Gamers and Critics Calling Out Diablo IV Microtransactions

gameranx.com:

Blizzard is at an interesting place right now in the gaming space. On the one hand, many of their beloved IP isn’t in a place that they can be proud of as they are either dying a slow, painful death or have had a sequel launch that has been blasted by fans and critics alike. That’s not even touching what’s going on behind the scenes via their boss and the various allegations that have been put against him and the company itself. Due to all this, they put a lot of faith in Diablo IV, which has paid off, but with a catch that could hurt them long-term.

First, let’s start out with the positive. Not long after critics started praising Diablo IV as the “best Blizzard game ever,” gamers went and bought the game in droves. To the extent that it’s been confirmed that the title is the fastest-selling Blizzard game ever, and it broke that record within mere hours! This is important for multiple reasons. First, it shows that Blizzard hasn’t fully lost touch with how to make great games, and two, it shows that fans are still willing to buy their games and enjoy them should they know they’re quality.

This record likely wouldn’t have happened if the reviews were not so kind.

Diablo IV Launches, Immediately Sets New Record as Blizzard Entertainment’s Fastest-Selling Game of All Time "In the four days since early access started on June 1, Diablo IV has been played for 93 million hours"https://t.co/h4cICRnIyS pic.twitter.com/0pa94icoPD

But while those sales are impressive, there’s a cost. Specifically, there are microtransactions. That’s nothing new in gaming, as many titles that have a certain potential for microtransactions will have them naturally, so the developer/publisher can get more money.

But as IGN points out, these