When we reported on how Polyphony Digital’s Gran Turismo 6 would include in-game microtransactions a couple of weeks ago, the news got a rather frosty reception. Now, with the game just days away the exact pricing of these in-game credit bundles has been revealed – and they’re not cheap.
As we mentioned, the credits – allowing you to boost your virtual garage – will be available in 500K, 1 million, 2.5 million and 7 million denominations, raging from a reasonable £3.99 to an astonishing £39.99.
Eurogamer are reporting that Gran Turismo 6’s storefront has today updated, and lists the packages as follows:
500,000 In-Game Credits (£3.99/€4.99)
1 Million In-Game Credits (£7.99/€9.99)
2,500,000 In-Game Credits (£15.99/€19.99)
7 Million In-Game Credits (£39.99/€49.99)
A video has also appeared online showcasing the dealerships from the game – and giving us a look at several cars, including the Ford Mark IV ’67, which costs 20 million credits. That’s just shy of £120 if you’re paying in real money. Ouch.
I’m sure you’ll be able to just do a couple of lovely 24hour endurance races instead though, right?
Gran Turismo 6 is out this Friday, December 6th, and is available to pre-order right now via PSN for £49.99 (or £59.99 if you want the Special Edition).
UPDATE: Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida has responded to the microtransaction controversy.
“Microtransaction per se is not a bad thing, how the game is designed around it could become a problem,” he tweeted.
He then added that the microtransactions are “offering an alternative path to busy people,” and suggested people read reviews of Gran Turismo 6 to get the full picture.
Source: Eurogamer.
cam the man
This will be the first GT game I haven’t pre-ordered as the PS4 will be taking my gaming time for quite a while. And with Driveclub out in February and GT7 later in the year(hopefully) I may never get it.
SLUMMO316
Gt7 late next year hahaha you have zero chance of playing that anytime in 2014
cam the man
We are all allowed to dream.
It’ll be arriving Nov next year, just after the pigs have landed :-)
Stefan L
The Ford Mk. IV was 20 million in GT5 too… and that was without microtransactions, and you’d grind away to get that and the other cars worth well over however many million.
As long as there are races which are worth a decent amount of money, and things like seasonal events, which could also dish out loads of cash, then it’s not so bad.
If you buy a digital car for £120, then you need to get a grip.
lambchop
20 Million for a Mk. IV Ford Cortina!!! ;)
Adam Guest
As long as you can earn credits at the same rate as you’ve been able to previously I don’t see a problem; When IAPs encroach on the game progressing normally though, then we’re gonna have words.
freezebug2
Exactly this, as long as the introduction of microtransactions doesn’t impede game progression at what could be considered a “normal” rate then I don’t see any problem whatsoever, and I laugh in the face of microtrannies mwuhahaha!
GT5 only let the player have a capped 20 million credit balance before you had to launder funds to lower the balance before any more earnings were accountable, which leads me think that there might be a higher/unlimited bank balance allowed.
Regarding the Ford MkIV, Jaguar XJ13 and Ferrari 330 all race cars of the golden era, indeed as Tef stated cost 20 mill each along with several other top end cars in the game.
I usually like to crack on with licenses and challenges from the outset which is not only useful/necessary for game progression but it also nets you a healthy bank balance….none of this real cash for cars thing needed impo!
transbaconist (formerly bacon_nuts)
So it’s either pay 120 pounds, which is ridiculous, or grind for several days, real time, for a digital car. Just ONE. Both seem equally ridiculous to me. I’ll be skipping this.
freezebug2
Erm, read Stefans comment above, aaaaand rest :P
freezebug2
ie. The grind for expensive cars is nothing new in GT, but the timescales are not as long as you suggest.
transbaconist (formerly bacon_nuts)
Thanks, I did, I just feel like saying someone’s mental if they spend real money on a fake car is silly when their other option is what? Spending their time. Time they could spend, I don’t know, earning money…?
As for the grind, yeah, I know it’s not new, doesn’t change my opinion.
JesseDeya
I don’t understand how this is ‘grinding’?!
You buy GT to race/drive cars, you earn credit by race/driving cars. Literally everything you do in GT earns you credit, even multiplayer.
If you think it’s grinding, you’re playing the wrong game.
3shirts
Your argument is essentially against playing games!
You play GT and, in doing so, earn credits. You then spend them. If you don’t want to do lots of racing, why on earth would you even buy a GT game?
transbaconist (formerly bacon_nuts)
“Your argument is essentially against playing games!”
