overpriced items, abilities, features in games.

[dudagato]

Ever found yourself, saving or collecting large ammounts of currency to buy something in a game, that after you get it, it just makes you feel cheated due to how disappointing it was?

like in Okami for example, you can buy an ability in the dojo called "brown rage", it lets you leave explosive smelly turds in the battlefield that damage the enemy and makes them drop two precious demon fangs. While the concept is awesome, the ability costs 2,000,000 Yen, a very large ammount of money in the game, that i could only sum up in my new game plus, and even then the ability was useless,you are better of usin "golden fury"(the name is self-explanatory) that is much cheaper and easier to use, to fulfill your demon fang needs.

There is also that "soul eater ring" in Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow,a ring that improves the soul drops of monsters, that by the time i was able to buy it, i already had multiple numbers the strongest souls in the game.

i would like to hear your answers.

 

[Able Seacat]

In FF13-2, at the casino there is a list of prizes you can exchange for casino coins which are obtained through slot machines and Chocobo races. One prize that costs 10 000 casino coins will get you only one gil. Stupid casino.

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

The R.Y.N.O from Ratchet and Clank... that thing was always overpriced.

 

[Dryk]

The bicycle in Pokemon Red and Blue. It costs 1,000,000 (more than the maximum of 999,999) in a world where handheld miniaturization technology costs you 200... and a lemonade costs 350.

 

[baddude1337]

In Fallout 3 whenever my gear needed repairing, and the better stuff costs an insane amount of caps to repair. All that money and it's only a temporary fix until it breaks again. >_>

That's why in New Vegas I maxed out the repair skill, and thank god for jury rigging and ED-E.

 

[dudagato]

The bicycle in Pokemon Red and Blue. It costs 1,000,000 (more than the maximum of 999,999) in a world where handheld miniaturization technology costs you 200... and a lemonade costs 350.

Yes, but the game gives you a free one.

 

[kortin]

The bicycle in Pokemon Red and Blue. It costs 1,000,000 (more than the maximum of 999,999) in a world where handheld miniaturization technology costs you 200... and a lemonade costs 350.

Well, you do know that Pokemon Dollars are basically Japanese Yen, right? Just figured I should point that out (for anyone who might be thinking that Pokemon Dollars are equal to USD or Euro); 350 Pokemon Dollars are roughly equivalent to $3.50 (give or take a dollar, depending on the yen rate).

I've always thought that pretty much all of the weapons in Tribes Ascend were ridiculously overpriced.

 

[Eddie the head]

The R.Y.N.O from Ratchet and Clank... that thing was always overpriced.

Not in the last two you got it for free after getting all the plans. And anyway it was always the best gun in the game. Maybe not in 3 because the R.Y.N.O reactor kind of sucks.

 

[Don Savik]

Everything in most mmos. I don't want to be handed something on a silver platter, but can you make rare item currency skill based instead of time based? Think of all mmo pvp gear systems. You don't get rare items by being better, you get them by PLAYING LONGER. The same could be said of pretty much all progression systems.

This needs to go, just fly out the goddam window. It doesn't create an equal playing field for skill levels, it creates a time sink.

 

[The_Lost_King]

The bicycle in Pokemon Red and Blue. It costs 1,000,000 (more than the maximum of 999,999) in a world where handheld miniaturization technology costs you 200... and a lemonade costs 350.

Well, you do know that Pokemon Dollars are basically Japanese Yen, right? Just figured I should point that out (for anyone who might be thinking that Pokemon Dollars are equal to USD or Euro); 350 Pokemon Dollars are roughly equivalent to $3.50 (give or take a dollar, depending on the yen rate).

I've always thought that pretty much all of the weapons in Tribes Ascend were ridiculously overpriced.

Well I have never seen a $10,000 bike so it is still ridiculous.

 

[dudagato]

Everything in most mmos. I don't want to be handed something on a silver platter, but can you make rare item currency skill based instead of time based? Think of all mmo pvp gear systems. You don't get rare items by being better, you get them by PLAYING LONGER. The same could be said of pretty much all progression systems.

This needs to go, just fly out the goddam window. It doesn't create an equal playing field for skill levels, it creates a time sink.

That's how they make more money.

 

[NotEvenOnce]

The Big Goron Sword in OoT...
That Crushed me as a child...

 

[kortin]

Well I have never seen a $10,000 bike so it is still ridiculous.

There are some bikes that are that much, but they're typically bikes that were owned by a popular cyclist or has some sort of special modifications.

I'm fairly certain the bike in Pokemon is collapsible and able to fit into the backpack, so that could possibly be an explanation. Or something. *shrug*

 

[JasonEllis66]

The bicycle in Pokemon Red and Blue. It costs 1,000,000 (more than the maximum of 999,999) in a world where handheld miniaturization technology costs you 200... and a lemonade costs 350.

