companies figured out that more money = better
Sad times ahead
@@seanwilliams7655 that's just simply making adult choices. But I can't blame irresponsible adults from buying digital goods on a game they already paid $60-80 for, if it saves them time but then not have enough to go out.
We had the same issues back when wow first came out but the majority of us didnt make irresponsible purchases.
We worked, gamed as much as possible in free time to save money, rather than go to restaurants etc then use that money for IRL meet ups, conventions or go to a guild meet up renting a entire cabin for the week, me personally roamed woodlands and ventured Icelandic fishing villages as a meet up holiday rather than buy pointless digital weapons, you will eventually get anyway using in game money from just grinding.
Main point is it seems each generation is getting more impatient, a bit of it is making irresponsible decisions when it comes to IRL fiance choices.
Me tbh I'd rather save the $50-100 a month and use it for a IRL meet up, we all have different ways of socialising but asmond said the normies don't care, they'll just treat it like going to a expensive store arcade and blow through all their quarters.
Mehhhhh MMORPG is the start of WHALES dont lie to your self. Ragnarok online i think is the 1st MMORPG. And no matter how hard you grind people especially the whales will and will always eat your effort up
Viva deserves so much, glad you found them
I really hope Asmongold goes on a Viva La Dirst league binge now! Been following these guys for a few years now, and I absolutely LOVE all of their content!
Who the hell is Vava La Dirst Legue?
@@justicedemocrat9357 check them out they do amazing videos
I did not realise he does not know them! OMG lol i love those Karen clips..
See the one where a robber tries to steal a Mac to game on? One of the funniest I have seen by that crew.
Would be cool to see Asmond in a future episode of Epic NPC man as a guest.
How the fuck did Asmon did not know about Viva La Dirt League?!?!
I sure hope Asmon checks out more of Viva La Dirt Leagues stuff, they're amazing
The production quality of their videos is better than some Netflix adaptions 😂
Especially the episode where she 1st gets the breastplate armor!...
Yeah when MMOs have been on a decline it parodies them accurately
... Especially due to Asmongold even mentioning it would not be a real game due to not having a female chain-bikini - and they actually have multiple skits about that!
I hope he checks out the bikini armour one and the one where Alan goes psycho cuz of the skips.
The point of games like rpgs is exactly that you enter a virtual world where are not the same person from real life. Some people play it for escapism, some just cuz they want to experience a fantastical world.
A lot of games I like playing are because I like experiencing the fantastical worlds and stories. There's so many possibilities and it's so fun.
I'd say I'm not much of a fan of purchases that remove the effort in things in a game because that slowly removes the interest in the game.
While I understand why some people prefer purchases for cosmetics, I still think everyone starting a game at the same level and progressing on equal terms is more intersting for everyone than just buying.
I think there's a way to make a game that allows everyone to enjoy it. First, if we talk about single player game, then I don't think it really matters as long as you get generous free content for buying the base game. Ideally, nothing should be locked behind a pay wall, but if some people decide to buy then it doesn't matter because it only affects their experience.
For multiplayer, I think mordhau (a "realistic" mediaval fighting game akin to chivalry) has a good balance. All equipments can be bought with in game currency, and the game is quite generous with it, so you have no incentive to buy it (I'm not even sure there's a way to buy currency). As for cosmetics, most are locked behind ranks so you need to play the game to earn them. A few are to be purchased but they were added later to keep the company making money to continue developping the game. There are probably more than 50 cosmetics you can earn with levels and only 4 or 5 with purchase. While true the purchasable ones are very detailed, there are also some very nice options in the base game. That way, people who want to look nice from the start can (they still have to play the game to unlock the equipments for which they bought skins anyway) and the players who want the reward of cosmetics earned through hard work have clearly identifiable options
I hope Asmon will watch more VLDL. They make amazing videos and deserve every boost they get.
Their production values are better than alot of Netflix shows
Yeah lol. Their speed-runner video was awesome.
Yes! I saw that he reacted and was thinking the same thing!
They're almost on 5 million subs lol
@@Ecliptor. Not enough.
It is a really good skit! It shows the argument from both sides and makes both of those sides look at each other in the eyes for even just a brief moment.
Bruh. I'm glad you stumbled on Viva la Dirt because their skits are fucking hilarious and definitely up your alley.
The healer doing DPS is a funny af one.
