We sadly live in a gaming age where multiple developers, and especially their publishers, are totally fine with doing microtransactions at such a high rate of turnout that games are more about “making money over time” than having a complete game at launch that everyone wants to play. This kind of “live-service model” is the epitome of greed in many ways, and yet game makers keep doing it and think that no one will care about the prices to get certain pieces of content. For example, take Call of Duty Black Ops 6, which has been selling incredibly strongly since its release late last year.
The game was received well, praised for its multiplayer, and was considered a good “bounce back” for the franchise after the debacle that was the 2023 entry. Players were stunned to hear that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would show up in the game as special skins for their operators. Naturally, this was a cool thing to hear and wonder how it would look in game. However, as revealed by PC Gamer, the cost of getting such things is truly high.
You might think that since these are skins, the TMNT would be bundled together since they are a family, and players can just buy it once and be on their way. Except, that’s not how Activision Blizzard likes to do things. Instead, every one of the TMNTs has its own bundle for their skins, and you have to pay premium currency within the game to get it. That’s COD Points, for those who don’t know.
Now, while it’s true you can earn them in-game, some might not have enough to get the 10,700 needed to get all the stuff, which includes 4 bundles and the “premium event pass,” so you would have to buy the currency with real money. If you needed the entire amount in one shot, that would cost you just under $90 to get.
That’s insane! Yet, it’s also a case of “history repeating itself.” Your minds might be flashing back to when Capcom brought in the TMNT for its fighting game title, and to get all of those costumes, yes, just costumes, cost players just under $100.
Activision Blizzard will likely point out that buying via real money “isn’t a requirement,” but let’s be honest: Call of Duty fans aren’t going to waste all their time grinding through the battle pass to get these things. Some will just “bite the bullet” to get the “fun content,” and thus, the cycle of greed is fueled and will continue to happen.
