• The Avengers release date is imminent, and the content poses some cause for concern.
• Microtransactions, however, are not something to worry about.
• If anything, Avengers has one of the fairest microtransaction policies we’ve seen.

Crystal Dynamics’ Marvel’s Avengers title releases later this week – or tonight for those who’ve pre-ordered the deluxe edition – and reception has been all across the board.

Some think the title is soulless, while others are excited about a cooperative superhero romp. But content aside, many are worried about the game’s microtransactions.

The Avengers Tackle Microtransactions

Yes, the game has expensive deluxe editions and might not live up to the Avengers name. However, the misconceptions surrounding its microtransactions must be addressed.

For one, each character having a $10 battle pass is true. Those battle passes include skins and gear for said hero. However, unlike literally every other game with a battle pass, these passes don’t end after two months. There’s no rush to plow through a character to get the full value out of your investment. Take as long as you’d like.

And each battle pass provides $10 in credit back, allowing you to purchase another once the hero is finished. Sure, that means sticking with one until the battle pass is completed, but at least you’re getting the investment back.

Funding That Content

Keep in mind, with all updates in the foreseeable future being free, the game needs some form of continuous funding. Asking $10 for a cosmetic, optional battle pass that won’t affect your performance isn’t ridiculous at all. Plus, Avengers offers a free next-gen upgrade  – something many cross-gen games struggle to do.

What’s worrying is if the game can deliver an Avengers level plot with engaging gameplay that doesn’t bore too quickly. Some concerns from the beta are repetitive levels and the less than stellar writing. I’ve addressed these in a video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eE1NcPSyvBI

There’s a lot for Crystal Dynamics to try and get right here, and quite a bit the studio might fail to accomplish. But a fair microtransaction model is not the problem here. If anything, games can stand to learn from a play-as-you’d-like battle pass to support a significant stream of free content.

Of course, the game could pull a 180 and introduce microtransactions after the fact . But until then, let’s address some genuine concerns and not attack a reasonable form of monetization.

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.

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