Baradun camping at the starting point is crazy as well
I missed that one. I need to watch it now, thank you 😂.
HOLY NOVA!!!!!
When I played fantasy games, I did it for a disconnect from real life, not so I could have people with literally too much money lording it over me. I recall one game where the guild leader was some kind of super rich person who dumped thousands of dollars into the game each month just to stay at the top of the leaderboards. He was one of the most toxic, unfriendly people I had ever met, and was only guild leader because most of that guild were kissing his ass because of how powerful he was in game... all based on how rich he was. I REALLY don't need to see that kind of mentality in a fantasy game I play to ESCAPE that sort of thing.
accomplishing something in the game and accomplishing something in real life should be 2 different things and not mix between
I understand where you're coming from, however, when you create gameplay loops where "underemployed", "unemployed", and others who choose to forego outside responsibilities gain an advantage over others who need to balance between work/family/leisure that becomes a huge issue as well.
@@xarbinchaoticneutral1785 Sure, but this is very simple. Things you get with real money have no value in videogames. That is all.
@@Ecliptor.yeah they do they have value in ruining another's experience.
@@xarbinchaoticneutral1785 Then don't play games that require a big time investment or grinding.The game should not be made worse for those it was not intended for.
@Alin Bobaru wow that's a great response and that is definitely a good financial decision for a company (alienate your most profitable and largest player demographic).
I was a grinder back in the early 2000s with WoW and PlanetSide and City of Heroes. It was absolutely a way for me to escape my lack of success in real life. But I got older, got married, got a good job that eventually turned into a great job, and found I was less interested in the grind.
I despise pay to win in principle, even if these days it wouldn't be a big financial burden to drop $1k into a game to max out my power. I feel like true gamers put the work in, and I'm just not a true gamer anymore. Nothing wrong with either, it's just life. I'm fine with cosmetics, but I think there should always be exclusive items only accessible through the grind. Give both sides a win in this.
I’m so happy Viva la dirt league is getting more views. I loved all of their work and glad other people can see their skits
This is hands down one of my favorite channels. Anyone else chuckle a bit when he brought up bikini mail armor for women? Gotta find that Britt video now 😂
Just search for "VLDL female armor" ;)
Yea I was like bruhhhh you clearly haven’t given VLDL a proper spin, they covered this exactly how he said a whillllle ago haha.
Shoutout to him going back to watch their ad at the end. Love that
This is such a divisive topic, and I totally was on both sides of the argument. Me as 20 year old bachelor would argue:
"Just how rich people have IRL "cool gear" to show off for all their hard work, in this virtual world I have cool gear to show for my hard work. So why are rich people allowed to buy their way to the top in a virtual world without putting in the work? Not exactly fair."
But me now, as a 32 year old:
"I love this game just as much as people who grind it 12 hours a day. Why am I being punished because I'm an adult and have responsibilities besides video games? Should I be cursed to be a noob for all enternity now, just because I have bills to pay and a family to take care of?"
I'm still of 2 minds about this whole thing lol
Fun seeing Viva La Dirt League finally getting noticed by some of the bigger streamers
VLDL has more subscribers than Asmon does...more than he has followers on Twitch...so really it's the other way around, he's lucky to review their stuff.
I think part of the problem is that not only can you purchase strong items in game but they're better then the top end items you can grind for in the game
Actually considered a couple of times to suggest these guys however I didn't want to risk violating some advertisement rules I would not be aware of or at least too lazy to look up. Amazing channel, great people, really enjoy their content!
Oh ofc, could have posted it on reddit! 🤦♂
Advertisement rules? Made no sense, anyone can say what they want. Stop being scaaaaared of pointless things :).
Better safe than sorry mate
Viva la dirt league has amazing skits. But yes, grinding and earning gear is always an amazing feeling especially when most have not acquired it yet. I’m starting the grind for better gear and weapons in Elden Ring and it feels nice getting new armor and weapons when defeating difficult foes.
I think it really depends on the type of game. I don't have issues with cosmetics when it comes to games like PoE, Warzone, etc. where you barely interact with others. But for (MMO)RPG's the cosmetics are the goal for a lot of people as it is directly linked to the "life" your character has lived. It does not matter if the store gear is different from the achievements/drops in my opinion, because if the "level" of the visuals is the same it will still feel as if they were born with a silver spoon in their mouth.
