1) Call of Duty
Offending money-spinner: Basically everything
Yes, in moves tantamount to the end of civilized history, you can now give Activision money in return for Snoop Dogg’s voice announcing your kills in one of the worst shooters ever made.
I refer, specifically of course, to Ghosts. I’d hate you to think I was trolling, and as a rule, I’m a big fan of the overall franchise – but there’s no denying the correlation between its steep decline in quality and its hefty incline in micro transactions. Personalization Packs, Legend Packs, Special Character Packs, Voice Packs… and all for the low, low price of $2. But that’s not per pack, by the way. No, no. That’s per item in the pack.
Want your gun to have a space-themed paint job? $2. Want it to have some skulls on it? $2. How about plastering it in cannabis leaves, because you’re a bird-brained, juvenile, non-contributor to society? Sure, $2. They even tried to charge us for Elite, a glorified spreadsheet that logged our in-game stats for $50 a year. Happily – in what can be seen as a small victory for gamers – this idea recently died out due to low attendance.
Will it stop the FPS juggernaut from rolling on? Not a chance. Will it eventually come to a point where you’re being charged per-second to play it? You betcha. Will I be one of the people doing just that? Ugh, probably. I hate myself.
What do you guys think? Have publishers finally gone too far? Let us know in the comments below!