Nope, it’s against putting in an unnecessarily high amount of hours into a game when I have a job and other things to be doing.
And that’s the point, yeah, it’s a grind, because to get the cars that I want, I would have to put in a ridiculous amount of hours, either against some of the worst AI in any game since the SNES, seriously, unless they’re better this time, which I’ve not seen touted anywhere, then they’ll still be atrocious like in GT5, the AI in Mario Kart on SNES is as good… Or I’d race against people online, where frankly I’d lose, because I have neither a wheel or endless hours of practice.
And don’t worry, I’m not buying this game, I’ll save my money for more worthwhile experiences.
Starman
You make it sound like playing the game is a chore you’d rather not have.
transbaconist (formerly bacon_nuts)
Starman, you are correct. It’s a boring chore with historic AI and pretty graphics. Don’t want the grind, don’t want the ‘micro’transactions, don’t want the game.
boeboe
Get me off this planet ASAP.
EFTyphoon
I’ll race ya!! :0)
DividSmythe
With microtransactions like that I think lots of people will avoid GT6. Far to expensive, also with Ps4 out now I don’t think it’ll sell as well as GT5. Maybe it will be ons+ soon.
Tomhlord
Why? You don’t have to spend real money on credits and the game has not been changed in any way to build in transactions. But now the option is there.
E.g. It’s similar to every NeedforSpeed game, on day 1 you can unlock at lot of content for £7.99. But the game hasn’t changed, it still has the same progression.
lambchop
When I first heard about microtransactions, I was thinking stuff would be in the region of 10p-50p. All the transactions that I’ve seen in any game are decidedly unmicro….
EFTyphoon
I don’t like the way this whole microtransanctions is starting to become to norm.
When is the GT6 reviews coming out by the way peeps? :0)
transbaconist (formerly bacon_nuts)
I don’t either.
I think the embargo lifts on release day, which always makes me suspicious…
EFTyphoon
Ahhh I see, yes…I don’t understand the point of a review on release day. Like you said…suspicious. I guess we’ll see tomorrow :0)
Adam Guest
Friday, good sir!
EFTyphoon
ah, I was getting a little ahead of myself there…wish it was Friday today though! hehe :0)
Starman
I’m no fan of microtransactions but there’s something funny when people complain they’ll have to play a game for a long time.
freezebug2
I dunno, there have been lazybastardsunlockeverything DLC packs out for a few years now so people have been shortening their graduation time through games anyway!
Starman
I do wonder how long it’ll be until there’s a “unlock all trophies/achievements” dlc.
3shirts
Yeah, can’t wait for the ‘just play the game for me’ pack. Buy the game, buy that, platinum trophy, never even touch the controller.
freezebug2
B spec? lol
Avenger
Well looking at the UI the other day, the tyres cost something like 90,000 credits I think. It seems like everything has basically been increased in value, so I reckon race earnings will increase likewise.
As the above comments say anyway, as long as earning money is reasonably accessible, then that’s fine. The IAPs are just for people who want shortcuts to content. It’s funny actually, I’d never fancy buying such a thing like virtual credit/cars, but its damn annoying if someone else does in multiplayer.
JesseDeya
Am I the only one who doesn’t care about the completely optional Microtransations? Like Forza, they don’t want to devalue the reward of earning cars by progressing through the game, so making them expensive to ‘shortcut’ is actually not a bad thing.
At least GT5 has >1200 cars that can be bought at no extra cost. Forza 5 has ~200 cars and is going to sell you 60 more next year for almost as much as the initial cost of the game. Not sure where the hate comes from but as the kids say these days… evs.
Moonpie
Microtransactions are fine and I’ve used them myself occasionally however it’s when games remove content or make them only available through microtransactions that I have a problem
JesseDeya
Which is why I don’t see the issue with GT6 having them.
Tomhlord
Which is exactly what has not happened here.
3shirts
The only issue I have is the goalposts moving. As long as microtransactions remain a purely optional way to save time or help you if you’re not good enough to achieve something through play, fine. When they start creeping by making things harder and harder to achieve without them or lock content so you HAVE to buy it, then I have a problem.
For me a game can be free to play but with IAP or bought outright and without.
Tomhlord
Exactly, and there has been no goalpost moving in GT6!
ron_mcphatty
I reckon you could get an actual Cortina for less than the Mk 4.