This is coming from someone who has the disposable income to buy cosmetics for every game I play btw. I am not hating on people who have little time to play and a lot of money to burn. But I think this development of in-game stores is way more damaging to RPG's than any other genre.
It's gotten to the point where it feels like the in-game stores are worked on first before the game itself with how many major multiplayer games have launched over the years broken snd unfinished, yet the in-game store and microtransaction functions are pristine and feature complete.
Once money trumps sheer commitment and skill in a game, it's not fair anymore. And most people like fair games.
For a lot of gamers in a lot of games transmog is the true endgame. Kind of a meme but it's unironically true. The coolest cosmetics belong to pinnacle activities - prestige is the real carrot to "git gud" and that's how it should be. Cosmetic MTX severely diminishes the value of ingame effort just as P2W MTX does.
"I don't have much time to play because of work so I will just pay instead of grinding." Such a stupid argument... If you have little time to play then you don't deserve the rewards. It is that simple.
Welcome to life some people have more money and easier access to luxury than you. Why is that a problem in a fantasy world??
you hear people go on epic speeches to defend them whaling, knowing deep down it will eventually lead to buying a tangible benefit in game because companies are just that greedy.
VLDL are really epic skit makers..... Every gamer will relate to most of their videos 🤣
VLDL
@@optimumpride7057 ahh yes..... thank you. 😅
Gamer culture and gamers as individuals (i stress on average) value fair competition and meritocracy now this can express itself in both positive and negative ways but it does mean they will spcially police those who try to circumvent merit and competition through external things
Interestingly I think this is one of the reasons the gaming community hates the game journalist community because despite them supposedly being a subset of gamers games journalist actually don't share these values and are drawn/influenced more by the values of the journalism community rather than the gamer one
My problem with cash shops and dlc is when they give people an advantage which I think is a common point of view but the other thing is how bare bones a lot of content has become so it can be split into additional payments. In black desert for example it's almost like the starting gear purposefully looks lame to incentivise additional purchases. To add to that it's nuts how we've gotten to a point where an expansion like Dragonflight that took tons of people and hours of work to make costs $50 while a costume that was probably made by one person in a few nights costs $20. Of course the industry would twist my statement and raise the price of expansions lol
How does it give me an advantage when I bust my ass every day and put my literal life on the line to earn the money to buy my items in game? I serve my community and country what have you done besides no life a video game?
Dungeons and Dragons Online had an excellent solution to the end game grind that I thought was great. Every 10th time you completed a raid, instead of getting a random loot drop, you got to pick from a list of gear that drops from that raid.
Asmongold finally finds Viva la Dirt League! This is such a great sketch group!
3:03 I think it’s more ok if it’s specifically seperate kinds of paid for armor that look good.... they are no where near the best but they will serve you well until you get better armor.
That way if you want the best armor you still have to earn it, BUT until then anyone who looks at you knows you paid for it.
It’s not a shame tactic cause there’s no shame in buying a cool armor cause it’s not giving you any unfair advantages.
You just want to look cool, and especially if you are just starting out it’s an indicator that you aren’t just some kid hoping on for the first time and are trying to catch up with friends .
as with most things in an MMORPG it’s VERY important that it’s balanced and handled with care.
Finally. Viva La Dirt League. I’m surprised it took this long for him to view one of these videos.
@@symphonixblades Good to know. I missed the first one then.
0:44
They did a skit on that too.
When she equipped the same fullplate a dude just wore, it insta-swapped into a plate bikini.
Monetarizing is simply an extension of mini-maxing the game, expressed in outside currency. You are going to have to change a generation of influencers, guides, add-ons, players, and developers, to get players to enjoy the gaming experience as was written, instead of beating the game content down. (by whatever means). Monetarization is like taking the first chaper of LOTR, and then buying an ending, instead of reading the books.
Monetization is not a bad thing, especially for free to play games and helps companies maintain income while continuing to update games. The problem with monetization is when certain companies get greedy with it and offer pay 2 win scenarios, loot boxes and so on. Go look at POE, its heavily monetized but there is not a single thing you need to buy to beat the game and be among the strongest players. You can 100% play the game beginning to end without spending a single cent.
The thing is, back in the day, u had a job and not that much time to game and grind and still managed to get stuff like that. Took a bit longer maybe but you got it in the end. That's the real accomplishment imo, managing grind with a limited amount of time.
