NBA 2K24 Introduces Paid Battle Pass
The NBA 2K24 update introduces a paid battle pass on top of its already expensive price tag, and fans are not happy about the increasing monetization of sports games. Many cite the high costs of games like NBA 2K and the diminishing interest in them as they see the same sorts of practices appear in more and more games.
“This isn’t exclusive to sports games either,” one user writes. “Shooters and fighting games have been doing this for years, and it’s just another way for corporations to squeeze more money out of consumers.”
Others defend the idea of paying for additional content, citing the fact that many games like Overwatch start out as full-priced games and then transition to being free-to-play games with paid battle passes. This model, they say, is preferable to having to buy a new game every year.
“I don’t mind paying for cosmetics which aren’t game-changing,” another writes. “Overwatch did it right. The battle passes in that game don’t have the best cosmetics. Those have to be purchased.”
A number of examples of games that have transitioned from full-priced games to free-to-play model games with battle passes are given, such as Overwatch, League of Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, and even Rocket League.
However, these comments are met with criticism over the fact that many of these games still lock the best cosmetics behind preordering the game or additional payments. Some cite games like Mortal Kombat 11 and how you can’t even use a lot of the characters on the roster without preordering the game or spending additional money.
“I feel like paying for well-made and detailed characters in Mortal Kombat is fair if you’re a fan of that character,” one writes. “But I also think it would be cool if there was just a flat-out Mortal Kombat pass where you could get all the MK11 characters and all the base game cosmetics. I’d definitely buy that.”
The conversation quickly grows heated as the comments section spirals into a culture war of sorts with players defending their preferences and critics of the practices of game companies. Someone suggests that the thread would be more enjoyable if it focused on the practices of companies rather than insulting gamers who spend money on microtransactions and declining interest in games.
“I’m done with Video Games,” one writes. “I’m 31 years old and I’ve been gaming since I was 8. I’ve turned to photography as a hobby and I’m much happier with it. I wish more of the gaming community did that instead of wasting so much time in toxic communities.”
There is also a plea for less hostility toward players who enjoy sports games like NBA 2K despite their issues with the monetization model.
