10 Insulting Microtransactions Video Games Had To REMOVE

Gaming is a different landscape now than it was when Bethesda first set off the microtransaction controversy bomb with Elder Scroll IV: Oblivion's infamous horse armor. The very concept of microtransactions was seen as bizarre and repugnant. And while many of us still hate them, we have to accept that they aren't going anywhere.

The system of monetizing games after original purchase is now as entrenched in the industry as special editions and pre-order bonuses. You can safely assume that most games will have microtransactions of some sort and usually you just have to suck it up and hope for the best.

And yet, the controversy itself hasn't gone anywhere.

Microtransactions are as irritating now as ever - we're just used to them. And, hey, occasionally they're even done well. And by "well," I just mean not entirely predatory and exploitative. Publishers get a little greed. As a treat.

So it really says a lot when they go so far that we simply can't take it anymore, as is the case with the following implementations games had to remove, or continue to feel the wrath of consumers.

Regular microtransactions were bad enough, but when publishers introduced lootboxes - packs of randomized rewards inspired by mobile games - they crossed a line. In fact, they crossed so far over the line that actual governments had to get involved.

In the case of Middle Earth: Shadow Of War, the whole concept seemed especially egregious, for a couple of reasons:

First, Shadow Of War is a SINGLE PLAYER game. The concept of loot boxes had mostly been exploited in multiplayer titles, where the logic made sense. If multiplayer games are running for years, it's understandable why a publisher needs a steady revenue stream, even if it can be a predatory one. In a full-price single player game, it comes across as downright greedy.

Second, the finale of the game was essentially one unbelievably long grind of taking and defending bases for hours. And if you wanted to see the game's true ending, beating it was the only way.

What publisher WB Games essentially did was lock the game's ending behind a sloth's-pace grind that could only be alleviated by spending real life money on loot boxes, which didn't ensure that you would even get anything helpful.

People justifiably revolted and the "feature" was removed.