The team behind Dead or Alive 6 posted an apology for the latest in-game microtransaction feature, which involves changing the hair color of the playable character. Published by Koei Tecno Games, the fighting game was first announced at E3 2018, then hit the shelves in early 2019.
Announced in early March, the hair color feature is exclusive to the PS4 version of Dead or Alive 6. If players want to change the playable character's hair, they're required to use one premium ticket, which costs real money, around $1 each. Currently, there are 16 hair shades available. Purchased hair colors aren't available for unlimited use; they expire as soon as the player decides to change the color again. For example, if the playable character has brunette hair and the user wants to make her blonde, a premium ticket is required. If the user then wants to make the character brunette again, they need to pay 10,000 in-game currency. No real-world money is necessary to restore the original hair color. If the user wants to revert to the original blonde color, they need to spend another premium ticket to purchase the hair shade another time. This microtransaction system angered loyal fans of the game franchise.
Dead or Alive's official Twitter account apologized to the fans for the hair color microtransaction system. "We hear and acknowledge your disappointment behind our rollout of the new hair color feature for DOA6," says the Tweet. "We greatly appreciate your feedback and are working towards a solution that helps mitigate the issue and will share our plans in the coming days."
Microtransactions are everywhere in the gaming industry. At first glance, they may seem like an innocent shortcut for casual gamers who don't have enough time for grinding to earn in-game items in the traditional way. However, microtransactions and loot boxes are spoiling the sense of accomplishment the player gets when acquiring a particular item by advancing in the game.
This is not the first time Dead or Alive 6 has released expensive microtransactions. Focused on female characters, the game features costly season passes, which provide access to flirty costumes for the fighters and additional characters. Not all passes are cheap; for example, the Season Pass 4 currently costs $89.99 on Steam. Hopefully, game developers and publishers will find new ways to earn money without anti-consumerist practices that disappoint and take advantage of their fan base.
Source: Dead or Alive/Twitter
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