I have to admit my mind is often blown away by how insightful asmongold interacting with his community is.
Ikr, he always speaks his mind and brings top tier discussions to the table
That changed my attitude towards gatekeeping.
It keeps the soulless, uncaring hordes away from something that brings you joy.
Because if the franchise goes down, they don't care - they just move and infect to the next one.
I love the expressions brit does 😂 glad she’s getting into more skits.
More skits? She's been a regular for YEARS!?
@@deeendee7162 they're using her way more often though, she only used to be in the honeywood skits, but now she's in the restaurant ones too
Asmon is right, only reason why society works is because we have so many 'games' within society that almost everybody can win at something, or at least participate meaningfully. Imagine everybody being able to buy a skill like being a good painter. Who the fuck would bother to try to become a painter the grinding way then? Exactly.
I hope he makes a lot more videos on watching Viva la dirt league, they are such a good channel to watch. I have watched everything they've come out with to pass time.
The bad thing about microtransaction is - it never tells you that all that cool armor and weapons you have brought with real money gonna meant anything if your character is just starting from base (level 1).
In another word, you can have a level 100 gears and weapon but if your level is just 1, in some games like Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Nioh, it will work against you because your stamina will be so low, you can hit the weapon or roll more than twice. That what happened to me (in Nioh when I got free armor set - never used it after the first death).
wow you're in for a long ride asmon, they have a ton of amazing video.
I know everyone else already said it, but Viva La Dirt League is amazing and extremely underrated. It’s honestly awesome to see a popular streamer like Asmonsgold checking them out, and I hope to see more stuff like this in the future. They really deserve the recognition.
They have like double the subs that Asmongold does.
@@StandStrong614And?
There’s a lot of anti consumer friendly practices in gaming today, they make you grind for 2000 hours in order to get the good gear, or they make you pay real money to shortcut it
Osrs is a great example of good gear being impressive. Cuz even if someone bought billions of gold with real money and bought all the bis gear, they still had to complete all the quests and do rly hard tedious grinds in the game ro unlock the usage of the gear, so it still means something when u have full bis gear
Dude is JUST discovering this
I'm so happy. These guys should be the leaders of ComedyGaming vids
People will talk shit about Genshin Impact players because it's a gacha game... then spend $20 for a battle pass in D4 (after buying the game full price) to get an 'edge' x)...
PS: Genshin Impact is one of the best adventure games ever... period, and it's 100% free if you're a real gamer.
I grinded out the rep for Nigthfallen in Suramar to get the mount Arcanist's Manasaber, and let me tell you, when I finally unlocked it, I was so happy that it felt like I accomplished something and made me appreciate it even more. I mean, I have bought cosmetics in the past before playing the game. If it's like £5 or £10 I'll get it depending on the look, but I still grind the game out to get other cosmetics.
Gotta love vivas videos they have been hilarious for many years
More reacts to viva la dirt league please! Absolutely love these guys they are absolutely hilarious and have worked hard for what they have.
I was a 90s Nintendo/PC kid and star athlete. Total nerd at heart, but not a hardcore gamer. The problems in gaming can be repped by FIFA. It’s bloated. It’s modes for the sake of modes and objectives feel awkwardly forced to make you play these modes or ‘build a stadium’ just to progress.
It takes away the fun and sense of achieving for earning rewards by simply being the best.
As Asmongold pointed out, people want to start with a clean slate and achieve things in games on their own, seeing cosmetics in a game is not terrible even though i think it really reminds people for their limits IRL, what is more problematic for people are the p2w features.
Viva La Dirt League is a good channel, btw, i love them : )
Had no issue with cosmetics, as long as it doesn't affect gameplay and progress.
So just because one person can't afford a luxury means no one should be able to have it? Cry me a river life isn't fair. How about people stop being jealous and envious over pixels. That would be a good start.
@@lazyfrogeyes5949
As Asmongold explained, every game needs people who spend irl money, he calls those people whales because they are willing to spend money on a game, and a game also needs a lot of traffic, that traffic is generated by free to play players, the problem is that you cannot allow the game become pay to win or the game will lose traffic.
So cosmetics are not the real problem.
WRONG. Seeing cosmetics that are locked behind paywalls, grind walls and skillwalls are all worse than P2W features in noncompetitive games.
