The gaming world is full of microtransactions, and small payments, usually in video games, to get additional content, in-game currency/bonuses, or similar virtual items. Many games have these to monetize small additions or cosmetics, like Fortnite, which has its “V-Bucks” currency system where you can earn it through playing, especially its paid-for PvE mode, or buy for roughly a 1:1 ratio of pennies to in-game currency (i.e, 10$ is 1000 V-Bucks.), or games like Warframe where a great deal of its waiting can be cut by using Platinum, it’s own in-game premium currency, to skip wait times and similar tasks.
Then, we reach MK1. There are 3 currencies in MK1, 2 of which you can earn for free. However, we will focus on the game “Dragon Krystals”, the premium, i.e. you can pay for it, currency. MK1’s monetization is relatively simple, so why is it driving up so much controversy? Well, first of all, there’s only one real way to earn Dragon Krystals in the game, and that's by leveling mastery on characters. “That doesn’t sound so bad,” you might say. Well, you only get 200 total for maxing a character, and 500 for beating the main story. Plus, DLC characters seemingly do not receive DK through their mastery, limiting players to only having the base roster to work with. I.e, this means without a new source of DK, players can only get roughly 4000-5000 of this currency. This…sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? Well, not quite.
This is just the front page, the rotating tab has more which I will cover pricing below, but it seems that their pricing is roughly:
- 600 for skins you can earn in-game (time saver)
- 1000 for skins you can only buy in the premium store
- 1000 for announcer voices
- 300 for “gear” (single character customization)
Those aren’t exactly low prices, and considering that the shop has refreshed every week since a bit after launch, adding new skins, the amount of stuff you can buy vs the amount of currency you can get to buy these items has been outpaced, you can’t get everything in the store for free by simply earning the crystals. “Well,” you may wonder, “Why don’t people just ignore it then? You don’t gotta pay for it, it seems like it’s all cosmetics anyways.” You have a point, but only without the context of the game surrounding it. The game has launched devoid of larger content and customization, with many claiming it was “unfinished” by the time of release, and that the DLCs added are not getting their money’s worth, especially on release.
The lack of customization and variety, the heavily reduced gear options (in MK11 players could choose 3 pieces of gear, costume, color palette, outro, intro, taunts, and usually got extra costumes and similar items for free just by owning the DLC. MK1 has roughly 2-3 skins per character with a few color swaps, with the only notable exception being Johnny Cage, who has 5-7, 1 gear piece, no customizable intros or outros, and far fewer taunts.), and overall seeming lack of variety has players questioning whether they are getting their money’s worth, especially compared to previous titles.
To top this all off, there has been a recent outcry as it was revealed in a Warner Bros. Q3 Earnings call, that they intend to transform a great deal of their franchises into “live service” games, which sets off red flags and alarms for a great deal of players considering the state of the game. The thoughts of “There is already a small amount of content, now the rest is going to be trickling in overtime to extend the lifespan of the game?” are becoming more and more prevalent, amongst other viewpoints, largely negative ones. It’s trouble on the horizon for the franchise, to say the least.
Furthermore, the “live service” model of the game is more for free games, like Fortnite or Apex, in which they receive great bundles of content over and the game itself is free, and many believe live service only works for free games, as locking new content behind paywalls, new updates behind access locks and cosmetics behind prices, so on so forth, is how many view the practice, even if some games offer a fully free experience, the view on microtransactions due to the downright predatory business practices of several companies is very viciously tainted, to a point of vilification of those doing it.
With the seeming lack of content to many, the fact that characters who appear in the story, many with unique moves and attacks, are being locked behind paywalls (Ermac, Quan Chi, and Khameleon all make appearances in their respective roles, but are not accessible or playable by the players, yet modders have managed to make them playable, lending to the belief they should’ve been base roster, alongside the discovery that Ermac and Quan both have final chapter story voicelines, implying they were not going to be DLC, but instead, playable fighters at the very end of the games plot.), and the lack of personal variety in customization and accessible content, NRS is not presenting a good look for the practice, with even long time fans refusing to play the series, claiming they will not buy another entry in the franchise, ESPECIALLY after the introduction of paid for fatalities (originally 12$ for the one, now 4$ for each, which is still exorbitant if you take the prices of other DLC, namely the DLC fighters and their additional content related to them.)
MK1 has only been out for a few months, so perhaps it’s too early to tell, but these issues could be the proverbial snowball rolling down the hill to many players, and Netherrealm Studios should be careful as to how they wish to proceed with their game, and Warner Bros, with their IP.
