Amazon Games is dead set against pay-to-win.
New World, the developer’s upcoming MMO, will include an in-game store at launch, but it won’t feature characters boosts or anything directly connected to gameplay. Scheduled to release on Aug. 31, 2021, the standard edition of the game will cost $39.99 and will be a one-time purchase.
The “focus” of the store will be cosmetic items that players will be able to use to “enhance” the visuals of their characters, according to creative director David Verfaillie. These microtransactions will provide alternative aesthetics for players.
“We have definitely heard the feedback from players and our focus is we do not want [New World] to be a pay-to-win experience,” Verfaillie said in a press conference.
The “emphasis” of the store is on cosmetics at launch, but the devs believe there’s room for “quality of life improvements” that won’t cross into “the pay-to-win territory.”
“We’re going to be focusing on the cosmetic experience at launch,” Verfaillie explained. “We believe that’s something players will enjoy and definitely doesn’t cross the line. And then we’ll be working with our community to decide where we can go that everyone thinks is fair.”
Related: New World won’t be pay-to-win but will include microtransactions, Amazon reveals
In the future, players will be able to purchase things like additional storage from the store, according to Verfaillie. But everything available with real-world money will also be obtainable in-game.
“In-game there are ways to increase your storage. But there are some people that may not have the time or want to do the commitment to all those in-game ways,” Verfaillie said. “So, there are just ways that people that are less time-available can keep up with players in certain aspects like that.”
It remains to be seen how much these microtransactions will cost, but considering New World does not have a subscription model past the initial $39.99 purchase, cosmetics will almost certainly come at a price.
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Source: https://dotesports.com/mmo/news/are-there-microtransactions-in-new-world
