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Halo 5’s REQ Packs become the latest microtransaction controversy
Few game industry trends seem to spark nerd rage more than microtransactions, and the upcoming Halo 5: Guardians is the latest in a long line of recent titles that allows players to spend real money to unlock perks in multiplayer.
Halo 5 will allow players to purchase REQ Packs, which contain weapons, armor, skins and so on. The feature has been met with some harsh skepticism from gamers who fear that it will make Halo 5 multiplayer pay-to-win, but 343 Industries studio head Josh Holmes calls the ability to purchase REQ Packs “a matter of convenience.”
“All REQ content in the game can earned through the regular course of play in multiplayer,” Holmes explained in a blog post.
According to Homles, some of the revenue gained from the sale of REQ Packs will go toward prize pools for the Halo Championship Series.
Arena and Warzone will allow different REQ Packs
Players with REQ Packs have an obvious advantage over players who do not, but Holmes points out that their use is somewhat restricted to preserve gameplay balance.
“While players will earn REQ Packs across both Arena and Warzone, only cosmetic items can be used in our Arena experience,” said Holmes. “This is to ensure that all players start with the same weapons and abilities as part of our vision for the balanced, competitive play in Arena multiplayer.”
Packs containing weapons and other perks will be allowed in the new Warzone multiplayer mode, which combines 24-player PVP with friendly and hostile AI.
“Within Warzone, you’ll have the ability to deploy a multitude of weapons and vehicles from your inventory of REQs throughout a match,” said Holmes. “These requisitions are governed and balanced by Warzone’s in-match REQ Level and Energy systems, which are driven by player and team performance within the mode.”
It can sometimes be easy to forget that a few loud gamers standing on their internet soapboxes do not represent an entire player base. If the industry actually functioned that way, everyone at Electronic Arts would be out of a job, and Valve Corp’s Gabe Newell would probably be president.
Although there are plenty of gamers who complain about microtransactions, there are even more who have no problem with them, and it does not look like they will be going anywhere anytime soon.
Image credit: Halo 5: Guardians | 343 Industries
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