Well, you do know that Pokemon Dollars are basically Japanese Yen, right? Just figured I should point that out (for anyone who might be thinking that Pokemon Dollars are equal to USD or Euro); 350 Pokemon Dollars are roughly equivalent to $3.50 (give or take a dollar, depending on the yen rate).

I've always thought that pretty much all of the weapons in Tribes Ascend were ridiculously overpriced.

Well I have never seen a $10,000 bike so it is still ridiculous.

Then you have never been to a bike store, they can get ridiculous. Although a kid riding around in Pokemon doesn't need carbon fiber everything with top of the line racing accessories.

 

[neonsword13-ops]

Ever try to buy a song in the Disgaea series?

Lawl, sorry, you need 1,000,000,000 HL (Currency) before you can buy a song used in a previous game.

But it's always worth it just to get that one song that rocks your socks off:

 

[Atmos Duality]

I've always thought that pretty much all of the weapons in Tribes Ascend were ridiculously overpriced.

Yup. Main reason I haven't bothered playing Ascend much. It's a pity too, because I mostly enjoy the game otherwise.

Sniper is utterly worthless on anything but a flawless connection (you need to have a steady aim to boot...which I do), and guess what I picked..

Everything in most mmos. I don't want to be handed something on a silver platter, but can you make rare item currency skill based instead of time based? Think of all mmo pvp gear systems. You don't get rare items by being better, you get them by PLAYING LONGER. The same could be said of pretty much all progression systems.

This needs to go, just fly out the goddam window. It doesn't create an equal playing field for skill levels, it creates a time sink.

Welp, there went my reply. The short version at least.

MMORPGs are by far the worst offenders, real-world or in-game currency; since the problem is deeply rooted in their very nature.

Since my short-version is not an especially interesting reply, I'll add a few random thoughts:

Spoiler: Long Version

Grind-based-games essentially turn time into a form of their own currency. Even the worst $15 DLC will never compare to the gouging racket that fuels MMOs. And people are suckers. Total suckers for it.

I find Grind is inexcusable as the basis for any game: every defense I've seen for it to date is entirely subjective, and attempts to force the matter into being purely-subjective (and it's not; there is well-documented psychology and science behind it. Whether one pretends to ignore it or not, fact is that it's an integral part of the MMO-business.)

But what's worse is grind that leads to a No-Prize outcome.

Random Reward can be done in a way that doesn't punish the player for not grinding (Borderlands does this), but most companies go out of their way to avoid giving the player any breaks because that's how they make their money:

1)By dragging out an experience well past the point where it's engaging to milk more subscription time. Counting on the Skinner Box to keep Subscribers on board (subscription based MMOs)
OR
2)By oppressing the player into paying for a good experience (F2P MMOs), and this...this leads to "Pay2Win" scenarios. Where the goal is to instigate a monetary arms-race.
EVE-Online *thrives* on this principle; which is why it's funny and disturbing when someone loses tens of thousands of dollars of equivalent real-life currency due to actions done in-game.

Very few MMOs manage to avoid doing either, because they know how powerful Skinner Psychology can be. Call me a hipster if you want, but it's an exact case of the needs of business overtaking the needs to provide a better experience.

One might claim that without the business, the game wouldn't exist, and that's true. Yet I maintain that gouging players of their time and money by making a game deliberately boring is the antithesis of playing a game in the first place, so it might as well NOT exist.

 

[dudagato]

Ever try to buy a song in the Disgaea series?

Lawl, sorry, you need 1,000,000,000 HL (Currency) before you can buy a song used in a previous game.

But it's always worth it just to get that one song that rocks your socks off:

How could i forget the ridiculously priced disgaea songs, thank you. But damn it, they aren't overpriced, because the hours you spent collecting hel are worth it.


Oh Mid-boss, how i love thee.

 

[neonsword13-ops]

How could i forget the ridiculously priced disgaea songs, thank you. But damn it, they aren't overpriced, because the hours you spent collecting hel are worth it.


Oh mid-boss, how i love thee.

T~T

I love Mid-boss so much.

Spoiler

The part when you find out he's Laharl's father, I burst out a stream of laughter. The fool that has been mocking himself through out the whole game was actually the previous Overlord? That's hilarious.

But I feel sorry for the guy. He had the shit beat out himself numerous times by his own son just to make sure he became a great and powerful Overlord. Kinda makes me sad.

 

[TheCommanders]

In Dragon Age origins there's a dagger (available in Orzammar, if I remember correctly) that costs 142 gold. For reference. I think I only made about 250 in an extremely thorough play through. Weirdly, in Awakening you could make that much about half a dungeon... Anyway, the point is, it was incredibly pricey for a dagger that was only a tiny bit better than one that cost 32 gold. There were only 2 or 3 other items that cost anywhere near that much. If you can think of an item that costs more in that game, remind me, because I've forgotten.