Cosmetics are absolutely a problem because how your character looks is often the most important part of a game because that is how you interact with the game.
Well, i missed those days when we only have to grind in-game to get stronger. Buying stuff were a luxury back then not a necessity. But nowadays, it became a norm.
Asmon reaction to VLDL omg epic crossover.
Viva La Dirt League with another banger.
well personally i think all these games should exist. those that you can buy yourself to the top, those were money dont even gives you cosmetics and all those in between. YOU choose which you wanna play. Personally my problem is that online games where money doesnt buy you stuff become very rare and rarer by the day. i mean most still have a reasonable farming time option instead of buying stuff but you can still buy the stuff.
Now i spent IRL money on cosmetics myself if they improve my enjoyment of certain games and if there is nice options ill take them. But i also often go back to games where this was not possible, where you actually grind for stuff you want, and those are the ones i enjoy longterm and go back to. The ones you buy some stuff - i play them maybe a month or 2, quit, never go back.
I love those videos. All the epic NPC man episodes are gold. And their whole channel!
"I listened to the whole F****** monolog."😂😂😂😂
VLDL is a goldmine of comedy for gamers - hope you review several more of their videos
I'm a huge VLDL fan and have been since the Bored videos started. Funny that at 0:39 he mentions the chain mail bikini for female characters because they actually have another video about that exactly. They are such an underrated channel. I have most of their merchandise too. My favorite is the horse pocket shirt 🤣
Time is just another form of currency if you think about it
life is like a metaphor for life
Fookin deep man. True
It’s the most valuable currency there is and you can’t get it back.
More like time is money. Why do you work? For money? What do you sacrifice for that money? Your limited time on this earth.
@@B1u35ky you're paid money in exchange for your time and skill
These guys have some of the best content on youtube. Been following them for years. They also have a DnD channel.
I think the main reason for the shift in how accepted P2W is, is mainly due to the fact that the main demographic of online games are NOW ABLE to purchase stuff, whereas before they were likely too young, in school, or needed their mom's credit card, to do so.. and as a result disdained those that could do something they couldn't and thus felt superior to them for being "F2P." But now they have jobs and disposable income, and don't care as much.
i feel like its not unreasonable to have it both ways. you can buy really nice cosmetics in a lot of games, but some more than others, you can also unlock really cool looking cosmetics. it is possible to have it both ways. you and pay your way, and you can grind your way. the problem is, they dont necessarily make money, or as much if its a grind only cosmetic. they make more selling it. granted a business is always going to run as a business, but you also need to look at long term returning customers. just like any other business. sometimes its better to take a hit now, to make even more later. even this though, isnt a perfect formula.
Honestly i rarely ever spend money on any cash shops and avoid pay to win games. I think in the last year i spent 10$ for an outfit on a game that looks cool on my character i am enjoying (outfit has no stats and is pure cosmetic).
Micro-transactions are fine as long as two things are met 1) they aren’t pay to win and remain mostly cosmetic 2) the ingame obtainable cosmetics have far more customization and potential to look way cooler due to mixing and matching for fashion through transmoging.
But for everyone with that mentality, you got 10-20 people with the opposite
@@xdoubt5487 sadly… but i can’t control what others do or don’t do, i can only try my best to be the better me each day and as long as more people do that then it eventually makes a difference.
Everyone has faults just gotta try our best not to give into impulsive buying as tempting as it can be.
@@rpgshadowmorn2683 But to the people that see it as normal and to them it is, just as it is to you, too not purchase micros, is normal.
A person who has money will not be contemplating whether to use it or not, they simply will. It's normal.
One thing I hate is that so many games with cash shop cosmetics seem to actively make most of the in game items look terrible.
It's still cringe to buy cosmetics in a game even when rich people do it. It's not about having or not having the money for it. It's about integrity, standards, etics.
@@aleksei8884 You might think you look fly but be sure other people who see your character think you look cringy and they might even disrespect you. Not because they are jealous but because you disgust them.
You basically display how the game developers and publishers managed to manipulate you into spending money.
How far do you go to look fly IRL? Do you buy expenisve designer clothes and get cosmetic surgery?
@@aleksei8884 I speak for myself and yes it's disgusting.
You guys forget that we need paid players, specially for free games paid players are what's pay for the servers and keeping the game alive
honestly it would be the same exact thing if your boss saw some guy with epic game gear and was like this guy has outstanding dedication and hires him on instead of promoting the employee who has worked hard for months and years to finally be recognized and promoted.
