Microtransaction market is doomed to collapse, says ex Dragon Age dev

Those pesky microtransactions are everywhere these days. They’re detested by almost everyone and yet, they make so much money. You need look no further than Diablo Immortal for proof of that. Earlier this year, the microtransaction-heavy mobile game earnt $24 million in just two weeks. Reports claim that it could actually cost you £88,000 to fully upgrade your character which is a ridiculous number.

The UK government is actually attempting to limit the use of microtransactions. Earlier this year, a government body warned developers, asking them to limit the availability of loot boxes. If they don’t, they could face hefty fines. Some countries have banned loot boxes all-together. The microtransaction market doesn’t appear to be phased though, yet one developer claims it is doomed.

Speaking of Diablo, check out the latest trailer for Diablo 4.

Ex Dragon Age developer Mark Darrah has said that the days of microtransactions are numbered. As reported by TweakTown, Darrah explained why he thinks the market is doomed. “I personally feel like it is doomed to eventually collapse because … I don't have good data here, but here's my anecdotal [evidence]. The first mobile game I played that was free-to-play, I think I spent $80 on it. I thought 'I'm going to play this forever, it's worth the money.' And then I quit within a couple of months of spending all that money,” he said.

“Next game, I was like 'Okay right, I'm not going to play this very long' so I'll spend even less money. About $20 I think I spent and I quit that even faster. Now I typically might spend $1 in every 10th game but I basically don't spend at all,” he continued. “I actually think that story is going to start playing out with more and more people. [...] That's my feeling, that eventually it's going to become unsustainable and something else will have to come along.”

"It hasn't happened yet,” Darrah concluded. “And it's going to be a long while yet. I wouldn't place any bets on the timing of that one." It’s a solid theory that people will start to tire of microtransactions as the format gets more exploitative. Watch this space.