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PvP In 'Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain' Requires Currency

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Reviews for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain are out, and most critics agree that the game deserves high praise. However, one review (Gamespot's) was quick to point out that a portion of the game's online functionality required a payment of real-world money to gain access.

Specifically, the online component was the Forward Operating Base (FOB), the online extension of Mother Base, your fortress of operations in the middle of the ocean. These bases can be used as a starting point for attacks on other players' bases. However, that makes your hard-earned work vulnerable to enemy attacks, as well.

As a player, you need to spend in-game currency, which are called MB Coins, to purchase a portion of the open water to begin construction of the FOB. However, these MB Coins can only be purchased with real-world money. With online functionalities unavailable at the time of the review, it was unclear as to the price options for a stack of MB Coins. Further investigation revealed a description of purchasing space for the FOB, which stated that the player needs to "Spend MB Coins (paid service) to purchase waters."

It's been known for quite some time that The Phantom Pain would include these microtransactions, but the company stressed that there was a way to gain in-game currency by playing the game. After the news of the FOB microtransaction came out, Konami was quick to respond.

Although the feature is currently unavailable to reviewers, the company stated that the FOB system will be available at launch. Furthermore, the real-world payment for MB coins seems to be optional, as it only acts as what Konami calls an "accelerator." Konami producer Kenichiro Imaizumi also tweeted his response, further pressing on the fact that it is possible to gain in-game money by completing missions in the single-player campaign and other types of gameplay.

The Forward Operating Base is only one facet of the game's multiplayer. The Phantom Pain is also bringing back Metal Gear Online to give online players a team-based shooter experience. FOBs, which are strictly one-on-one, will be available at launch, but Metal Gear Online still needs some work. It's due on consoles on October 6, while PC gamers have to wait even longer, specifically January 2016.

Follow Rexly Peñaflorida II @Heirdeux. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

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14 Comments Comment from the forums
  • targetdrone
    #FucKonami
    Reply
  • Tango_Mike
    I think the author of this article grossly misinterpreted GameSpot's review (read: what they wanted to see). The Microtransactions are an available option, and are there to give you a boost. There is no "mandatory buy-in" to use the FOB option, heck, you can even not participate at all if you so choose. Rexly Peñaflorida should do some research before blasting utter BS on teh interwebz.
    Reply
  • yronnen
    Cool, we pay $59.99 for an AAA title, and still being nickle and dimed like purchasing a 99 cents iOS game.
    Reply
  • rantoc
    Yeah, full price AAA game and yet micro transactions - fck that! Even if it's possible to grind in that currency its still despicable to see that in a full price game no matter how its marketing BS is putting it.

    Shame really, was looking forward to this title but severely lost interests to encourage that kind of BS in the feature by buying in to it! No thx!
    Reply
  • jasonelmore
    Cool, we pay $59.99 for an AAA title, and still being nickle and dimed like purchasing a 99 cents iOS game.

    its because game developers want to have their cake and eat it to.

    They want a huge influx of cash that a $59.99 title brings in, but they also want a steady stream of income over the life of the game without doing any real work.
    Reply
  • soccerplayer88
    Cool, we pay $59.99 for an AAA title, and still being nickle and dimed like purchasing a 99 cents iOS game.

    its because game developers want to have their cake and eat it to.

    They want a huge influx of cash that a $59.99 title brings in, but they also want a steady stream of income over the life of the game without doing any real work.

    Which is probably OK so long as they update the game regularly with free content updates. But if the lump on paid DLC as well as micro transactions then they can go play in heavy traffic.
    Reply
  • alidan
    I think the author of this article grossly misinterpreted GameSpot's review (read: what they wanted to see). The Microtransactions are an available option, and are there to give you a boost. There is no "mandatory buy-in" to use the FOB option, heck, you can even not participate at all if you so choose. Rexly Peñaflorida should do some research before blasting utter BS on teh interwebz.

    do you know anything about konami as of late? do you TRUST them to not screw with the games balance so microtransactions are more appealing? i dont trust ANY company to do that, much less konami, thank god they are getting the hell out of videogames all together and all their good staff has moved on.

    Cool, we pay $59.99 for an AAA title, and still being nickle and dimed like purchasing a 99 cents iOS game.

    its because game developers want to have their cake and eat it to.

    They want a huge influx of cash that a $59.99 title brings in, but they also want a steady stream of income over the life of the game without doing any real work.

    Which is probably OK so long as they update the game regularly with free content updates. But if the lump on paid DLC as well as micro transactions then they can go play in heavy traffic.

    its never ok because they companies CAN NOT BE TRUSTED TO NOT SCREW WITH THE BALANCE
    https://www.google.com/search?q=d2p+phycolofy&oq=d2p+phycolofy&aqs=chrome..69i57.6079j0j1&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=0&ie=UTF-8#q=free+to+play+psychology
    read some of those, they do research into how to make people pay more for a game and in some cases more for a game if it was 60$ and no extra fees.
    Reply
  • hoofhearted
    And I was looking forward to this title too :(
    microtrans = NO SALE
    Reply
  • davmazin
    well am not buying nor playing this game especially when the game specs says that not even a core i7 sandy bridge 2600k can run this game but only series 4xxx and up can screw ya konami not buying or getting a processor that only gives me an insignificant 5 to 8 more frames in most games if it gave me at least 30 or more frames or better then i would buy but as its intel can keep on giving menian unimportant improvements for all i care when the improvements do reflect on performance then i will get the new cpus not because a shitty game ask for that
    Reply
  • synphul
    I can see where it may be a paid 'boost' to get something more quickly but like others the microtransactions for a full feature full price game are b.s. It's quickly becoming the norm though to nickel and dime people to death, just look at subscription t.v. service.

    Broadcast t.v. had commercials to offset the cost of operating paid for by advertisers. Go with a subscription service like cable or satellite and you pay anywhere from $60-$100/mo to access a wider pool of channels still stuffed full of commercials.

    So they're getting paid the subscriber fee + the fees from advertising. A good portion of 'all those chans' in a package are 24/7 paid advertising infomercials which equates to more income. Want any movie channels? Pay for them on top of your bill, so you have to pay twice just to get commercial free programming.

    Games are getting to be the same way, get you for the cost of the game, then potentially a subscription fee if using a console, plus in game currency for microtransactions. I'd go so far as to bet down the line they'll be charging for the game + a penny for every bullet fired or km walked in game. Hate to even say it out loud and give them any ideas.

    Personally no thanks. I'd rather buy a game than perpetually rent it and if they don't offer that option it's as easy as speaking my thoughts by closing my wallet on such titles. Enough people follow suit and they can charge for things all they want.

    Last time I checked, 0 x "insert amount charged" still equals $0. Their choice. Maybe it's different for some folks who 'have' to play particular titles. The game co's need people to buy their products, I as a customer don't need to buy anything. They're in no position to dictate to consumers far as I'm concerned.
    Reply