Just like the girl in the video, I also started being okay with costemics in stores as not everyone has time to grind the game to get cool looking gear. But I also say fuck off when a game decides to had not only costemics, but cosmetics with op stats that do affect your gameplay or other items that allow you to get stronger endgame gear than f2p with also endgame gear.
I wonder would it be better if such practices were more confined to singleplayer games. It'll be like cheatcodes we had back in the day except dressed up in prettier cosmetics and as gear/items/characters for your gaming pleasure. But I guess the point is to show off what you got to other players....
Tru
Imagine grinding a endgame item for like about 5 months and you see someone has a cool looking sword that has higher stats than your 5 month grinded sword and hes like below level from you
@@Voexulle I mean, if there’s not anything competitive abt the game then it shouldn’t really matyer
3:00 true but, the other way: I got constantly reminded that guys with better gear had more time, or more money because I did not have a good enough pc to play the game, and had to save up to get the right card, disk space and so forth.
I like how Asmon accidentally auto-played past the end where they shoutout the people who made the armor and he took the few seconds to go back and watch that part to make sure the credit was given.
I follow the age old philosophy of "I don't care, it's not my money."
I relate especially since i get unemployment benefits of working people 😂
I used to be a hardcore gamer, then I got a job. It really changes your perspective when you go from having lots of free time and no money to having lots of money and no free time.
Viva La Dirt is awesome it's perfect example of good side of youtube.
They took the fantasy out of MMOs and made it like real life
the only problem i have with it is this form of monetization draws companies into making more aggressive monetization that ruins the experience by always being in your face.
Asmon and VLDL. Worlds have finally collided
Your very atute observation about female armour is covered in a number of their videos... Female armour in video games - Equality, another one... How skimpy female armor works - Protection
If you're just buying armor, you miss out on the journey and the artistic take of the creators.
Might as well buy a max level boost while you're at it.
@@JerBuster77 There are different creators for different departments, obviously.
Maybe the solution here is items should still become an achievements missions. So buying it doesn't mean they've done a lot from the game.
Asmon should watch more NPCman and Viva la dirt! These guys are awesome
This is a huge portion of why so many mire modern games just don't feel the same to me. People that say things like "its just cosmetic, why does it matter?" Have never experienced the sheer joy and pride that comes with getting the Haunted pilot helmet, or Finally getting that golden knife or Diamond Rifles. At some point games just stopped being as cool, and goals in them stopped being as fun
Vldl makes some pretty entertaining content, and also quite true in various regards to things found in games. They do a nice job plus on a comedic note
I myself would rather spend my disposable income on things that are actually tangible and I feel that buying a video game is enough, no need for microtransactions
I farm out Ashe of alar
See a dude with a flying mouse mount
Me : F** you
The issue, whether asthetic or functional, is that it breaks immersion. It's not always a matter of whether you can afford it, because many people who can afford it don't pay for it and many who pay for it arent affording it off of their own work and labor IRL. For those who play for the chance to more or less live out a fantasy, broken immersion defeats the whole purpose and damages the experience outside of their power to prevent it. Private servers are a great option, but even then the community is severely limited unless your a large streamer or something.
One day Asmon will disable autoplay, I believe
And that's what make the relics in FF XIV so dope, there's no way to bypass it, you have to grind them all the way.
I also appreciate the the Eureka armor also comes with a pretty big grind but it's also the only shiny armor in the game, you want to look cool, you have to grind, no bybass.
Asmongold, please watch more VLDL on stream, they are spot on.
There's a limit to cosmetics too, and it was laid out well in the video as well. A lot of the games I've played recently- it seems that the armors or mounts, or whatever I grinded for, doesn't reward with a good looking piece of gear. It seems that the majority of the good looking gear is always paid content.
It wouldn't be so bad if you could earn something that stands out well above the paid content by investing your time.
Just discovered this channel. Went down the rabbit hole, and they have some pretty funny stuff. They do have a few videos about chainmail bikinis lol,
they also have an ongoing D&D campaign with the NPCs of the epic npc man videos in a secondary channel (vldl dnd) that you might want to check it out if you end up enjoying the videos.
Cash shops are intrusive, that's it.
well now you need to watch their video about women's armor lol.