OFcGaming

Latest update for TF2
http://www.pcgamer.com/2010/09/30/team- ... -launched/

Includes micro transaction payments for some items , which is rather worrying as Valve uses TF2 as a sounding board for new idea's .I hope this isn't the start of Valve charging for extra DLC as is common with Xbox Live .
I don't like the idea of being charged for extra content for games or the idea that someone can purchase an advantage over other players .(I know this isn't the exact case with this update but it looks like a slippery slope to me)

An interview with Robin Walker about the update http://www.pcgamer.com/2010/09/30/inter ... eal-money/

This update is one of the "Three Big Surprises" from Valve , I hope the other 2 surprises don't leave the bitter taste that this one did.When I think of micro transactions I think of being turned into a cash cow being constantly milked by Valve (not that kind of milking Gav) .

Generally I don't like micro transactions either. But if they're going to do it I think this is the right way because of these two things:

Our main goal was to make sure that all game play affecting items are findable, so that no-one can buy an in-game advantage over someone who’s choosing to find their items.

Additionally, community contributors will receive a percentage of sales on items they’ve created!

So there's no real obligation to buy and it give a little back to those who contribute. I'd never buy any of this myself of cause...but I may be tempted to make some

As long as it stays this way (just cosmetic and for people too lazy to look for things) fair enough. I find the worst thing game companies charge for is map packs because if you want to keep playing you pretty much have to buy them and it ultimately divides the community. If it was any other company I'd be worried but I'd like to think Valve know well enough not to do that...at least for PC

You can still craft/trade/find all the items (+ some more) put in by the update but tbh they haven't made much difference, almost everyone I know uses the vanilla weapon sets with maybe a situational unlock or two, there are a couple of straight upgrades which have already been widely accepted (medic ubersaw for example)
All of the unlocks have been banned from the competitive 6v6 format of the game (expained http://www.vanillatf2.org/2010/10/thera ... ur-horses/) In the hands of the best players in the world they become very imbalanced and game breaking.
Overall not too many people are bothered, just another update, another 5000 forum posts/drama, but really nothing changes.

Its not how this update affects TF2 balancing or gameplay that bothers me , its the introduction of micro payments .
Valve and Steam have always provided a huge amount of after sales updates and DLC to their games and Mods.
This has a huge influence on me when deciding wether to purchase a game , knowing that bugs will be fixed (well most of em) and there'll be updates , new maps etc.
TF2 is Valve's flagship game at the moment and they use it as a sounding board for idea's , so I'm concerned that they've introduced micro payments .

A quote from Robin Walker in 2007 http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/valve ... ge-for-dlc
"You buy the product, you get the content," Team Fortress 2 designer Robin Walker told us. "We make more money because more people buy it, not because we try and nickel-and-dime the same customers."

As Ftang pointed out if it was any other company than Valve I'd be expecting to see all DLC being charged for pretty soon but I think they'll step very carefully, seeing micropayments still makes me uneasy though.

Ah TEAM FORTRESS!

Not this then:

http://www.teen-fortress.com/about.htm

All I can say is, in the politest possible way, Jesus titty-f*cking Christ i gotta make me some crocodile hats...

"Five TF2 community members—Rob Laro, Shawn Spetch, Steven Skidmore, Spencer Kern, and Shaylyn Hamm—created new items for the game ranging from crocodile hats to jars of milk to sleek black rocket launchers, which players can purchase in-game. Two weeks later, some of these guys are sitting on royalties of up to $47,000 USD."

- from kotaku

It seems every games supplier looked at World of Warcraft and woke up, trying to see how they can monetise their ongoing gameplay. I think that's the main motivation in Microsoft winding up the Flight Simulator franchise and replacing it with "Microsoft Flight" and clearly that's the main goal with the TF2 micropayments.

Even with *free* weapons upgrades in BFBC2 I didn't really see the point - what's the gameplay advantage in having noobs trying to get started in the game with less armour and less powerful weapons? In CSS I actually prefer the reverse gun game where the better players move to the weaker weapons. Whatever. At least this stuff is priced for 16-year-olds so that kind of puts a limit on it. I can always sell my body.

Bambam

Lol u can actually buy the weapons in bc2 on the consoles
I for one won't be buying anything like hats or weapons
But even if only 10% of folk do that's a shit load of money

http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/217 ... in+Feed%29

And thats just the user generated content.

"Valve itself is considering applying the framework for the Mann-conomy into its other top franchises."
Looks like a slippery slope to me.

yeah i dont like it either but from valve or other companies in the industry its probably the way forward monetary wise. they must rake it in as some bundles are worth more than the game itself! and probably a more attractive model than subscription live eve online or WOW for certain games.

i prefer expansion packs where its a set price and you know what youll get and theyll be limited to a few until they decide to release the next version eg morrowind, oblivion, fallout, age of empires, total war, C&C (generals). where as with this model the expansions are tiny and pretty much infinite to n expansions, each with a cost. imagine CSS where you were only allowed pistols but youd have to purchase all the other guns and they kept releasing new guns. they would so make loads of money. though id be ok with my trusty deagle,